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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

17346 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 630 of them this year alone and, so far, 35 this month (Sept. 11).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.

Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.

Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.

Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Jude Murphy, Steve Chambers & Sid White @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Panharmonia @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Swing Manouche @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: John Hallam with the James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert!

Tue 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £13.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Indian Summer Afternoon Tea’.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Friday, August 09, 2019

What We Did At the Jazz Course @ The Globe: August 3 and 4


What We Did At the Jazz Course @ The Globe: August 3 and 4
(By Ann Alex)

First we drank tea as 9.30am counts as early rising for 15 jazzers. The aim of the course was to develop our playing and technique further under the wise guidance of tutors James Birkett (usually playing guitar) and Faye MacCalman (usually blowing sax). The group exercise to get us going saw us each doing one of 3 things, singing a short riff, singing a rhythm, or doing body percussion, which I found can actually hurt if you slap your leg too hard.


We were all loosened up, ready to split into 2 groups. James's group sounded a bit technical for my taste so I opted to go with Faye, along with some sax players, a keys man, guitars, a drummer and another singer, Sheila, who doubled as lunch organiser. The rest of Saturday was really good and interesting, improvising with very few notes, (even with just 1 note is possible), and using 4 different blues progressions. Not certain what the other group got up to but it involved the circle of 5ths and I caught someone talking about dreaded diminished chords over lunch. Before closing business Faye mentioned that we would be composing an original composition on Sunday. Hmm!

By Sunday the personnel of our group had changed, which is allowed, and we'd lost the keys man, a guitar and a sax to the other group. We remainers studied the first part of Mood Indigo, improvised extensively. Then we all spent 10 minutes thinking up riffs and arrangements, based on whatever we liked, but with Mood Indigo still somewhere in our consciousness. I went to the loo for quietness and cheated. I suddenly remembered the tuning of my ukulele, GCEA, and there was the riff! I quoted the phrase I'd been taught at Sage Gateshead for remembering the tuning 'Goats Can Eat Anything' and I was surprised that the group said they'd use the words as well as the riff.

Sheila brought us a pleasing riff which sounded almost tribal, the saxes came up with good stuff, the bass guitar riffs grounded us well and our skilled drummer played with delightful enthusiasm. We were in business, and arranged our piece by starting with Mood Indigo, merging into our riffs, solos etc and ending with singing 'Goats Can Eat Anything' with improvisations. The singing caused great surprise at our performance when we entertained the other group, especially when we asked them to join in.

The other group gave an equally entertaining performance of Autumn Leaves, with very skilled solos from everyone, including keys, guitars, saxes, but very cleverly they managed without a drummer and had no singers. Then we all went home.

I must end by thanking all concerned in the organisation of this great weekend, our skilled tutors, Sheila, Tom and also Dave Parker for keeping us fed and watered, and everyone for taking a full part in the workshops. Roll On Next Year!
Ann Alex 

1 comment :

Liz said...

Well done Ann, loved the story of your weekend, a very good review with your usual touches of humour! Keep it up...

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