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Bebop Spoken There

Wendell Brunious: "Because the blues is not 1,4 and 5 or 1,4,5,2,1. You could wake up with a flat tyre or a headache this morning, that's the blues, man" - (DownBeat, Oct. 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

15878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 885 of them this year alone and, so far, 83 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: King Bees @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 07: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 10:15am. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 07: Bugge & Niccols + Moore & Fairhall @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - All the Things You Are. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rie Nakajima @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Sat 07: Boys of Brass @ Salt Market Social, Liddell St., North Shields. From 7:00pm. £9.00. + bf.
Sat 07: Samuel Blaser Trio + Toxvaerd & Zeeberg + Muramatsu & Welch @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Zoë Gilby Quintet + Ubunye @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Line-up inc. Tony Kofi. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 08: Tommy Bentz Band @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. USA blues band.

Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Cherise Adams-Burnett @ The Grove, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. .

Tue 10: Abbie Finn Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Christmas @ Sage Gateshead - Dec. 21 (evening performance)

(Review by Russell)

A Jazzy Christmas played to enthusiastic full houses across the region during December culminating in an evening performance in front of another capacity audience in Sage Two. Project director Paul Edis arranged all of the material for an A-list ensemble which, it should be said, seemed to enjoy the occasion every bit as much as the festive (Santa hats were in evidence!) audience. 

Winter WonderlandAll I Want for Christmas is YouRockin' Around the Christmas Tree - the opening three numbers, just as they were on the other tour dates. Edis' regular bass and drums pals - Andy Champion and Russ Morgan -  are at the top of their profession which is, no doubt, reassuring to a bandleader writing parts for the horns, a horn section featuring Matt Anderson on tenor and soprano saxophones. The presence of virtuoso violinist Emma Fisk and star vocalist Jo Harrop simply put an iced cherry on top of Edis' Jazzy Christmas cake. 

Cambridge University student Megan Robinson played a wonderful piccolo solo on Carol of Bells alongside Edis' impressive arrangement for the horns and our bandleader followed up with a piano-vocal feature of his own, singing Merry Christmas on Christmas Day (composer P. Edis/lyrics K. Edis).  

Edis likes Bill Evans and chose to open the second set with Santa Claus is Coming to Town for trio (Edis, piano, Champion, bass, Morgan, drums). The trio is a regular working unit and well worth catching in other settings, there is none better! A Jazzy Christmas wouldn't be complete without Jo Harrop. A voice to die for, Ms Harrop could sing the phone book, however, on this Sage Gateshead engagement she sang a book of seasonal numbers including Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (Graham Hardy to the fore, Champion soloing like a Champion) and a Basie-like arrangement of Santa Baby - Edis suggesting we should think of it as Splanky Baby

The depth of talent on show was quite something - Jo Harrop, Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn), Jason Holcomb (trombone), Emma Fisk and Matt Anderson the established names, tomorrow's stars Megan Robinson (flute, piccolo), Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet) and the prodigious Francis Tulip (guitar) and, of course, MD Paul Edis, Andy Champion and Russ Morgan.    

A Jazzy Christmas has become an annual treat, it's all but certain to happen again this time next year and, as Jo Harrop asked the question What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?, the majority of those in Sage Two were probably thinking: Let's book for next year!     
Russell

Paul Edis (piano, vocals); Jo Harrop (vocals); Matt Anderson (tenor sax, soprano sax); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jason Holcomb (trombone); Emma Fisk (violin); Faye Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Megan Robinson (flute, piccolo); Francis Tulip (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums)  

2 comments :

Martin Waugh (on F/b) said...

What a great show it sounds Lance. Such talented musicians and of course the wonderful Paul Edis. Happy blogging in the year to come and best wishes from Myra and myself.

Lance said...

Well that was Russell's review but it was a great couple of sessions - I was at the afternoon one. Hope to see Myra and yourself in the new year

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