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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Jazz Café Jam Session - August 7

(Review by Lance).
23 musicians, maybe more, 'jammed' into 3 hours of sheer delight. They came, they blew, they plucked, they sang, they paradiddled, they conquered.
New faces, old faces, both in the audience and in the performance area - I doubt if anyone was disappointed apart from those at the back of the sitters-in queue who maybe arrived too late and didn't make the cut.
Veteran trombonist Neville Hartley made his Jazz Caff debut and proved he could hold his own with the young Turks with some fine playing. Jordan Alfonso left his alto at home and, instead, dazzled on a dazzling tenor - a recent acquisition I wonder? 
Harry Keeble blew tenor like as though JC was still with us. Likewise Paul Gowland on soprano. Keeble wore shorts. The last Keeble I saw wearing shorts played for NUFC back in the day when they used to win things. This Keeble also looks to win things musically. David Gray too wore shorts, shorts that were almost as eye-catching as his trombone playing was ear-catching. 
Newcomer Mehraram had a brief stint on piano playing a tune I know but cannot for the life of me recall the title.
Hardy and Metcalf added their own brand of fire to the brass whilst Tulip and Williams gave us a glimpse of guitar heaven.
For once,  Paul Grainger had an easier shift with John Pope providing respite and behind them, the drummers were almost on a conveyer belt as Walker gave way to Finn who moved over for Fairhurst who vacated the stool for Bradford who passed the sticks to MacKellar who, in turn, brought Walker back into the fray for an exciting musical brawl with Murphy on congas.
Then there were the singers.
Oh yes, we had singers, did we not!
Niffi gave us Almost Like Being in Love, delivered in her own inimitable style, Kate added more emotion with I Only Have Eyes For You and Andrea Harrison pitched in with Lover Man. This was as good as it gets - or was it?
I'll explain. No, Don't Explain sang Nishla Smith. We didn't - the silenced room said it all.
Nishla, an Australian singer from Manchester, currently in residence at Sage Gateshead, provided a welcome contrast Check her out.
The evening ended with all and sundry Letting the Good Times Roll - they certainly
rolled last night!
Photos.
Lance
Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums/bass guitar) + Brendan Murphy (congas); Abbie Finn (drums); Harry Keeble (tenor); John Pope (bass); Ramtin Mehraram (piano); Matt Fairhurst (drums); James Metcalf (trumpet); Jordan Alfonso (tenor); Graham Hardy (trumpet); Neville Hartley (trombone); Niffi Osiyemi (vocal); Nishla Smith (vocal); John Bradford (drums); Kate O'Neill (vocal); Francis Tulip (guitar); Andrea Harrison (vocal); Lisa Delarny (guitar); Matt MacKellar (drums); Paul Gowland (soprano); David Gray (trombone).

1 comment :

Bruce Bax (on F/b). said...

Some of the singing was just great last night.

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