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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Revolutionaires @ The Water House, North Road, Durham. 4:00pm. Rock 'n' roll excellence! Line-up inc. Pete Tanton.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Saturday, August 03, 2019

CD Review: Northern Monkey Brass Band - Northern Monkey Business


Northern Monkey Brass Band: Graham Hardy (trumpet); Alastair Lord (trumpet); Jamie Toms (tenor sax); Mark Ferris (trombone); David Gray (trombone); Phil Rosier (tuba); Adam Sinclair (snare drum); Brendan Murphy (bass drum) + George Welch (vocal)
(Review by Russell)

Graham Hardy's Northern Monkey Brass Band is one of Tyneside's most accomplished outfits coming up with the goods time and again on the local gig circuit. Northern Monkey Business is the eight piece band's second CD release. If there is such a thing as the 'difficult' second album then it definitely doesn't apply to this one. It's every bit as good as the first one (High on Life) and the tunes are, as some might say, 'bangers', in a street brass band sort of way!


Ten tracks, seven composed and arranged by Hardy, three 'traditional' numbers arranged by the trumpet playing bandleader, Northern Monkey Business comes in at around fifty two minutes and there is never a dull moment. The band members' jazz credentials have been well documented but it is their collective cv encompassing rock, pop, orchestral, experimental and more which gives the Northern Monkey Brass Band a distinctive edge.

Attitude, the opening track, has just that, 'attitude'. Not in tiresome 'big I am' style, far from it, rather eight excellent musicians deciding they'll have a good time and this recording suggests they did just that. Hardy's sleeve notes identify the soloists track by track although those who've heard the band live - that's quite a few of us! - will have little difficulty identifying who's who. In short, trumpeter Alastair Lord invariably hits the high Cs and the big, boistrous trombone blasts come courtesy of David 'Showtime' Gray. That said, Mark Ferris has been known to plunger with the best of the 'bone battalion. 

The percussion boys - Adam Sinclair and Brendan Murphy - feature on Monkey Blood and, it should be said, these two radiate enjoyment. Go hear the band at a gig and see for yourself! Simian Ska is a skanking vehicle for first, bandleader Hardy, then Gray, it's right up his street is this one! Come to think of it, Showtime is from the same school of musical thought as our percussionists - good time playing with chops to back it up. 

A Northumbrian folk song features a guest appearance by George Welch. Water of Tyne is afforded a stately treatment (solos from Hardy, Jamie Toms, tenor sax and Gray) to accommodate the legendary folk singer's vocals.    

Northern Monkey's Second Line is on a par with material from the likes of the Dirty Dozen and the Youngbloods and Hardy's arrangement of the closing track, What a Friend (opening with marvellous analogue recording-like crackles!), would go down well on the streets of N'Awlins. Perhaps one day the Northern Monkey Brass Band will make it to the Crescent City. Now then, wouldn't that be something?! 
Russell
Northern Monkey Business (NMBB 002) is available from: 

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