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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

Jam session @ The Black Swan - April 30

Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums) + James Metcalf (trumpet); John Rowland (tenor sax); Graham Easthope (tenor sax); Francis Tulip (guitar) 
(Review by Russell/Photos to follow)

A couple of old hands, a couple of student hotshots, otherwise it was a quiet night. This week's Black Swan jam session began quietly and, for the most part, continued that way. Piano-less house trios invariably result in restrained affairs and on International Jazz Day the booters, honkers and rip-it-up merchants stayed home. 

Tyne and Wear's Metro system experienced yet more disruptions to service which perhaps accounted for the relatively low numbers in town as Messrs Williams, Grainger and Bradford opened with I Should Care. Guitarist Mark Williams exudes class and his early appreciation of 'new boy' John Bradford gladdened the heart. Lynchpin bassist Paul Grainger adopted his usual station in the middle of the action, periodically calling sitters-in to the stand.  

How High the Moon then It's Almost Like Being in Love stirred James Metcalf. Our Nottingham-based student, home for a few days, blew fine trumpet...he's been in the woodshed, no question. Old hand John Rowland looked to inject some umph into proceedings with his bootin' Basie small group Kansas City style tenor which in turn encouraged fellow tenor horn Graham Easthope to  join him on Just Friends

We hadn't heard from Francis Tulip for a while due to a case of RSI. Now sufficiently recovered to play again - FT claimed he was short of practice...yeah, right! - the manager put him on up front in search of a winner and, sure enough, he came up trumps on There'll Never be Another You and again on Stella by Starlight.

Second set - PG had suggested they take five - Mark Williams gave a masterclass on Chick Corea's Windows and again on I'll be Seeing You. The sitters-in massed in the wings - the horns of Rowland and Easthope, young guns Metcalf and Tulip up for some more. Night in Tunisia suited all and all of a sudden it was almost time to go. And so they went, bebopping, the soloists sparking off one another. The next Black Swan jam is on Tuesday 14 May. If you can't wait that long then get along to the Dun Cow (Jesmond) tonight (May Day) to listen to the house trio (Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger and Paul Wight) and any number of frisky May Day revellers, eight o'clock start.    
Russell           

1 comment :

Steve T said...

A piano-less trio on Jazz Day seemed a perfect opportunity to sabotage the metro. Payed off too. Although I only made the last hour, I may be a bit more inclined to jam sessions if they were a bit more like this, though I get that the venues need healthy bar takings to be able to keep putting them on.
More like a gig by a loose sextet, with horns coming and going. Triffic stuff.

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