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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Fri 20: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 20: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, East Bedlington Community Centre. 7:00pm.
Fri 20: Pete Tanton’s Christmas @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Alligator Gumbo @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Abbie Finn’s Finntet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 20: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sat 21: Lindsay Hannon Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £15.00. ‘Swinging with Christmas Songs’.
Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 21: Jackson’s Wharf Xmas Party @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 7:00pm. Free. Featuring the New ’58 Jazz Collective.
Sat 21: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Saturday, December 22, 2018

A Jazzy Christmas: Paul Edis and Friends @ Sage Gateshead – Dec. 21

Paul Edis (piano, vocals); Jo Harrop (vocals); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums);
Matt Anderson (tenor & soprano sax); Francis Tulip (guitar); Emma Fisk (violin) Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugel); Jason Holcomb (trombone); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Megan Robinson (flute)
(Review by Ann Alex/PHOTOS courtesy of Jerry E)

Sage Two was all set for Christmas, fairy lights adorning the mic stand, double bass and elsewhere. Lighted stars onstage along with our star jazz musicians, and a full auditorium - even up on level 3. This was the second jazzy Christmas concert and, by the end of the concert, there were calls for more of the same next year. A concert suitable for both die-hard jazz fans and people not so familiar with the genre.

As Paul pointed out, the concert began with a tribute to Greggs/Fenwick’s window (the enterprising bakery chain which has a shop opposite Fenwicks has cunningly reversed their sign so that the Greggs’ logo is correctly reflected in the department store’s popular Christmas window!) with Walking in the Air from The Snowman, straight in with solos from tenor sax and guitar.
Paul told silly Christmas cracker jokes, as he did last year, before the arrival of the sultry-voiced Jo Harrop. Wearing a Christmassy black dress with silver glitters, Jo gave out with Let It Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow and, on the right-hand side of the stage, trombone, trumpet, alto sax and flute augmented the band. The song included a quick reference to a certain red-nosed reindeer whose driver was last seen asking directions to my house.

And so it continued, Jo sang The Christmas Waltz which was written especially for Frank Sinatra, and Paul came up with his first piano solo of the night if I remember rightly – or was it his second? Emma was featured on Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, and also on a very slow version of White Christmas, with the violin sounding rich-toned and quite luscious. Exit Jo. Interesting to watch the exits and entrances, I think Shakespeare said something about that.

Drivin’ Home For Christmas featured Matt on sax and (unusually) a Latin beat, then Jo returned with a real swinging version of What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?, and Graham trumpeted (or flugelled?) on Sleigh Ride. And I must mention that, all the while, bass and drums tirelessly kept the toboggan on course and didn’t go off-piste and, no, I haven’t spelled that wrong!

The second set opened with a pleasing medley of O Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night, the latter swinging, and we had a duo number from soprano sax and violin. Paul sang, (yes!), a clever original song, Merry Christmas On Christmas Day, Jo did Santa Baby and the sad wartime song I’ll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams). Then, for me, a high point of the evening, the horns entering from the back of the hall to join Russ drumming on Little Drummer Boy. Quite moving.  A duo of keys and Jo singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. All on stage for Winter Wonderland, then a well-deserved encore, all except Jo in Santa hats, for The Christmas Song (‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire’ etc), and a promise to return next year. Bring it on!
Ann Alex    

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