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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 ...

June

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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.
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.

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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