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Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 30: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library. 2:30-4:30pm. £2.00. All welcome.
Thu 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. Back to 1:00pm stomp off. Free.
Thu 30: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 30: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm.
Thu 30: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Mark Williams Trio @ The Merry Monk, Bishop Auckland - September 20

Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Susans (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums) 
(Review by Russell)

An impossibly sunny day in Bishop Auckland. Stan Laurel couldn't believe it, scratching his head, as was/is his wont. Sadly Mr Laurel couldn't make it to the Merry Monk, fortunately a hardy band of Town Hall regulars made it in time for the one o'clock start. Same format - a one hour set, a fiver on the door. 

The Town Hall's temporary closure necessitated a move to the adjacent Merry Monk pub. September's monthly Friday jazz concert promotion presented the Mark Williams Trio. It was to be a set of standards given a Williams' twist, so inventive is the master guitarist. I Should Care opened the set, a tune popularised back in the day by the big bands and here in twenty-first century County Durham we were treated to a guitar-led trio version. Irishman Williams constructs solos like no one else. It is as if his fully formed solos are predetermined, what is for certain is he has, and continues to, put in the hard yards and on a gig such as this it pays off handsomely.  

My Favorite Things (in Williams' hands more Coltrane than Julie Andrews), then a memorable take on How Insensitive in that bassist Paul Susans' sensitive solo on the Jobim classic was subject to unintentional noises off - the open door to the pub's kitchen offering a competing soundtrack of workplace banter, FM chart hits and full-on hand dryers being pressed into action. Pro that Mr S is, he laughed it off with a wry smile. Drummer Russ Morgan saw the funny side of it and, as to be expected, delivered the goods working alongside his fellow A-listers. 

Bemsha Swing could be described as Monk plus funk courtesy of Susans' in-the-pocket bass line. Ellington and Kern to finish - Prelude to a Kiss and The Song is You. Williams promised a set of standards, he was true to his word. 
Russell

1 comment :

Lance said...

Bemsha Swing - Monk in the Merry Monk!

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