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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club: Just Friends @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guest band night w. Richie Emmerson, Ian Bosworth, Dave Archbold, Ron Smith, Mark Hawkins. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Friday, March 01, 2019

A Strictly Smokin' Farewell - Feb 28

(Review/photos by Russell)

Some six years on it was 'goodbye' to the Millstone. Yes, the Strictly Smokin' Big Band's monthly open rehearsal night has run its course down on Haddricks Mill Road and in future your regular date with one of the finest big bands around will be at one of Newcastle city centre's very best pubs.

This farewell South Gosforth appearance came hot on the heels of the SSBB's triumphant concert with guest star Mark Nightingale. It would soon become evident that the eighteen-piece big band was still on a collective high. One or two deps were drafted in - Jamie Toms' tenor chair being occupied by Sue Ferris and Dick Stacey's absence from the trumpet section covered by Elliott Todd - otherwise it was the now familiar faces sitting in the sections. 

Home Groan opened the show, the tune the first of several reprising the band's Sage Gateshead concert. Vocalist Alice Grace was on hand to sing Mean to Me and Fascinating Rhythm, the latter featuring Sue Ferris' tenor sax solo. Singer and band were on top form, and, as one seasoned big band fan noted, the SSBB's first rehearsal session following a big concert occasion always seems to find the band at the top of its game - a point well made!


Harold Arlen's Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Alice Grace singing Let's Do It, this final Millstone session was shaping up to be one of the very best. MD Michael Lamb told us - true or not it's a good story! - that during the band's concert with Mark Nightingale, Keiran Parnaby turned round and said he could do better than that as their virtuoso guest trombonist played Don't Mention the Blues. Well, Lamb said this Parnaby's big chance as they were about to play the number. Much laughter ensued. Did KP look a tad nervous? This was great fun! And it came to pass that KP's Herculean effort gave Nightingale a run for his money and, what's more, the reeds reproduced their fine in-concert performance. 

Film Noir Part 1 resumed hostilities after the break with Keith Robinson's alto feature riding on Guy Swinton's Blakey-like drive. More good work from Swinton, this time with brushes in hand, as Ms Grace produced another knockout version of Mad About the Boy. The band took One Note at a Time one note at a time and, unsurprisingly, got them all in the right order with solos from Pav Jedrzejewski on guitar, Dave Kerridge, tenor, 'bone man Chris Kurji-Smith and ace American trumpeter Pete Tanton. 

You're the Top insisted AG, informing the on-side audience that this would be the Anita O'Day take with the spotlight trained on the 'bones; Parnaby, Kurgi-Smith, Mark Ferris and bass 'bone John Flood. Hard Hearted Hannah sang AG - quite simply it doesn't get any better than this. 

Pav and the rhythm section boys swung it like crazy on Not Just a Date with Laurie Rangecroft the baritone anchor. The Heat of the Moment took flight, nothing could keep the SSBB in check on this one as the ensemble blazed a trail...a trail that was was about to see them leave the Millstone for the last time. How about some Ella/Alice Grace? That Old Black Magic. Perfect. 

Goodbye Millstone, hello Bridge Hotel...stay tuned to BSH for further details.         
Russell

Michael Lamb MD, Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Elliott Todd (trumpets); Mark Ferris, Keiran Parnaby, Chris Kurgi-Smith, John Flood (trombones); Dave Kerridge, Sue Ferris, Steve Summers, Keith Robinson, Laurie Rangecroft (reeds); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar), Graham Don (piano); Michael Whent (bass); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals).

1 comment :

Keith Robinson (on F/b) said...

Thanks Russell for your support, reviews, and enthusiasm over the years. Hopefully, see you down at The Bridge.

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