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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.

Thursday, August 01, 2019

The Fred Thompson All Stars @ Cullercoats Crescent Club - July 31

Jim McBriarty (tenor sax, soprano sax, vocals); Don Armstrong (clarinet, alto sax, sopranino sax, tin whistle); Brian Chester (keyboards); Bill Colledge (bass); Fred Thompson (drums, vocals) + Alan Armstrong (harmonica)
(Review by Russell)

Wot? No Vieux Carre? As the Big Cheese (Mr B Bennett) was away the Fred Thompson All Stars came out to play.  Jim McBriarty as acting MC, Don Armstrong in from Oz, J McB said today's gig would take the form of a saxophone quartet. This was lost on one or two of the Crescent Club's Wednesday crowd until J McB pointed out the obvious - on the stand were four reeds...tenor, soprano, clarinet and the little heard sopranino. Wot? Nee banjo? I'm gannin' yem! 
The Wednesday regulars remained in their seats willing to give the 'All Stars' (well, they needed a stage name!) a hearing and, what's more, they'd already got the beers in and ordered cheese toasties. Someday You'll Be Sorry suggested McB, good tenor from the man, and equally good clarinet from his frontline partner Don Armstrong. The rhythm section took on a familiar look - Brian Chester, piano, Bill Colledge, bass and singing drummer Fred Thompson, he of new found 'All Stars' fame. 

From here on in the reeds switched from alto to tenor, tenor to clarinet, alto to sopranino, to...you get the idea. Our man from Oz, Don Armstrong, had another trick up his sleeve or rather in his pocket, but more of that anon. Beale Street Blues with DA wailing on sopranino, then, that trick up his sleeve...from his trouser pocket Armstrong produced - Can you guess what it was? (Aussie accent for full effect)...no, not a didgeridoo, a tin whistle, on Rosetta

Fred 'All Stars' Thompson chipped in with a vocal on You Can Depend on Me, more tin whistle on Avalon and measured tenor from McB and woody clarinet from DA on a respectful Just a Closer Walk, yes, the VCJ's loyal followers were liking what they were hearing. 

The interval; another pint (from 'the wood'!) of Grainger Ale, a raffle ticket (nee luck, why bother?!), and we were soon underway again. Washington and Lee Swing (FT voc), Creole Love Call (DA soprano, then clarinet, was this Edgar Sampson or Otto Hardwicke?), a J McB vocal on You're Nobody's Sweetheart Now, things were going well. Look at the time...it was a quarter to three (pm not Sinatra wee small hours am), almost time to go. FT sang about that old Rockin' Chair before the All Stars signed-off with a rousing Ice Cream featuring FT and J McB's shared vocals. 

It had been a banjo-free afternoon. Fear not (in)sanity will be restored next week with the return of the Vieux Carre Jazzmen.          

* Translation available upon request. 
 Russell

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