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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 2024.

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...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

George Shovlin & the Radars + Groove-a-matics + Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ The Peacock, Sunderland - Dec 27

(Review by Russell)

It was an end of year, sold out triple bill featuring an array of the region's finest bluesmen. The Peacock's first floor room has been transformed into a first rate performance venue and blues fans responded in style with advance ticket sales tickets going off the scale. 

George Shovlin & the Radars: George Shovlin (guitar, vocals); George Lamb (guitar, vocals); Stu Burlison (bass guitar); Kev Scott (drums) + Archie Brown (tenor sax, vocals); Pat Rafferty (organ, piano, vocals)

Top of the bill local heroes George Shovlin and the Radars followed sets by Groove-a-matics and Archie Brown and the Young Bucks. Shovlin bossed matters front of stage; seated, acoustic guitar in his lap, the voice, with echoes of Howlin' Wolf, commanding the room. Opening with Hoochie Coochie Man, Shovlin and the Radars put on a five star show aided and abetted by set-long guests Archie Brown blowing tenor sax and Pat Rafferty alternating between barrelhouse blues piano and smokin' organ.


Right hand man (literally and figuratively) George Lamb played blues guitar as few can. As it happens, one of the 'few' was on the premises this evening.* Lamb the featured soloist, Youngbucks Brown and Rafferty the foundation alongside Radars Stu Burlison and Kev Scott, Shovlin revelled in the occasion - musically and as the promoter of the event! As Mr S sang - It Ain't Nothing but the Blues. It had been a hugely successful evening and, to top it off, on leaving the Sunderland city centre pub, a rather historic poster was spotted on a wall in the Peacock's downstairs bar... Memphis Slim Newcastle City Hall February 3, 1970.      

Groove-a-matics: Mick Cantwell (vocals, harmonica, tenor sax); John Whitehill (guitar)John  Morgan (bass); Barry Race (drums)

John Whitehill was the 'one of the few' on the premises this evening. Multi award winning guitarist Whitehill, from Ashington, came to prominence with the Blues Burglars before clocking up some twenty years on the road with Paul Lamb and the Kingsnakes. For the last decade or so he has been fronting Groove-a-matics alongside Mick Cantwell. The band is a major draw in its own right, the evening's running order wasn't of much importance and the Peacock's audience certainly appreciated Whitehill's sublime guitar playing and Cantwell's superb vocals with a mid-set standing ovation! Hearing Cantwell's anguished blues voice asking the question: Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? or singing Misdemeanour Boogie is as close to Chicago's South Side a blues fan will get other than by booking a flight to O'Hare International. Tonight's gig marked bassist John Morgan's final appearance with the band. Captain Morgan couldn't have chosen a better way to go out!        
Archie Brown & the Young Bucks: Archie Brown (guitar, tenor sax, vocals); Tony Wadsworth (guitar, vocals); Steve Nash (trumpet, vocals); Pat Rafferty (organ, piano, accordion, vocals); Chris Ringer (bass guitar, vocals); Duncan Tyler ?(drums)

Some bands achieve legendary status, they're much talked about, if not loved. Archie Brown and the Young Bucks is one such band. On the go since the seventies, Archie Brown's outfit has seen its share of names pass through the ranks. Tonight's line-up included two characters who were there in the early days - guitarist Tony Wadsworth and multi instrumentalist Pat Rafferty, this evening playing keyboards and accordion. 

Tracks old and new (Just a Little Weakness from A Weakness of MineAll Quiet on the Western Front from Young Bucks in Fancy Shirts to a non-original, Los Lobos' Let's Say Goodnight), Archie Brown and the Young Bucks set 'em up with a fine opening set. Russell

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