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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.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Sage YMP: Jambone, JB CATS, Jazz Attack and Percussion Ensemble @ Sage Gateshead - Dec.14

(Review by Chris K)

The first outing of the 2019-20 term for Sage Gateshead's jazz ensembles at the Winter Festival, and a chance to see the young talent as work in progress.   The ensembles range from 10-19 and benefit from superb tuition, leadership and facilities - so no pressure when they perform at their home venue!

First up were Jazz Attack  (aged 10-16) on the concourse, in fine form and numbers with keyboards and reeds  a plenty but short on brass and especially drums, drafting in leader Paul Edis - is there nothing this man can't  turn his hand to?  A stirring carol, followed by a very slinky rendition of old favourite Chameleon with some great showcases on clarinet, keys and of course bass.  A lively version of Fly Me To The Moon followed before I had to abandon the distant future of jazz to hear the nearer future, in the shape of the older ensembles (aged 14-19) in Hall 2.

The well filled Hall 2 session started with an African workout by the CAT (Centre for Advanced Training) Percussion Ensemble, led from the front by the inspirational Roger Hempsall. Such percussion fests often turn into flat out bang-athons, but here we had chanting, changes of tempo, feel and volume, and  a very impressive round of improvised call and response.  Topped off with drums dying away to a whisper, terminated by leader Hempsall's startling thunder clap!

Next up were JB's (James Birkett's) CATS,  a sextet of 2 guitars, sax, trombone and rhythm section.  A set of delightful and gentle classics of old started with Seven Come  Eleven featuring Nathan Lawson as a convincing Charlie Christian, and strong solos from new members Ben Haslam (trombone) and Sophie Speed (alto). Cinnamon and Clove followed, led by Ben and Sophie, this time on clarinet - a welcome sight in these sax dominated times.

An unusual and very well  received  (funk)  version of Scrapple from the Apple followed, showcasing the excellent (and smiling!) Gemma Watson on drums, driving more great solos from Nathan and Sophie. Gemma then showed off her brush work on the lovely ballad When Sunny Gets Blue  giving a smooth ride to more gorgeous solos from Ben and Sophie.  Finally Short Stop by Shorty Rogers didn't sell the band short. Rhythm guitar and bass stylishly provided by Joe Ducker and George Ivanov, who was to reappear in the next set on guitar.

Jambone then took the stage with leader and writer in chief Edis leaving the sticks behind to conduct  a set of five brand new pieces of his own.  Jambone had inevitably lost some very fine players last year so it was an open question as to how they would bear up. Not to worry - the rhythm section deluxe of old boys Dylan Thompson (drums) and Alex Shipsey (bass) augmented by another fine new drummer Nathan Hulme, led off in style with Nonchalant . This new smooth swinger from Edis featured multiple fine solos, notably a great bass break from Shipsey and Sophie Speed on clarinet (when she wasn't playing tenor!).  The second, The Town, is the third in Paul's occasional series inspired by the Newcastle Metro system - the others being The Coast and The Long Way Round.  This latest is a collision with Antônio Carlos Jobim -  a most un-Geordie Bossa Nova !

Back-to- back Bede's Blues and the memorable Hild's Waltz were written at the Durham college of that name for the band's inaugural residential in Durham, and showcased some fine solos, with Jack Pearce particularly mature on alto, and the drummers trading 4's in some style.  The hit of the day though was Runaway Momentum, inspired by watching the Great North Run, rather than the catastrophe overtaking  the Labour Party.  This was a complex and challenging rhythmical task, in a sparse and abstract mood,  carried off with some aplomb by the band (seemingly to the writer's surprise!). The piece was set up by Shipsey on bass ostinato, with Thompson on marimba laying down a repeated line which slipped continuously through the bars landing at different points each time due to changing time sigs. Clever stuff, but emotionally charged  too, with duelling leads from first Adam Johnston on bari sax and the full-toned Zak Parlby on tenor, then Ferg Kilsby (trumpet) and newboy Sam Banks on trombone. 

The set closed with Stuffy Turkey, Thelonious Monk's incongruous attempt at a Christmas hit!  This featured a trademark quirky soprano solo from Haaruun Miller and stylish piano from Jacob Russan-Pritchett. With a six strong reeds line up (completed by Suzy Hull on alto), and brass line up completed by the powerful James Goldberg on trumpet, Jambone are clearly in good voice and in good hands.

I caught them again the next day supporting Paul Edis' new smash hit Christmas Jazz  extravaganza at Middlesbrough Town Hall, where some rough edges had already been knocked off. Be sure to catch their performances next year at the Gateshead Jazz Festival and elsewhere, as they will only get even better! 
Chris K.

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