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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, September 25, 2019

Alter Ego @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle - September 24

Keith Robinson (alto sax); Niall Armstrong (tenor sax, flute); Dave Hignett (trumpet, flugelhorn); Graham Don (keyboards); Tony Abell (bass); David Johnson (drums)
(Review by Russell)

On a rainy Tuesday evening Prohibition Bar opened its doors to host two events - a self-defense course and a gig. Decisions! Decisions! Your correspondent deftly skirted past Inspector Clouseau and Cato to take the stairs to the first floor performance venue to catch Alter Ego. 

It had been a while since BSH last heard Keith Robinson and co. In the interim a couple of new faces - Graham Don, piano and David Johnson, drums - had joined the core unit of Robinson, fellow reedsman Niall Armstrong, Tynedale's brassman Dave Hignett and bassist Tony Abell. 

The set list comprised familiar numbers and some new charts. Blues Marx for starters (Armstrong, tenor, Hignett, trumpet, Don, keys, taking the solos) followed by Red Blues (composed by erstwhile band pianist Andy Hawking) featuring Robinson's searing alto sax. A good, solid start. 

A tasty Bacon Sandwich smothered in Armstrong's flute relish took the form of a samba topped off by a driving drum solo by debut boy David Johnson. The region is a hotbed of young percussion talent, add the name of D Johnson to the roll call. Armstrong's Dog Leap Bounce is often in Alter Ego's set list and this Pink Lane engagement offered another opportunity to hear it - good stuff it was too, not least Dave Hignett's fleet-fingered solo.

Tony Abell's clever arrangement of Not Moanin' revealed its inspiration - no surprises for guessing the classic Blue Note number! JJ Johnson's In Walked Bud featured Armstrong's tenor sax supported by David Johnson's kicking bass drum accents. A fine first set drew to a close with a blistering take on Hank Mobley's Roll Call (Hignett, trumpet, Robinson, alto, Don, keyboards).

Opening the second set, bassist Tony Abell soloed on his own composition Deva, as did pianist Don, the Strictly Smokin' man arguably producing the solo of the night. Sometimes at a gig, announcements can be misheard...Quasimodo was actually Quasimodal (thanks to KR for the correction) with a fluent flugelhorn solo from TVBB MD Hignett. Similarly, one member of the audience heard Monster Mash when in fact it was Niall Armstrong's funky Mustard Mash!

Titles can be misheard, some titles are all but impossible to spell or pronounce - try Welshman Tony Abell's Llangranog Blues! No matter, it's a good tune. Band members' compositions invariably delight in amusing/confusing in equal measure, a couple of good examples being Word Association Football Blues and How Low the Sun, the latter adopting a similar chord progression to - have a guess...How High the Moon

Alter Ego is a fine band comprising seasoned performers and the new kid on the block, David Johnson. Catch them next month (Oct 24) at the Newcastle Jazz Co-op.    
Russell       

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