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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.

Monday, September 24, 2018

TJ Johnson Band @ The Globe in Morning Lane, Hackney, London - September 23

TJ Johnson (piano, vocals); Al Nicholls (tenor sax); Tony Pitt (guitar, banjo); Tim Fairhall (double bass); Wesley Gibbons (drums) + Goff Dubber (alto sax); Fred? (vocals)
(Review by Russell).
The Globe in Morning Lane is the place to be on a Sunday lunchtime. A 'proper' pub in Hackney, jazz has been on the menu for the best part of twenty years. The regulars know it, they arrive well before noon, and in next to no time, the place is standing room only. 

On Sunday TJ Johnson made a return visit to the hostelry. The regulars like him and with good reason, he's a real entertainer with a top class band playing unpretentious, good time jazz. And they like the beer and there is a raffle and, on this occasion, a lavish spread was laid on by Mine Host, Steve, to celebrate a birthday...his own! 

Three sets (yes, three!), jazz, beer, food, good crack, you can't go wrong. Pianist/singer TJ Johnson kicked off with Exactly Like You. TJ's band knows what it's doing and, crucially, knows what the audience wants. If I Had You, Willie Nelson's On the Road Again, straight-down-the-middle piano playing, bootin' tenor from Al Nicholls and, a real bonus, Tony Pitt playing guitar. Ex-Alex Welsh and many other 'name' bands, Pitt plays with real verve, not bad for a veteran who has seen and heard it all. A Sunday pub gig, yes, it could have been a high profile festival engagement, it made no difference to the unassuming rhythm king. TJ knew he had a diamond in his band.   

The Basie-Eddie Durham cooker Swingin' the Blues did what it said on the tin. Was that Freddie Greene? It could have been, the name was Pitt, Tony Pitt. Small group swing, TJ's penchant for Willie Nelson, whatever the tune the Globe's patrons were up tripping the light fantastic. 

Buffet time. And what a spread! Plates piled high, all tucked in. Landlord Steve read out some parish notices, including the sad news of the death of bandleader and trumpeter Bill Freeman of Happy Jazzmen fame. 

The Lady is a Tramp sang Johnson to get the second set underway. Tenor man Al Nicholls featured on In a Mellotone as did the fine younger generation bassist Tim Fairhall. Runnin' Wild kicked up a storm as the throng danced itself almost to a standstill. 

This being London, TJ couldn't let the occasion pass without paying tribute to Chas Hodges (of Chas and Dave fame). Our bandleader revealed that Hodges was one of his inspirations when, as a teenager in Stockport, he bought a Chas and Dave album. With his ex-wives in mind, TJ sang Ain't No Pleasing You. As an aside TJ said one of Hodges' first gigs back in the fifties was playing bass guitar with Chuck Berry...now there's a claim to fame!

To close the second of three sets the band played a chorus of Happy Birthday for Steve and two others coincidentally celebrating a same-day birthday followed by I've Got the World on a String (TJ certainly had his audience on a string) and Merle Haggard's Workin' Man's Blues

An excellent version of Autumn Leaves (Johnson vocals) opened the final set and no one was going anywhere as the quintet upped the tempo on Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Nicholls' bootin' tenor). An unexpected treat followed with ex-Ken Colyer man Goff Dubber,  playing curved soprano, sitting-in. This was quite a line-up here at the Globe boasting a collective cv of gigs with, variously, Alex Welsh, Colyer and, playing the first of three gigs in a day, drummer Wesley Gibbons who currently works with American pianist Darius (son of Dave) Brubeck! 

The Globe's dancing crowd (including Landlord Steve and his 'Missus' - see photo) demanded an encore and TJ Johnson was ready for them. A N'Awlins' feel to I'll Fly Away sent us on our way. Landlord Steve and his hard working team have developed the Globe on Morning Lane into a 'bucket list' destination for any jazz fan on a visit to London.   
Russell.   




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