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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17372 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 656 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (Sept. 17).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 1:00-2:45pm. Free.
Sat 21: Vieux Carré Hot Four @ The Beehive, Hartley Lane, Earsdon Whitley Bay NE25 0SZ. 4:30pm-6:30pm.
Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sun 22: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Richard Herdman @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 22: Remy CB Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:30pm. Free. Remi, 2024 Newcastle Uni graduate, superb soul/blues voice!

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Paul Booth with the Paul Edis Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert! SOLD OUT!

Tue 24: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv. from Tully’s of Rothbury). Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 24: Sarah Gillespie @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £16.50. Duo performance with Chris Montague.

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra UK: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Middlesbrough Theatre. 7:30pm.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Jam Session @ the Black Swan - June 25

(Review by Lance/PHOTOS).

Another Tuesday, another jam session. The fortnightly free-for-all never fails to deliver and last night was no exception.

'Showtime' usually leaves it late but tonight he was first up and not without a few surprises. Although beloved by vocalists, Charles Trenet's La Mer, or Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea to some, isn't staple jam session material for instrumentalists but this didn't deter our intrepid slideman who gave la chanson a spirited workout. 

"Is Wayne Shorter in the house?" No, Mr Shorter was elsewhere no doubt celebrating the DownBeat critics having pronounced his CD Emanon as the Jazz Album of the Year. However, Harry Keeble was hanging out and he played a 200mph version of Shorter's ESP that took my breath away - not to mention that of the rhythm section who hung on gamely.
More surprises from 'Showtime'. This time a Randy Newman opus - You've Got a Friend in Me. An extended piece that looked to have been arranged by our boy. It had some nice harmonic twists and turns. Prior to this premiere, a relaxed version of Doxy.

Ray Johnson joined David and Harry for Samba Orpheus with Abbie at the kit. The three horn frontline sounded good.

The towering figure of Lachlan and Niffi went to the Darktown Strutters Ball before doing a demolition job on Let's Do It - Niffi certainly did it to Cole Porter, God rest his soul.

A more restrained couple of numbers from Jan and Dean who'd never been to Surf City and so didn't sing about it choosing instead to give us This Can't be Love and Come Rain or Come Shine. The duo was ok although, personally, I'd have preferred it with bass and drums added.

Drums were added with the arrival of Matt, James Metcalf joined on trumpet and Francis Tulip made a fleeting appearance on guitar as Jan waxed eloquent about The Boy From Ipanema.

Marcus took over on piano as young James played Stella by Starlight - when in doubt at a jam... This was followed by I Remember You. The knights of the round table were making reference to that most abysmal recording of the song by Frank Ifield. If his fellow Aussies played cricket like he sang England's worries would be over. I felt it my duty to point out that the Lennie Niehaus recording of the song is one of the classic recordings of all time - both in the arrangement and the alto solo. James didn't quite reach those heights but he's certainly upped his game since I last heard him - well done!

The evening was drawing to a close but not before Ray Burns sang and played Don't Get Around Much Anymore setting the stage for the grand finale which involved Niffi, the two trumpets, trombone, tenor, piano, bass and drums with the three pianists seamlessly interchanging.
Needless to say, the house trio was, as ever, tops throughout.

This maybe wasn't one of the never to be forgotten sessions but it was still very enjoyable.
Lance 
PHOTOS

Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); John Bradford (drums) + Ray Johnson, James Metcalf (trumpets); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone); Lachlan Fotheringham (soprano sax); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale, Marcus Tham (piano); Abbie Finn, Matt MacKellar (drums); Ray Burns (harmonica/vocal); Niffi Osiyemi, Jan Spencelayh (vocals); Francis Tulip (guitar).

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