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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

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: Just Friends @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guest band night w. Richie Emmerson, Ian Bosworth, Dave Archbold, Ron Smith, Mark Hawkins. 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: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
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: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
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.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoe Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

House of the Black Gardenia @ The Old Coal Yard - September 27

(Review by Russell)

From Ellington through to a closing left hook landing squarely on the bonce of the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the House of the Black Gardenia owned the joint. It wasn't quite Duke gracing the Savoy Ballroom, more like Bobbi Charleston and her boys down the Old Coal Yard. 

Several large, chic industrial heaters warded off a chill autumn air, an air wafting street food vendors' oh-so-tempting pizzas across the Byker premises. Swing dancers gathered preparing to strut their stuff as drinkers queued at Northern Alchemy's no-frills bar. A pint of, hmmm...Passion Fruit and Pineapple Sour*. Okay, the band is on, Ellington (Keith Robinson a key Ellingtonian).

Blue DragRussian Caravan, familiar numbers, make that familiar welcome numbers, performed by a fantastic nine piece outfit, this evening featuring a dep and a new boy; with Showtime elsewhere the Gardenias had to make do - make do! - with the Tenements' Paddy Darley on trombone and, with Marcus Tham having returned home to the Far East, Elliott Rush occupied the piano stool. 

The multi-talented Gardenias interact with the audience to the extent that washboard queen Bobbi Charleston and violinist Katja Roberts always find time to sit-out on one or two numbers to partner a swing dance fan on the floor;  Bobbi on CW Stoneking's Handy Man Blues (Michael Littlefield's fabulous vocals), Katja on Graveyard Shift (Bobbi singing and scrubbing). Paddy Darley had a blast on a Liittlefield blues feature - Ain't it Hard - as did trumpet king Michael Lamb, plungering in old school style.

Second set, more of the same, this is one ace of a  band! Lots of material, an album is due soon (watch this space!); Lamb leading on Spider Crawl, drummer Kit Haigh coming down front to play Django-esque guitar, singing 'bout Liza with Littlefield alongside (there's a duo set in there somewhere!) and before we knew it Bobbi Charleston gave a good kicking (sadly only metaphorically) to 'the mother****** in the White House' with a killer Big, Big Man. An encore was demanded, of course it was, and, with boss bass man Neil Hopper directing the ensemble, Viper Mad once more filled the dancefloor.  
  
*Passion Fruit and Pineapple Sour could be said to be an acquired taste...you can't win 'em all!
Russell.

Bobbi Charleston (vocals, washboard); Michael Lamb (trumpet); Paddy Darley (trombone); Keith Robinson (soprano, alto, tenor saxophones, clarinet); Katja Roberts (violin); Elliott Rush (keyboards); Michael Littlefield (guitar, banjo, vocals); Neil Hopper (bass, sousaphone); Kit Haigh (drums, guitar, vocals)

2 comments :

Marcus Tham said...

Aww, wish i was there! I do sorely miss the whole Northeast Jazz scene very much. Thanks for writing these reviews Lance! It makes me feel closer to Newcastle from where i am halfway across the world in Singapore! :)

Lance said...

Marcus, we miss you too. Not just your great piano playing but your friendly personality. I must point out however, that this review was by my colleague Russell. Great to keep in touch and we'd love it if you could send news of gigs you play in Singapore. Best wishes.

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