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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 2023).

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!"

Postage

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Monday, August 20, 2018

Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Blaydon Jazz Club - August 19

Zoë Gilby (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); Richard Brown (drums)
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Roly Veitch)
Stormy weather, no, not the tune, rather the plain English meteorologists use to make comprehensible to the rest of us a subject that goes over our heads...literally! And so it was, mid-March, with snow on the ground, Blaydon Jazz Club took the decision to call off an appearance by a north east favourite, vocalist Zoë Gilby.
Fast forward to August, the weather, if not quite blue skies, was mild and dry. Zoë and the boys arrived safely at the Black Bull ready and willing. The Gilby-Champion (that's double bass player Andy) songwriting partnership contributes to the quartet's setlist alongside standards, be they GASbook, bop classics or contemporary popular material.
Rhythm-a-Ning for starters, Love for Sale - a song for Aretha, said Gilby, followed by an original number - In it Together, three of the early highlights. Gilby's band is of the A-list variety; Andy Champion is as good as any, and better than most that you care to name; guitarist Mark Williams doesn't say much, he lets his guitar do the talking, and boy, he makes it talk. A composer and bandleader himself, Williams can strip paint when the occasion demands, on this occasion 'supreme accompanist' was the requirement and he delivered with aplomb. The quiet man at the back, drummer Richard Brown, does what is required of him, consider that a compliment, with his use of mallets on Midnight Bell an object lesson in 'less is more'. 

Second set - more of the same high-quality music, beginning with Victor Young's A Weaver of Dreams. This, and many other numbers, illustrated Gilby's expert annunciation of a lyric, all the while engaging with the audience, her stagecraft finely honed. The man at the back, Mr R Brown, had some fun on Caravan as the quartet swung it with panache. Lieber and Stoller's Some Cats Know raised knowing smiles across the room begging the question: Does anyone not know?! 

It was time to go and as we were listening to the Zoë Gilby Quartet that meant going out on the evocative Gilby-Champion composition Red City. Jazz at the Black Bull next month - September 16 - features a first Blaydon appearance by Alan Law. The genial pianist's trio will be joined for the occasion by guitarist James Birkett. Another one to look forward to!
Russell.    
Photos.

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