Total Pageviews

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 ...

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. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
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.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Gaz Hughes Sextet @ Gosforth Civic Theatre - Feb. 20 - "The Best Gig I Never Seen!"

(Review by Lance/Black and white photos courtesy of Malcolm Sinclair - link.)

When I was a child my dad used to take me to Roker Park or St. James' Park on alternative Saturdays. Back then we had no tribal affiliations we just wanted to watch a game of football played by guys who weren't millionaires. To get to the front and see the game, us kids were hoisted shoulder high and passed overhead until we were at the front and able to watch the game.

That flashbacked into my mind last night at Gosforth Civic Theatre as, whilst I enjoyed the music, I wasn't so keen on the burly bodies sitting in front of me.


Now I aint' got no (I know double neg!) complaints against  them, like myself they grabbed a seat and sat back.

The problem was that, for some reason, the band were set up at ground level and, even from row 7, I had no idea what colour tie Alan Barnes was wearing or if indeed he was naked from the neck down!

The paradoxical thing is that there is a stage that has supported big bands so, even given the portly figures of Barnes and Adams, the structure should still pass all health and safety regulations.

However, enough of that - the music was great.

Just as any drummer who covers Buddy Rich is tilting at windmills a similar Don Quixote situation applies in the case of Art Blakey.

Gaz Hughes is a fine drummer and, wisely, he didn't try to emulate Blakey but, instead, put his own feel on the great drummer's music. The three horns had it down to a tee with Masser particularly impressive. Fine piano, a bassist with a tone to die for and a great ensemble sound.

I will go into more detail when I review the CD.
Lance
(Colour photos courtesy of Ken Drew - link).

Alan Barnes (alto/baritone sax); Bruce Adams (trumpet); Dean Masser (tenor sax); Andrzej Baranek (piano); Ed Harrison (bass); Gareth Hughes (drums).

3 comments :

stevebfc said...

The most bizarre 'tribute' gig I have been too. Inspector Blakey from On the Buses got as many name checks as the great drummer did from band leader Hughes. A grand total of zero mentions no explanations given as to the inspiration of the project or which albums the selected tunes came from. I was lucky enough to see The real Art Blakey band on several occasions and to this day they are most exciting and exhilarating gigs I have ever been from the first hit of the cymbal to the last. Maybe that was why the great man's name was never mentioned so that no one would make the comparison between the real Art and the fake.

Lance said...

Stop Moanin' Steve (H)!

Steve H said...

Don't shoot the messenger

Blog Archive