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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15867 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 874 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (Sept. 25).

From This Moment On ...

September

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Sat 30: John Pope Quintet + Late Girl + Shapeshifters @ Bobik's, Jesmond, Newcastle.
Sat 30: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

OCTOBER

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Paul Wight (drums).

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Get The Blessing + Ceitidh Mac @ Gosforth Civic Theatre – Feb. 7 (Take 2)


(Review by Tom Dixon/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew)

Get The Blessing: Jim Barr (bass guitar); Clive Deamer (drums); Jake McMurchie (sax and electronics); Pete Judge (trumpet and electronics).

Great melodies and a driving intensity, Get The Blessing did not disappoint. They maintained the energy and groove of their trip-counterparts (Portishead) without sacrificing on the integrity of the improvised sections. I've seen 'fusion' acts experiment with this type of approach before and fall on the wrong side of repetitive for me, but this performance was full of spontaneity and intrigue.

Clive Dreamer has a fairly busy drumming style which gave the soloists plenty to work with, but still kept the time really nailed down and, with Jim Barr, really pushed the band forward through every piece. The creative use of backings and effects pedals from the sax and trumpet more than made up for the lack of a traditional harmony instrument and continuously took the music in surprising directions. I really liked the weaving horn ad-libs which were scattered through the night.


The set took us to many different places, from lazy trip-hop ballads to cosmic afro funk flavours on Sunwise. Late on there was a really raucous number with clapping from the band and audience, and a wild saxophone solo, which was obviously my favourite.

The last number had a tense interlocked hi-hat and bass pattern which built and built up to an explosive pay-off. For the rhythm section that had spent much of the night so far being very supportive of the horns, this was a great way to shed some light on Clive and Barr to end the set.

Ceitidh Mac (voice and cello)

Despite seeing Ceitidh a few times now, this was the first solo set I've caught from her and it was a real treat. She looked just as comfortable by herself as when she's with her band; the performance was captivating and she held our attention with a carefree cool.

Ceitidh's set has an interesting blend of light and shade. Her playful approach to the cello and voice is a wonderful contrast to the lyrics which have some very dark moments. I was also surprised at how good Ceitidh's sense of swing is, and she pulled the melody around with a soulful gospel inflection that I found really refreshing.

The next Jazz North East concert at Gosforth Civic Theatre is Gareth Hughes Sextet playing the music of Art Blakey on Thursday 20th February.
Tom Dixon


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