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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Fri 20: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 20: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, East Bedlington Community Centre. 7:00pm.
Fri 20: Pete Tanton’s Christmas @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Alligator Gumbo @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Abbie Finn’s Finntet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 20: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sat 21: Lindsay Hannon Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £15.00. ‘Swinging with Christmas Songs’.
Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 21: Jackson’s Wharf Xmas Party @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 7:00pm. Free. Featuring the New ’58 Jazz Collective.
Sat 21: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Friday, January 31, 2020

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle - Jan 30

(Review by Russell)

A first public rehearsal/concert performance of 2020 by the mighty Strictly Smokin' Big Band. All reported for duty with the exception of long serving baritone saxophonist Laurie Rangecroft who was, perhaps, on a mid-winter sunshine break and his dep on the big beast of the reeds stepped out of the Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra, a more than able sub, welcome Brian Wicks.

Your correspondent's first scribbled note...BANG! Straight out of the (Buddy Rich) traps with Big Swing Face. This evening Michael Lamb's outfit certainly lived up to its name...Smokin'! No time to lose on a session like this, welcome back Alice Grace to sing All the Things You Are

Killer trumpets on the Lennie Niehaus arrangement of Cole Porter's I Love Paris for the Kenton band - once again...Smokin'! In six weeks or so the SSBB will be linking up with NYC's Danny Jonokuchi for a one off gig at Flat Caps Coffee and in advance of the occasion the band and Alice Grace took another look at the New Yorker's arrangement of The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else. If this one is in the set list in March just imagine Jonokuchi's reaction as Alice and the boys take it apart! The prospect of it being an 'I was there' occasion? You bet! Book your tickets now at www.strictly-smokin.co.uk

One or two musos in tonight's audience were on a busman's holiday there to enjoy themselves with a pint or two listening to a fantastic outfit. The Bridge Hotel's beers this evening included a new favourite - the Bad Seed Brewery's Light Cluster (4.3%), unfined, unfiltered. 

Earlier Buddy Rich blew the place apart and to start the second set who better to do the same than Gordon Goodwin? Count Bubba tore it up with feature solos from Jamie Toms, Pete Tanton and Dave Kerridge. Alice took a trip on Route 66 going here, there and everywhere. Our star vocalist stayed on to sing You Turned the Tables on Me (arr. D. Jonokuchi). 

It was just about time to go but not before Alice and Jamie Toms sang and blew tenor respectively on Mean to Me and MD Michael Lamb had a blast on Alice's final number of the evening I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

The SSBB's 2020 events include not only the visit of Danny Jonokuchi but an eagerly anticipated concert at Sage Gateshead with Mike Lovatt (it's looking like a sell out on Feb 29 - book now!). The trumpeter boasts an impressive CV - John Wilson Orchestra, BBC Big Band and countless film and television sessions including the rather popular Bond movies. Nice work if you (are good enough and) can get it and Mike Lovatt is just that. Later in the year there is the second edition of the recently resurrected Newcastle Jazz Festival to look forward to but, between now and then, you can hear the band at the Bridge, Hoochie Coochie and elsewhere. Details as and when right here on BSH.  
   
Strictly Smokin' Big Band: Michael Lamb MD, Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Mark Ferris, Kieran Parnaby, Chris Kurgi-Smith, John Flood (trombones), Jamie Toms, Dave Kerridge, Keith Robinson, Steve Summers, Brian Wicks (reeds); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Graham Don (piano); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals)
 Russell

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