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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 ...

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

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: 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: 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.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Vasilis Xenopoulos with the Paul Edis Trio @ St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook - October 26

Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor & soprano saxophones); Paul Edis (piano); Ken Marley (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums) 
(Review by Russell)

The twists and turns of County Durham's back roads led to Church Hill as the second installment of Vasilis Xenopoulos' three date mini tour called in at St Cuthbert's Centre, Crook. Tables set with nibbles, a choice of bottled beers (the award winning McEwan's Champion at a premium 7.3% abv the selection), tonight's performance started fifteen minutes early! It must have been something to do with the end of BST.

By and large the set list followed Friday evening's fantastic performance as Xenopoulos and the trio opened with Dexter Gordon's Fried Bananas. What would the late, great American saxophonist have made of his music being celebrated in a rural church hall in the heart of the County Durham countryside? Tanya (a vehicle for Ken Marley's accomplished, extended bass solo), MontmartreSociety Red with the momentum of its many swinging sections, Xenopoulos was, once again, on form. When isn't he on form? 

A marvellous Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry then a departure from the Opus 4 programme with Boston Bernie closing the first set. And what a closer! Xenopoulos and pianist Edis summoned from the heavens a Bach-inspired contrapuntal exchange. If that had been it, it would have been worth the trek to the back of beyond (apologies to the residents of Crook!) but another hour or so would follow the serving of the legendary St Cuthbert's interval pizza.

Nibbles, pizza, another bottle of beer to wash it down, a raffle, a bit crack, yes, Crook was beginning to look like the epicentre of the jazz world! As the second set was about to begin Vasilis X confided that the musicians' interval conversation was about the, well, not to put to fine a point on it, the worst raffle prize on offer they had come across at their many jazz gigs. Vasilis thought he had the best story...a raffle prize in the form of half a dozen eggs. But wait, drummer Russ Morgan said he once played gig where one of the prizes was, wait for it...a cabbage! Only at a jazz gig...

Second set, Darlington Dexterology, Crook Dexterologyy. This the one Vasilis X composition, it rightly took its place in the set list with Mr D Gordon no doubt snapping his fingers up there in the Jazz Club in the Sky. Vasilis' album of similar name - Dexterity - is definitely one for your CD collection. Hanky Panky included a quote or two, one of them Rollins' Alfie, courtesy of Edis' quick (subconcious?) thinking. Is 'hanky panky' an English/British expression, possibly lost on Americans? Perhaps it tickled Dexter Gordon. 

Meditation (more quotations - Edis' referencing Chicago), I'm a Fool to Want You (superb), Second Balcony Jump, it was just about time to hit the road. Vasilis, Paul, Ken and Russ stepped down from the stage, their work done. Not quite, from all sides the applause won an encore. And what an encore - Cheese Cake! A third and final helping of the music of Dexter Gordon/Vasilis Xenopoulos will be served at lunchtime today (Sunday 27) at Blaydon Jazz Club. The Black Bull will be open for business at noon (arrive early to bag a front row seat) with Vasilis and the boys getting down to business at one o'clock. Don't be late!
Russell           

1 comment :

Lance said...

I must point out that when Russell refers to having 'a bit crack' during the interval he was using a northeast expression meaning light conversation. Least I hope that's what he meant!

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