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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.

Friday, April 19, 2019

DJazz Festival Launch - Courtyard Cafe, Durham - April 18


(Review by Russell)

DJazz: Durham City Jazz Festival is three! Its inaugural weekend in June 2017 was an unqualified success, its second year equally so and there is no reason to think this year's event will be anything other than a runaway success.  DJazz 2019 (June 7-9) organised a launch event in the Courtyard Cafe housed within Palace Green Library, Durham University.

The Courtyard Cafe boasts views of the adjacent Durham Cathedral. There can't be many jazz venues situated next to a UNESCO World Heritage Site! DJazz masterminds Carlo, Heather and Nick were on hand to meet and greet and, crucially, orchestrate the 'big reveal' - this year's headline act.

A bottle of Durham Brewery's Magus (with its sober 'ecclesiastical' label design), a tempting chocolate brownie resisted, the full house listened with bated breath as the DJazz team said a few words about this year's festival. By design, new venues would be utilised - ranging from the wonderfully named, intimate HolyGrAle beer bottle shop to the majesty of Durham Cathedral - and new names (new names to DJazz) would be added to the bill. A big plus this year is the re-siting of the DJazz Festival Hub from Fowler's Yard to the recently redeveloped Riverwalk site with its profusion of eateries and liquid refreshment establishments. 


There will be the return of the North East Super Jam, Durham Uni Jazz Soc Jam promises much, Matt Mackellar flies in from Berklee, the Nu Bossa Band will be on the Riverwalk free stage, Drs Edis and Wilson will be improvising in the nave of Durham Cathedral (Edis the pianist becoming Edis the organist!), Arun Ghosh opens at Redhills on the Friday evening and twenty-four hours later at the same venue, DJazz 2019 presents the headliner...Moses Boyd's Exodus! Yes, drummer extraordinaire Moses Boyd (of Binker and Moses fame) is sure to sell out the Pitman's Parliament. 

There is so much to look forward to - for further details visit: djazzfestival.co.uk - and in the coming weeks, BSH will post a detailed preview of DJazz 2019. That's to come, here at the DJazz launch there was some jazz to listen to as Hand to Mouth (being a jazz musician provides a precarious living!) played two sets of music associated with the great Ella Fitzgerald-Joe Pass partnership.

Vocalist Lindsay Hannon and guitarist Bradley Johnston have got a thing goin' East coast to West coast - whenever and wherever they perform the 'Ella and Joe' connection is an absolute winner. The jazz icons - that's Ella and Joe - appeared in the region; Ella at Newcastle City Hall and, memorably, at the Newport Jazz Festival when George Wein flew in the greats of jazz to perform at Ayresome Park (formerly home to Middlesbrough FC) and Joe at Gosforth Park Hotel. This evening Lindsay and Brad gave another five-star performance. From The Very Thought of You to DindiIn My Solitude to My Funny Valentine the Courtyard Cafe's audience gave its full attention to this intimate recital of, as Humph would have said, the very best in jazz. 

Another bottle of Magus (Cheers, vicar), the chocolate brownie once again resisted, Lindsay/Ella and Brad/Joe resumed with Lush Life - you could hear a pin drop. One Note featured Brad playing zillions of them, Take Love Easy (perhaps Hand to Mouth's signature number), Some Other Time (Lindsay referencing Bill Evans), yes, this chance partnership really does have a gig goin'. 

For the record, Brad confirmed that in addition to his own transcriptions many of the tunes heard tonight were transcribed by his mentor James Birkett way back in the late seventies. Brad kindly showed BSH Dr Birkett's handwritten charts. These living, breathing documents - were they written on parchment?! - sure do beat the soul-less, albeit convenient, iPad!    
Russell

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