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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

June

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Saturday, April 27, 2019

The Ronnie Scott's Story: 60th Anniversary Concert @ Sage Gateshead - April 26

James Pearson (piano); Alex Garnett (tenor sax/vocals); Sam Burgess (bass); Chris Draper (drums); Natalie Williams (vocals).
(Review by Lance).

I'd seen the show a couple of times previously but this didn't detract from an enjoyable evening. When all the old jokes were rolled out I groaned but, they were seemingly new to many of the audience in the three-tiers full Sage Two so I laughed along with them and, truth to tell, I never tire of hearing them again. 

Pearson (pictured left) and Garnett did most of the narration helped by the projected backdrop and some words from the late, great, man himself. I never made it to the Club 11 or the first Ronnie Scott's in Gerrard St. although there was a period when I was a regular at the Flamingo Club, also in Soho, where Ronnie Scott often appeared whilst this coming Wednesday (May 1) I shall be at the Frith St. club where Alan Barnes is playing. Paradoxically, many would say that Barnes has inherited the role of Jazz Court Jester that once was Ronnie's.


I digress as, of course, tonight it was the live music that made the gig something special and the surprise inclusion of Natalie Williams who sang beautifully as she always does

The tall singer looked good and sounded good. Prior to this evening, I'd heard her in a previous edition of the show as well as at  Hoochie, Cadogan Hall and on CD. After the concert, her albums were replacing hot cakes in the bestseller lists and deservedly so.

A Night in Tunisia; How High the Moon; Moody's Mood for Love; Love For Sale; James (Pat Metheny); Spain; I Loves You Porgy; Sister Sadie and the encore It Don't Mean a Thing -  which was synced with a projection of Ella Do-wa-do-wa-do-waing it on screen - all of which were knockout performances.

The band were well featured with some 'Scott-ish' tenor from Garnett who also produced some Roland Kirk-like harmonics, sang a duet with Williams on Moody's Mood and the pair's vocalese/tenor blast on Sister Sadie was truly memorable!

As well as helping out with the anecdotes and 'vamping till ready' Pearson paid tribute to Oscar Peterson with a dazzling Place St. Henri from his [Peterson's] Canadiana Suite, Burgess was featured on Walkin' and Draper played one of the more imaginative drum solos on Love For Sale.

Instrumentals included a blistering Airmail Special; Through the Night Roared the Overland Express and Alfie's Theme.

A thoroughly enjoyable history lesson.
Lance

1 comment :

Andy Hudson said...

"...Anyone in from Middlesbrough... There's a little known fact Ladies and
Gentlemen that towards the end of the war the Americans accidentally dropped
an atom bomb whilst flying over the town......Did £4 of damage."

"Just after the war, we were all very poor and had to walk around dressed in
war surplus clothing...I can tell you it was no fun for a nice jewish boy to
be going around the East End dressed as a Japanese Admiral...."

Hey Ho That was Ronnie.

I do miss him and the other two,

Ronnie's was BPR Ltd Brian Pete and Ronnie

Brian (Theobald) was the agent, Pete (King) was the club manager and
incidentally also a racing driver trainer at Brands Hatch. and of course
Ronnie Scott(Musician and Host)

When I left the North East in 1979; for the first year, my office was on the
1st floor of Ronnies - A gift from the 3 of them to get me going in London.
The first Alexandra Palace jazz Festival was organised from there. It was a
fun-filled period.

"You from Hebburn Sir ? ...... I spent a fortnight there....Last Thursday!"

RIP Ronnie Scott

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