Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Abbie Finn: "Even though there's a lot of great work being done to promote women in jazz, I still come up against some attitudes! I pulled up at a recording session with my drums in the car and the studio owner said, 'I'm sorry, this space is reserved for the drummer!'" - (Jazzwise April 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

15229 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 248 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (March 20).

From This Moment On ...

March

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller's Rest, Cockerton. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public). Note change of venue - this week only.
Wed 22: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Thu 23: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Bar Loco, Newcasatle. From 6:30pm 'til late. Free. Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra jam session. All welcome (students & non-students).
Thu 23: Kerrin Tatman + John Garner & John Pope @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 23: Sunna Gunnlaugs & Julia Hülsmann @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm. A two-piano gig. A Sage Gateshead-JNE promotion.
Thu 23: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano.
Thu 23: Sleep Suppressor @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00., £8.00. adv. Upstairs.
Thu 23: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: FILM: Mo' Better Blues @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Fri 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Scarth Hall, Staindrop, Co. Durham. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Fri 24: Archipelago + Bulbils @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.

Sat 25: Vermont Big Band @ Walker Community Centre, Walker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Fundraiser for Benfield Juniours Football Club. Hot food available, BYOB.
Sat 25: John Logan & Friends @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rat Pack, Motown etc. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Outlines @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE promotion (upstairs).

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 28: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 28: Sanaz Lavasani Trio @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv).

Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Dean Masser Quartet @ The Gala Theatre, Durham - Jan 24

Dean Masser (tenor sax); Dean Stockdale (piano); Ed Harrison (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums)
(Review by Russell/ Photos courtesy of Malcolm Sinclair - link.

Print and online publicity for Friday's two gigs in a day featuring an all-star quartet - a lunchtime concert at Durham's Gala Theatre followed by an evening engagement at Opus 4 Jazz Club in Darlington - ranged from Dean Masser Quartet to Dean Masser-Dean Stockdale Quartet to Dean Masser with the Dean Stockdale Trio to Dean Stockdale Trio with Dean Masser...what's in a name? Especially as the Gala Theatre concert was, as usual, an advance sell out and the Traveller's Rest invariably pulls a good crowd.

Lugubrious tenor saxophonist Dean Masser, suited and booted, fronted the quartet - yep, let's settle for the Dean Masser Quartet. The other Dean, pianist Dean Stockdale, introduced some of the numbers leaving Dean M to crack a few jokes in between playing superb, straight-down-the-middle tenor sax. A set list comprising eight numbers with a mere sixty minutes to play them, Masser and co opened with Jimmy Van Heusen's It Could Happen to You. Dean M laid down a marker, Dean S followed, bassist Ed Harrison introduced himself and a classy round of fours confirmed Gaz Hughes* as an A-lister. 

Masser informed the capacity audience: Dexter Gordon is one my my saxophone heroes. Good, odds on, yes...Cheese Cake. Excellent. This is the sort of gig you eagerly await and, sure enough, it was worth waiting for. Alone Together featured a tenor sax-double bass exchange with bassist Harrison strolling through it. Impressive stuff!


Dean M spoke about another of his heroes - Joe Henderson. Recorda Me never fails to hit the spot at a gig or jam session and here at the Gala it wasn't any different with Dean S laying down a fine solo with sensitive supporting bass and drums. With one eye on the clock Masser jettisoned On Green Dolphin Street (there would be time to play it down the road in Darlington) in favour of Bud Powell's early bop chart Webb City (subsequently recorded by many others including Art Pepper, Sonny Stitt and John Dankworth in his 'Johnny Dankworth' days). Wasting no time, Masser went straight into St Thomas. It is reasonable to assume Mr S Rollins is another hero. 

It had been a great start to the Gala Theatre's 2020 lunchtime jazz concert series. February's concert (Friday 28, 1:00pm) presents John Garner, violin, and pianist Paul Edis performing a set inspired by the music of Bill Evans. The one hour performance will be another advance sellout. As folk made their way out of the Gala they stopped at the box office to book their tickets for February's concert. If you hesitate all tickets will be gone in no time. Book now on 03000 266 600

Russell
Drummer Gaz Hughes has put together a nationwide tour to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Art Blakey. It's a real old school tour with no fewer than thirty one dates in the book. What's more,  Alan Barnes and Bruce Adams will be on most of them including a performance at Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle on Thursday February 20     

1 comment :

Stephen Andrews said...

I played a couple of gigs with Ed Harrison in December. A very fine bass-player!

Blog Archive