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Bebop Spoken There

Wendell Brunious: "Because the blues is not 1,4 and 5 or 1,4,5,2,1. You could wake up with a flat tyre or a headache this morning, that's the blues, man" - (DownBeat, Oct. 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

15878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 885 of them this year alone and, so far, 83 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

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); Sid White (drums). CANCELLED!

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: King Bees @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 07: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 10:15am. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 07: Bugge & Niccols + Moore & Fairhall @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - All the Things You Are. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rie Nakajima @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Sat 07: Samuel Blaser Trio + Toxvaerd & Zeeberg + Muramatsu & Welch @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Zoë Gilby Quintet + Ubunye @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Line-up inc. Tony Kofi. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 08: Tommy Bentz Band @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. USA blues band.

Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Cherise Adams-Burnett @ The Grove, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. .

Tue 10: Abbie Finn Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Jam Session @ The Black Swan - Feb. 11

(Review/photos by Lance).

Another evening of infinite variety that had no shortage of big hitters. 

It all began rather low key, albeit with some tasteful playing by the house trio, with Bradley setting the bar for the other guitarists present to aim at. A Jobim bossa, Travels - a tribute to Lyle Mays who'd died the previous day - and a bouncy bop number set the scene for Harry Keeble who, after an extended intro by the trio, went into 'S Wonderful before being joined by the tightly muted Ed for Days of Wine and Roses. Interesting contrast, Harry leaves no note unplayed whilst Ed leaves quite a few of them untouched.

One guy who explores the full range of his instrument is trombonist Showtime Gray. In the absence of Ray Burns, David was a shoo in to take the catwalk prize on the strength of his trousers, boots and woolly hat. His Bésame Mucho was as earcatching as his attire was eyecatching.

Harry returned to join him in the front line, Abbie took over the kit and guitarist Laurence  replaced Brad. Maiden Voyage and then Impressions were the test pieces and it was on the latter number that the joint began to jump. Harry blew one of his "Follow that" solos passing the ball to Ed who, in fairness didn't try to but opted for a more economical approach that, at times, was almost verging on the avant garde. Economical is rarely a part of Showtime's vocabulary and he fought fire with fire without getting burned.

Time for a break and a Tyneside Blonde (a beer) before the first of the singers took the mic. Irene Birkett gave us Love me or Leave me and I Can't Get Started. This may have been her Black Swan debut and I think she was, perhaps, a shade nervous. 

Jan is a tried and tested performer and, with able assists from Jordan on alto and Alan Law on piano, sang You Turned the Tables on me - such a great lyric by Sidney D.Mitchell* - and Cheek to Cheek.

The stakes were being raised. Andy Lawrenson unpacked his fiddle, Steve Summers saddled up his tenor and a drummer named Tom picked up the sticks.

It Had to be You had a nice Grappellian swing to it whilst St. Thomas saw all of the A-listers going for it with possibly the combativity prize going to Jordan for his blistering alto solo. They thought it was all over - Tom didn't! The drummer took a chorus or three before bringing le tout ensemble back for the ride out.

All this excitement was just too much to handle and it had to be calmed down before someone got hurt! 

Enter James Birkett and  Laurence Harrison. Ah ha, I thought, a guitar duet - I was only half right - James, husband of Irene and former tutor of Bradley had 6 strings at his disposal but Lawrence, who earlier had impressed in a variety of settings now had 88 at his finger tips (at least he would have had had it been a steam piano he was now sitting at). Yes the guitar man was now a piano man and the rest will go down in Black Swan fokelore. 

Polka Dots and Moonbeams brought conversation to a standstill as the impromptu duo silenced the room with the sheer magic of their playing and the instant empathy that only happens when Jupiter aligns with Mars or the moon has turned to gold. I was particularly impressed with Laurence's single-handed piano solo.

The clock was ticking and curfew time approaching. The troops were marshalled, Michael Mather the latest drummer, a new trumpet player, David Olantungi, and a cast of 1000s (or so it seemed) took off on Autumn Leaves. These leaves weren't drifting by any windows they were precipitating as the soloists blew up the storm which was the cue for Hurricane Julija to take the tiles off the roof (and we were in the basement!)

The Girl From Lithuania is something else! in the course of a few bars she is a jazz singer, a dramatic actress, a dancer, a you name it, every note, every word, every movement is meaningful. At times maybe a touch over the top but, with the bewitching hour approaching, who cares? The bewitching hour passed and Julija was now into what could well be her signature tune - Stormy Weather!

The weather outside was stormy but I hardly noticed...
Lance.


Paul Grainger (bass); Bradley Johnston (guitar); Mark Robertson (drums) + Jordan Alfonso (alto sax); Harry Keeble, Steve Summers (tenor sax); Ed Bell (cornet); David Olatungi (trumpet); David "Showtime" Gray (trombone); Alan Law (piano); Laurence Harrison (piano/guitar) James Birkett (guitar); Abbie Finn, Tom ?, Michael Mather (drums); Irene Birkett, Jan Spencelayh, Julija Jacenaite (vocals).

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