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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.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Jam Session @ The Black Swan - June 11

(Review by Lance).

Last week at the Dun Cow Jam, singers and drummers were the dominant force. This week, at the Black Swan, the drummers were still queuing up but, with one notable exception, the singers were absent and it was the horns who took centre stage.

The vocal exception was the tornado that is Julija. Dynamic! Dramatic! Theatrical! JJ doesn't just sing the song she lives it! You'd be so Nice to Come Home to and Summertime. This latter piece bore a vague resemblance to the George Gershwin tune of the same name. If Gershwin had been a soul/funk/Motown man it may have come out like this - the room erupted. Showtime and Gould added to the mayhem.


The evening had begun quite tastefully with Glendinning and co setting the scene with All Blues, It Could Happen to You and How Insensitive.

Ray Johnson played flugel on Moments Notice and I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face - nice mellow sound.

Harry Keeble, with Abbie on drums, blew tenor on Softly as in a Morning Sunrise and Chick Corea's Humpty Dumpty. Some adventurous playing but neither of them fell off the wall.

That other prodigious young drummer, Matt, along with John Pope on bass, put the boot in behind tenor number two, Nick Gould all the way from Edinburgh. Solar (or was it Dolphin Dance?) bounced along merrily. Nick's sound is not unlike that of a certain Greek saxman who was 'up north' last weekend. On Green Dolphin St always reminds me of an old tv ad Fry's Turkish Delight and this was indeed delightful.

The ubiquitous John Rowland - have tenor will travel (by bike) - aided by Mo on drums gave us some Tenor Madness and that jam session staple Stella by Starlight.

Still the saxes appear. This time it's Jordan Alfonso blowing alto like Art Pepper on Besame Mucho. Matt back on the kit and Paul once more on bass. Another change, Steve retires and Marcus Tham takes control of the lonely keyboard and Grainger once more gives way to The Pope. On the Sunnyside of the Street had all four blowing up a storm which set the scene for JJ to explode as described earlier.

The evening was drawing to a close, but not yet - not with Dean Stockdale waiting in the wings.

The surviving horns took to the stage. With Dean on piano it was reminiscent of Oscar Peterson at a JATP concert. Straight No Chaser had rousing solos all round before going into Salt Peanuts for the closing riff.

As I left another bop classic wafted through the rafters but Metro called...
Another Wham! Bang! Thank You Jam!
Lance
Steve Glendinning (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); Tim Johnston (drums) + Ray Johnson (trumpet); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone), Jordan Alfonso (alto sax); Harry Keeble, John Rowland, Nick Gould (tenor sax); Marcus Tham, Dean Stockdale (keys); John Pope (bass); Abbie Finn, Matt MacKellar, Hazem Mohammed (drums); Julija Jacenaite (vocals).

1 comment :

Nick Gould (on F/b) said...

Great to see you Lance! An excellent session. Loved your line about not falling off the wall!

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