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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15245 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 264 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (March 25).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio + Abbie Finn @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 31: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 31: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 31: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 31: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. CANCELLED! Back next week (April 7).
Fri 31: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 31: Jasmine Myra + Waclaw Zimpel @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 31: The Revolutionaires @ The Shack, Boldon Colliery. 7:30pm. £10.00. The Revolutionaires' big band (horn section) line-up.
Fri 31: Andrew McCormack @ Maltings, Berwick. 8:00pm. £20.00.

April
Sat 01: The Big Easy @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - In a Minor Key. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 01: Boys of Brass @ Stack, Seaburn. 7:00-9:00pm.
Sat 01: Hot Club du Nord @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth. 8:00pm. £79.00. A charity fundraising event.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED to next week (Sat 08).

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Sunday, November 04, 2018

Mike Durham's Classic Jazz Party 2018 @ Village Hotel, Cobalt Business Park, Newcastle (ish) - November 4.

(Review by Lance)
Mike Durham's Classic Jazz Party rose, Phoenix-like from the ashes of the Whitley Bay Jazz Festival which, due to funding issues, finished some 20 years after its 1990 beginning. However, trumpet playing leader of the West Jesmond Rhythm Kings, Mike Durham didn't allow this to deter him. Inspired by the various 'jazz parties' in America such as the legendary bash held in Denver Colorado, under Mike's guidance, the Classic Jazz Party came about. Over the years it has seen many famous names, not least Daryl Sherman and Cecile McLorin Salvant (pictured here w. Jean Francois Bonnel) who performed a memorable duo set a few years back.


Sadly, Mike passed on but his wife, Patti, made sure that he wasn't forgotten by ensuring that this, surely the best celebration of classic jazz, and with the help of Keith Nicholls and a dedicated team of helpers, continued in his name.

This year I was only able to grab a few sessions but what sessions they were!
Joan Viskant's Let's Misbehave celebrated those twenties flapper girls such as Ruth Etting and Elsie Carlisle. Dressed appropriately, Joan won everyone's hearts with her renditions that, amazingly didn't sound at all dated. For 30 glorious minutes, she'd taken us back in time and, I guess so many of us wished we could stay. Actually, this wasn't a problem as the whole weekend is a glorious cocoon of that time between the wars when all that many folks had was music from the radio. No bread or employment but great music.

Joan was backed up by a choice selection of the CJP regulars including Emma Fisk whose playing of Florian Zabach' s Hot Canary was the perfect intro to My Canary's Got Circles Under His Eyes. I seem to remember George Melly used to milk this one.

Jeff Barnhart is the life and soul of any party - as was Fats Waller. Combine the two and you have the perfect recipe to get the joint jumpin'. Rather than play safe with the old favourites he introduced the audience to some little-known Waller compositions - every one a gem!

Of course, any jazz festival/party worth its salt has a big band and this one didn't fall short! Goldkette, Goodman, Ellington, Coon-Saunders, Chick Webb and, the one I caught - Fletcher Henderson.

Was this a success? You betcha! The advance inquiries for next year were hitting the tray so fast they ran out of forms!

But, this isn't just about the music - although it wouldn't happen without it - it's a reunion of friends drawn together by their mutual love of the jazz from another era. This also poses the question - is it a past era or the dawn of a new era? If only...
Lance.
PS: As I was leaving, I managed this shot of some of the guys. I can name two of them but I'd like to namecheck the other two.

1 comment :

Russell said...

Photo - four names (left to right)...David Boeddinghaus (piano), Josh Duffee (drums), Matthias Seuffert (reeds), Andy Schumm (cornet).

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