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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Monday, August 20, 2018

Gala Big Band @ Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art - August 19

(Review by Russell/photos courtesy of Russell (1/3) and Brian Ebbatson (2/4))
For the duration of the Great Exhibition of the North, Lubaina Himid is the star of the show at Baltic. The Turner Prize-winning artist is exhibiting Our Kisses are Petals at Gateshead's contemporary art gallery with an accompanying twelve-week programme of events inviting musicians to create a response to Himid's work. Week nine (August 19) featured the Gala Big Band performing in Baltic's ground floor gallery surrounded by the artist's paint-on-cloth series exploring, and subverting, the symbolism of the flag. 
Gala Big Band MD Paul Edis embarked upon writing a seven-part suite and at eleven o'clock on Sunday morning the Durham-based community orchestra played the challenging pieces in front of an enthusiastic audience. Several familiar faces populated the sections - Ben Lawrence, piano, and Matthew Downey, guitar, sat in the rhythm section, Thomas Dixon, alto, and Alex Thompson, tenor, produced telling solos from the reeds, and the trombone section was bolstered by a couple of senior practitioners in the form of Jason Holcomb and Alan Bravey. 

The Gala Big Band meets fortnightly and the level of musicianship in evidence at this early hour was testament to Edis' abilities as MD and the commitment of all in the band to present a professional show. Two particular highlights; Glenn Miller singing - yes, that's the man's name, no relation to the long-lost US band leader! - and a Basie-like swing-a-rooney of a tune titled How Do You Spell Change? incorporating references to Armstrong's West End Blues and Bird's Now's the Time with Dixon and Thompson contributing incisive solos. 

Somehow or other MD Edis found time to play flute on a couple of numbers, a constantly busy man is Dr Edis! One or two things to mention - housekeeping, one could call it - if G Miller, vocalist, is anywhere in the vicinity of Newcastle's Jazz Café tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8:00 he should drop by, he'd be welcome to sit-in at the jam session and, it just so happens, Paul Edis will be at the piano! Secondly, the Gala Big Band is keen to recruit a trombone player or three. 
If you're thinking That's me! 
email: www.bigband@galadurham.co.uk                 
The Gala Big Band is developing at a rate of knots, be sure to check 'em out!    
Russell

2 comments :

Lance said...

I'll have to check Lubiana Himid out - find out about subverting the symbolism of the flag. I'm a Jack Vettriano man myself and he doesn't do much in the way of subverting symbolism - or does he?

Russell said...

JV? Chocolate box painting by numbers!

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