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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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Mar 26: Pop Jazz @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 'Jazzified' tunes by the likes of Sylvester, Bowie, the Monkees etc., feat. Alan Law, David Gray, Richard Herdman & Jude Murphy.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

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 @ 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: '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: 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.

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

Great North Big Band Jazz Festival 2019: Schools Section (Day 3) - Mar 3

(Review by Russell)

Sunday, the last lap, day three of three. The previous day's events culminating in the Managers Big Band retaining its senior open title were still fresh in the mind. Now it was over to the coming generation to show what it was capable of.

Two competition sections - schools and youth - offered a full day's entertainment at Park View Community Centre. Durham County Cricket Club aside, there can be few occasions in the calendar when hundreds of people descend on Chester le Street to participate in a truly social gathering.  

The overcast conditions threatened rain, the kind of conditions a seam bowler would relish down the road at the Riverside. At this time of year, it's either indoor nets or a warm weather training camp. That's for the cricketers, here at Park View conditions were ideal for big band jazz - a large, well-lit stage, a cabaret-style seating arrangement, a real ale bar, food, stalls - in short, a festival which ticked all the boxes.


SCHOOLS SECTION

The Johnston Stompers (MD Lucy Wiggers) arrived in school uniform, perhaps the only band to do so this year. The Stompers were representing Durham Johnston School. First-time participants, their programme comprised three numbers - MalaguenaSummertime and, refreshingly, Tiger Rag. One or two short in some sections, the local representatives gave a good account of themselves. 

The Tyne Valley Jazz Ensemble (MD Dave Hignett) tends not to have a problem recruiting musicians, indeed it would come as no surprise to learn there is a waiting list! Sophie Speed is a talented member of the saxophone section and Dave Hignett ensured she was given every opportunity to shine and shine she did! TVBB gave value for money fitting in five numbers; Buffalo HeadGospel, the welcome inclusion of Basin Street BluesGimme Some Lovin' (minus the Hammond B-3) and Lady Madonna

Greenhead College Big Band (MD Nick Dolling) from Huddersfield featured an instantly popular vocalist - Ms Daisy Cameron. Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend sang Daisy, Lullaby of Broadway and Mambo from West Side Story were staple fayre either side of a world premiere piece - Last Dance - composed by band pianist Louis Enright. 

The reigning champions Burton Borough School Big Band (MD Alison Ruston) made the long journey from Shropshire no doubt determined to mount a stout defence of their title. Sam Jones' Unit 7 opened the programme. This was impressive! A big band fan said: “Frightening, isn't it?” He was referring to the exceptionally high standard and it continued with Life Long Friend (a trombone feature for Ed Simons), Joe Zawinul's Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and Soul Sacrifice from an early incarnation of the Santana band. Our big band fan confided: That's it. 

Well, not quite it. Yarm School Big Band (MD Chris Hibbard - pictured) wanted to have a say and so they did. The hirsute Hibbard, of Crooners' fame, put his young charges through their paces with solid contributions from Femi Afolabi, tenor sax, on I Concentrate on You and James Muir, alto sax, on the band's final number Swingin' Shepherd Blues

Adjudicators Mick Donnelly and Marcus Brown compared notes and in due course made their way on to the stage. The results, announced by Bill Watson (director GNBBJF) were as follows:

SCHOOLS SECTION

Best Band: Burton Borough School Big Band

Best Soloist: Ed Simons (Burton Borough School Big Band) 

Best Section: Trombones, The Johnston Stompers (Durham Johnston School)*
* The section consisted of one trombonist - Harry Coe! 

Adjudicators' Awards

Kyle Walker, drums (Yarm School Big Band)

Ed Simons, trombone (Burton Borough School Big Band)

Sol Plumb, piano (Tyne Valley Jazz Ensemble)

Daisy Cameron, vocals (Greenhead College Big Band)

Russell

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