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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 ...

June

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

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.

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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