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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

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

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. CANCELLED!
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: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
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.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Book Review: Ronnie Scott's 1959-69. Photographs by Freddy Warren

(Review by Lance)

Jazz and photography have had a long and mutual love affair with each other. Nothing captures the memory of a gig better than that of a photo of a saxophone player in full flight, each bead of perspiration caught by the camera, or that of a trumpet player, eyes closed, cheeks extended, heading for the moon. Somehow, a hambone video taken by someone in the audience and posted on YouTube rarely does credit to the performance or the performer. 

With a photo, particularly if you were present, it brings it all back and even if you weren't there it helps you to visualise it.

This latest addition to the ranks of jazz photo albums can sit proudly alongside the collections of such as William Claxton, David Redfern, Val Wilmer and many others.

Freddy Warren was a regular at Ronnie Scott's from the days, or rather nights, at Gerrard St to the current venue in Frith St., for 20 years taking atmospheric shots of the legends who appeared there.

Sadly, after some years of ill health, Freddy Warren died in 2010 during a fire at his home.

Freddy's nephew, Simon Whittle, rescued as many photos and negatives as he could from the charred remains of the apartment in Euston and the result is what eventually emerged in this collection.

They're mainly - but not all - in black and white and perfectly capture the era not least because when a musician hasn't got a horn in his hand he's holding or smoking a cigarette!

Ronnie Scott's, as we all know, has presented just about every great jazz musician and many of the players and singers from those early years are captured here.

Amazing shots of Basie, Cannonball, Tony Bennett, Lockjaw, Dizzy, Duke, Ella, Miles, Bill Evans, Tubbs, Buddy Rich, Stan Getz, Ben Webster and a whole lot more.

Also fascinating are the clips of the MM ads from those early days that adorn the inside of the book's hardback covers.

I'd have liked to have had a few more words accompanying the pictures but, as the man behind the lens is no longer with us, that's just wishful thinking. Besides, if a picture paints a 1000 words etc.

It's much more than a coffee table book, it's a musical history book to adorn your shelves but don't put it so high that you can't reach it!

The Guardian posted some shots from the album here and there is an exhibition currently running at the Barbican Library in London until January 4, 2020.

It's available via the usual online outlets and from all good bookstores

To purchase individual photos go here.
Lance

Freddy Warren, Graham Marsh, Simon Whittle - Ronnie Scott's 1959-69. Reel Art Press ISBN: 978-1- 9095266-3-1. £29.95 

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