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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 2024).

The Things They Say!

Hudson Music: Lance's "Bebop Spoken Here" is one of the heaviest and most influential jazz blogs in the UK.

Rupert Burley (Dynamic Agency): "BSH just goes from strength to strength".

'606' Club: "A toast to Lance Liddle of the terrific jazz blog 'Bebop Spoken Here'"

The Strictly Smokin' Big Band included Be Bop Spoken Here (sic) in their 5 Favourite Jazz Blogs.

Ann Braithwaite (Braithwaite & Katz Communications) You’re the BEST!

Holly Cooper, Mouthpiece Music: "Lance writes pull quotes like no one else!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Sat 05: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: Musical Boxing Training @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 2:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. ‘A workshop for musical improvisers’. An event in a boxing ring!
Sat 05: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Wylam Village Institute, Church Road, Wylam NE41 8AP. Doors 7:00pm. Tickets £15.00. + £1.50. bf, available from: www.gigantic.com.
Sat 05: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. From 7:00pm. £12.00. Bright Street Big Band on stage at 7:30pm, preceded at 7:00pm by a swing dance taster session.
Sat 05: J.A.M. String Collective + Tara Cunningham + The Flame @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & Lit & Phil.
Sat 05: Heavy Drunk @ Anarchy Brewery, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00. + £1.50. bf. ‘Mississippi Delta Blues Experience’ feat. Heavy Drunk, Watermelon Slim & Leonardo Giuliani.
Sat 05: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: Musical Boxing Night @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 7:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. Nicols, Dalling ao. An event in a boxing ring!
Sat 05: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 05: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Swarland Village Hall NE65 9JG. 8:00pm. £12.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm (12:30pm doors). £7.50.
Sun 06: Luis Verde Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Catriona Bourne Quartet + Heather Ferrier + Emma Johson’s Gravy Boat @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & The Globe.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock).
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Monday, August 27, 2018

Alan Barnes w. SSBB @ Ushaw, Durham - August 26

It wouldn't be Ushaw without Punch (A.K.A Alan Barnes). The much-travelled sax/clarinet ace covers more miles than Lewis Hamilton, hopefully not quite as fast although, when wielding saxophones large and small, he's well outside the speed limit and should be booked (for next year's festival).
I've heard this genial performer on many occasions but I don't think I've known him to burn quite like he did on baritone last night. 
In keeping with the band's name, he was on fire yet still managed to relax and play some Johnny Hodges' style alto on his own composition Portrait of Belle from his Christmas Suite which he had performed at a previous Ushaw gig.
Of course, it wasn't all Barnes, Alan, we had Barnes, David, blowing a lusty trombone on Ecaroh (hold the title up to the mirror and you'll get a clue as to the composer). Guitarist Pawel also impressed.
Alice Grace looked good and sounded likewise on You Turned the Tables on me; Get Happy; Hear the Moment and It Was a Very Good Year, the latter number done somewhat faster than the norm - it worked although, it has to be said, I think she needed either more mic or less volume from the band.
Having a sax titan as guest soloist meant less time in the spotlight for the other reeds although this was rectified in the penultimate Okay With Jay from the Buddy Rich pad. Which prompts me to suggest, why not a Buddy Rich set from the band at some future date?
Getting back to Okay with Jay - Jay being Jay Craig - solos abounded with Forster making the early running followed by Summers, Gowland, Toms, Ferris and Barnes, A, culminating in what was touted as a 'blistering baritone battle between Alan and Sue. The guest pulled no punches and Sue wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Suffice to say she held her own.
Michael Lamb, as usual, took most of the trumpet solos in between darting back and forth to conduct and compere on those rare occasions when Alan Barnes was lost for words. In the absence of Pete Tanton, Marshall and Stacey were given their moments of glory.
Guy Swinton was featured on the finale/encore, Caravan. Deon Krishnan was solid on bass guitar throughout and dep pianist Mike Bowman, although predominantly kept under wraps, provided the support a soloist needs to prevent him/her straying.
As a matter of (limited) interest, I remembered Mike as a young sax player buying reeds from me when I worked in J.G. Windows. We're now both grey-haired although he has more of it than me!
Nice to see you again Mike.
More photos.
Lance.
PS: I'd also like to add to the plaudits already showered upon Paul Edis who organised the three-day event so efficiently. Bravo Paul!
PPS: Eleven World Premieres over the weekend and counting...
PPS: And a big thank you to Tony Eales for his Jazz Alley - a stunning display of vintage album covers, posters, magazines (some of which I've appropriated!) and general memorabilia.
Alan Barnes (alto/clarinet/baritone) w. Strictly Smokin' Big Band:
Michael Lamb (MD), Billy Bradshaw, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Dan Chimside, Kieran Parnaby, David Barnes, Chris Gray (trombones); Jamie Toms, Paul Gowland, Steve Summers, Matt Forster, Sue Ferris (saxophones);  Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Mike Bowman (piano); Deon Krishnan (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals).

2 comments :

Alan Smith (on F/b) said...

What a Great Band! (and Alan Barnes is pretty good).

Hugh said...

I love the photo of Alan Barnes' extended baritone with two bells!

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