Total Pageviews

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

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.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two.
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

Monday, April 01, 2019

Remembering Keith @ the Prohibition Bar - March 31.

(Review by Lance)

I'd just watched Sunderland lose the Chekatrade Cup final to Portsmouth so that entering the Pro Bar and hearing Gypsy Dave Smith, accompanied by Ray Burns,  singing the blues captured my mood. I'd despaired at the cheers from Newcastle's 'anti-Sunderland' fans when Pompey emerged victorious after a penalty shoot-out. Nice one guys support a team that's 400 miles away as opposed to one that's about 12 miles and a few stops on the Metro! But that's the tribalism of the so-called beautiful game on Mother's Day*.

I remembered Crombie's views on football fans - they didn't get into the old Jazz Caff if they were wearing 'shirts' - 'A bunch of wankers!' his favourite remark. 

And, of course, we jazzers have also been guilty of tribalism if you think back to the days when traddies and boppers decreed that ne'er the like should meet.


That particular conflict has long been resolved - witness Lindsay Hannon singing Basin Street Blues. Lady Day Hannon treated it gentle. Caressing the old Spencer Williams tune as if it were the most sentimental ballad of love and yet, without losing the old New Orleans' feel, it was a pin drop moment. 
So, why were we all gathered together like this? To enjoy the music of course but, also to remember the late Keith Crombie.

Crombie is (I hate to say 'was') perhaps the most enigmatic non-playing jazz figure in the northeast and it was fitting that he should be remembered with a plaque on the wall, unveiled by his sister Janet, in the place where he made it all happen.
It was also an evening that reunited old friends and introduced new friends - hi Helena, I know we're friends on F/b but it's not the same as being friends in person whilst listening to some great music.

Then there was Kevah and his camera and his always friendly greeting. Jazz friends seem to have inseparable bonds (well most) and Kev's photos are excellent (click here).

Because it was as much a social occasion as a gig, the music wasn't always picked up by the crowd but, some of the ones that I tuned in to were, Lindsay singing Some Other Time; John Rowland blowing that rarely heard Rodgers and Hart ballad, You Are Too Beautiful and Val Clemens singing All of Me. We also had the surprise of the night when proprietor Mitch sat in on drums - following Ian Forbes no less! Turned out Mitch was just keeping the drum stool warm for 'Lady' Caroline Mary who was out slumming but proved that she too could play.
By now the 8:00pm advertised finish had long gone and, with it, so had I. I probably missed more great music - how could I not with Mark Williams and Paul Grainger aboard? But, I left, football forgotten but memories of the past and the present very much alive.
Lance.
PHOTOS.
*Mother's à la Miles.

2 comments :

Unknown said...

Thankyou So Much Lance a lovely write-up you never fail to impress it was a lovely night which I'm sure Keith would have approved of ...It was lovely to see you again too. Mitch and colleagues have created a beautifull Jazz venue I loved it .. take care my friend Val

Helena said...

Great write up about a very special evening at the Prohibition Bar unveiling the Keith Crombie Plaque Lance Thank you for the Mention it was lovely To meet you at last after being facebook friends for ages

Blog Archive