Total Pageviews

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

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Revolutionaires @ The Water House, North Road, Durham. 4:00pm. Rock 'n' roll excellence! Line-up inc. Pete Tanton.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

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 @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 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: 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: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
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.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Gigs of the Year - Lance

(Lance): Well, seeing as no one else has got around to it - TV is so compelling this time of year - here are my favourite moments of 2019.

Michael Bublé may not have ticked everyone's boxes - particularly those who didn't make it to The Utilita Arena - but it was an absolutely fab show. Catch him at Durham Cricket Club's Riverside next August and you might see where I'm coming from.

Staying on the vocal front, Claire Martin's gig with the Strictly Smokin' Big Band at Hoochie Coochie was one of those afternoons that will live beyond time in my memory.

It has been a great year for vocalists - Zoë Gilby's APPJAG award told the world that jazz doesn't begin and end in London whilst Jo Harrop's frequent appearances in her native northeast proved that she too ranks way up there. The guys also impressed. Jason Isaacs blew up his usual, albeit predictable, storm at Hoochie whilst the slightly more laid back Paul Skerritt and his far from laid back pianist James Harrison ignited venues across the northeast.



Just as kids look forward to Christmas, so do I look forward to the annual visit by saxist/flautist Greg Abate. As expected, he blew it apart at the Black Swan with the Paul Edis Trio. I can't think of any living alto player to compare with the amiable American. This was a 10 star gig.

Paul Edis was also on hand when Vasilis Xenopoulos and Simon Spillett showed at Ushaw - another two fantastic sessions. As Sinatra sang, It was a very good year. Alice Grace sang that very same tune with SSBB only she did it up tempo! I wonder what Frank would have thought? I loved it!

At grass roots level the Black Swan Jam Sessions bring out the best of the new kids on the block and, of special mention, Jordan Alfonso (alto sax); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Abbie Finn (drums); David Gray (trombone); Joel Brown (piano) and a host of new singers.

Down the road, at Middlesbrough Town Hall, Ros Rigby set up a monthly Sunday afternoon session that so far has seen top names such as Gwylim Simcock, Tommy Smith and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, the Binker Golding Quartet with the fantastic Sarah Tandy on piano as well as some top local names - if Ros were to manage the local football team then 'Boro would be in the Champion's League.

The aforementioned jam sessions at the Black Swan are periodically enlivened by Nick Gould who, when the spirit takes him, drives down from Edinburgh for a jam.* 

Down south I heard a tremendous session with Leo Richardson at Pizza Express in Soho, caught Alan Barnes at Ronnie's and Matt Wates/Steve Fishwick at the Spice of Life.

These are just some of the gigs that have rung my bell this year - there are many more and I apologise for any omissions - now, let's have yours.
Lance

*On one occasion Nick gave Nicola Sturgeon a lift and he ran over an animal that had strayed into the road. Ms. Sturgeon said he must report it to the farmer. He came back, drunk as a laird, a couple of hours later. The Scottish leader asked him what had kept him? Nick replied that he'd told the farmer that he'd given Nicola Surgeon a lift and had ran over the cow to which the farmer patted him on the back and said "Sit down I'll crack open a bottle ..." (joke - I think!)

2 comments :

Steve T said...

The joke's on this side of the Wall.

Lance said...

Two fantastic gigs I overlooked and both at the Globe.
Dan Garel Quartet and Dulcie May Morino - Wow! and Wow!

Blog Archive