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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:30pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: The Central Bar Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. The Central Bar Quartet plays Lou Donaldson’s Gravy Train. Featuring Jamie Toms.
Sun 03: Revolutionaires @ The Water House, North Road, Durham. 4:00pm. Rock 'n' roll excellence! Line-up inc. Pete Tanton.
Sun 03: Paul Skerritt @ Smith’s Arms, Carlton, Stockton-on-Tees. 7:00pm.
Sun 03: Johnny Hunter Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Jam session @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!
Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Abbie Finn Trio @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

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

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