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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.

Sunday, June 09, 2019

DJazz: Saturday - June 8

(Review by Russell)

Newcastle, rain. Twelve minutes later (East Coast mainline train) Durham, rain. The organisers of this year's DJazz: The Durham City Jazz Festival implemented a simple plan to abandon its outdoor stage and move day two indoors. The recently completed Riverwalk complex offered the ideal solution with two vacant shop units functioning as pop-up alternatives, but first, a short walk up Saddler Street to keep an appointment at Durham Castle. 

The Norman chapel in Durham Castle is a simple, dimly lit, stone-built space. It would be difficult to make a dungeon less inviting! Cellist Maja Bugge sat in front of her congregation to perform a set of compositions/improvisations. The Norwegian musician prefers site-specific venues in which she can respond to and work with the acoustics. A set of some three-quarters of an hour engaged the crowded room - how many of them would later go in search of some jazz?

DJazz evolved from the immensely successful student-run jam sessions in the now disused Empty Shop venue on Framwellgate Bridge. The adjacent Riverwalk development with its shops, pubs and restaurant offered an alternative platform, one which Carlo, Nick, Heather and co embraced with typical enthusiasm. Fittingly the Durham student band Jazz Soctet opened the day's programme in the temporary DJazz Bar. The eight-piece outfit presented a challenging programme - jam session material it wasn't! - to which the full house gave its full attention. 

Just around the corner from DJazz Bar the Pop-Up was about to be shaken to its newly laid foundations. AKU! (pictured above) is a three-piece assembly from Scotland. Festival publicity listed influences as diverse as Sons of Kemet and Fela Kuti. If the 'hard-boiled' trio (that's how AKU! describe themselves) are yet to check out these guys - The Hub, trio VD and Taupe - they'd find fellow travellers. Punk-jazz, noise, skronk, from the off AKU! went for the jugular. Killing stuff, brilliant musicianship, at one point Harry Weir remarked he hoped it wasn't too loud. Pardon? Some used ear-plugs (wimps!), this was a glorious assault on the senses. We'll  be hearing more, literally and metaphorically, from Harry Weir (tenor sax, baritone sax, fx)Liam Shortall (trombone, fx) and Graham Costello (drums).

Local hero Matt MacKellar flew three thousand miles to play a gig at this year's DJazz and the Pop-Up was full for this closing set of the afternoon. Currently studying at Berklee, Boston, USA, Matt reunited with Ben Lawrence, keyboards (a Durham Uni student!), Andy Champion, bass and soul-jazz diva, Niffi Osiyemi, vocals. The Matt MacKellar Band's gig earlier in the year up the road in Newcastle proved to be a revelation and this Durham appearance offered further evidence of a cracking band thoroughly enjoying itself. Neo-soul, nu-soul, label it how you like, Matt is currently into all sorts and we got more of Robert Glasper, Moonchild etc. Friend and fellow student Francis Tulip, guitar (Birmingham Conservatoire) was in town and joined Matt on a couple of numbers. An excellent set.

Late afternoon the rain finally relented. Time to wander up to Redhills. Flass Street's student-occupied flat-shares  were sitting down to evening meals (of the liquid variety?) in, one wonders, not-so-blissful ignorance of what was about to occur at the top of the street. The Pitmen's Parliament opened its doors for a double bill - Noize Choir and DJazz 2019 headliners Moses Boyd's Exodus - which would surely attract a large crowd. 

Newcastle based Noize Choir isn't yer every day choral group. The name - 'Noize' - goes some way in describing what the ensemble does. Is that a bird? Ah, running water...a steam train. Bizarre, musically and visually, the only way to understand what Noize Choir can do is go hear them!

Redhills filled up in anticipation of the headline act, drummer Moses Boyd. Zara McFarlane, Binker and Moses, anyone who had heard Boyd at Sage Gateshead or elsewhere had a good idea what to expect...they weren't to be disappointed. Tenor sax, trombone, guitar and keyboards joined Boyd on stage to play a one set performance of approximately 75 minutes. Hip and happening yet conventional - solo, head, solo (some of them lengthy) - this was Art Blakey driving the band 21st century-style. 

Artie Zaitz, guitar, stung as only a Telecaster-toting axeman can and Boyd made full use of his talents. Tenor sax and trombone soloed, occasionally outstaying their welcome although, it should be said, the Pitmen's Parliament passed a motion overwhelmingly in favour of what they heard. Bone man (and ace arranger) Nathaniel Cross blew and blew and blew yet, it wasn't 'til the finale - Rye Lane Shuffle - that Exodus led us to the promised land. The blistering collective work made it all worthwhile. The delegates rose as one to acclaim Moses Boyd. 
Russell

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