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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

An Ode to BSH by Ann Alex

Music goes where words can’t go
And jazz goes even further.
BSH goes everywhere
Nothing is a bother.

By car, cab or metro-train,
In lightning, thunder or in rain,
We’re the gig invaders
Our chariot, the 27 Crusader.

I’m told to go and hear a band
No matter what else I have planned
And if they’re bad I daren’t say
Bad is what’s meant when we say it’s okay.

A work in progress they can be
Which means they may get better
Or, in their own inimitable way,
Which means they won’t get better.

But if the band is up for the gig
Here in the northeast
I’ll write, ’of thee I dig’
And on the music I will feast.
-----

Nice Work If You Can Get It

We get paid in CDs and promises
Lance says there’ll be more to come
Does he think us doubting Thomas’
Are really that xxxxxxx dumb?

Ten percent rise he says
Smiling and tipping his hat
But ten percent of nothing
Won’t pay the mortgage on my flat.
-----

What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?

Gig reviews must come the very next day
CDs not much later
If I dared to take a holiday
I’d be branded as a traitor.

Come Stormy Weather, Rain Or Shine
Or midst the Leaves of Autumn
Just don’t mention Summertime
It could lead to your post-mortem.
-----  
Oh Lady Be Good

So here’s to all at Bebop Spoken Here
With water, wine and hand-pulled beer.
To Lance, Russell and the Steves - H and T
Debra and Jerry and Hugh and Me.

To comments from Patti and Liz of York
And, of course, Ken Drew.
His pictures paint a 1000 words
Or more, to give him his due.

And not forgetting Tony Eales
He’s indirectly quoted
From the Wear down to the Tees
He rarely goes unnoticed.

There’s Dave B and JC
And Colin in Hong Kong.
Warren at Hoochie Coochie
Now don’t get me wrong.

We must also toast the players
Them that verily doth blow
The singers and the swingers
Who put on the evening’s show.

They are the ones who deserve to be heard
Aspiring to be Ella, Trane or Bird
Without them, we, the bloggers,
Would surely be lost for words.

We’re always looking for people
To write about the jazz
And if you don’t want to…
Well You Needn’t!

Ann Alex (with additional poetic licence from Lance).

(Ann and I have had a literary relationship going back many years to when I joined a writers' group where Ann was a prominent member and coordinator - dotting my I’s and crossing my t’s as required – something Russell does now. – Lance) 

3 comments :

Patti said...

Ann - this is a wonderful tribute to BSH, and Lance ......

Liz said...

Wow Ann, that is genius, well done!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Liz and Patti, you've both commented, as it says in the poem! Lance is being modest about his contribution, which was a lot, although I did the 1st draft and used the song titles. I thought it was a good time to write this poem just when we're nominated for an award. Ann

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