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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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!"

Postage

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 13: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 13: Infusion Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 13: Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv.).

Thursday, September 05, 2019

Frog and Henry @ the Black Swan - Sept. 4

Ewan Bleach (clarinet, vocals); Ryan Baer (guitar, banjo, vocals); John Kelly (trombone, guitar); Jack Butler (tuba)
(Review by Lance)

Frog and Henry may sound like the name of a Quayside bar but it is, in fact, an international band dedicated to the early blues, rags and stomps of New Orleans. In some ways they are a bit like Postmodern Jukebox inasmuch as, with the exception of Ewan Bleach, there's no certainty as to who, how many, and what instruments will be in the band. It all depends on the size of the car explained clarinetist Bleach.

So, assuming it was a Mini, the shipwreck/lifeboat syndrome applied and one person had to go which turned out be the violin player as well various other instruments including bass saxophone which was a shame as there aren't many bass saxists on the northeast circuit and, disappointingly, the tuba machine was also AWOL.

However, the most worrying event prior to the gig, apart from the machine, was another tuba which was broken. How does one locate a replacement tuba with the minutes before stomp off ticking away? Impossible - unless Patti Durham is to hand. She's got tubas wall to wall and the day was saved.

Amazingly, no time was lost and they charged into Weary Blues and they didn't sound weary at all.

Bleach gets quite a liquid sound on clarinet with shades of Bechet, Irving Fazola and the occasional growl bringing Pee Wee to mind. Like Baer, he also has that  twenties/thirties timbre to his vocals - think early Bing, Russ Columbo, Rudy Vallée or Al Bowlly. With this band, one minute you're in a Storyville bordello and the next you're dining at the Ritz.

Baer effectively comps and solos with some juicy chords on guitar, provides period vocals and plays banjo on the appropriately titled That's a Plenty - I suppose someone has to do it.

The borrowed tuba nestled comfortably in Butler's arms and he pumped away happily.

Apart from guitar, Kelly blew blistering 'bone and combined to make this a very tight outfit  where solos were succinct and the ensembles, even without a cornet, true to the tradition and it wasn't surprising that an encore was demanded.

Like the Tenement Jazz Band up in Edinburgh, or the Shake 'em up Jazz Band worldwide, this is a relatively young band honouring the traditions of the past.
Lance

Weary Blues; My Blue Heaven; Imagination (Benny Moten); San; In the Wee Midnight Hours; Shadrack; On the Banks of the River; Crying For the Carolines; Song of the Wanderer; In My Little Red Book; Panama; The Girls Go Crazy etc.; That Will Be the Thrill For me; Temptation Rag; I'm Blue and Lonesome; That's a Plenty; Love in Bloom; A Swallowtail Coat; St. Louis Rag; Bouncing Around; A thousand Goodbyes.

1 comment :

Ray R said...

Having seen the band at Darlington in February when a larger car was obviously available as all instruments & band members seemed present; it was a pleasure to hear them again; albeit in smaller number; but still providing fabulous sounds ….another memorable gig …

Ray R

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