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Bebop Spoken There

David Hadju: "It was kind of a lightning bolt [seeing a photo of a hi-fi store that's now occupied by a phone store]. Everyone had hi-fi systems, now everyone has a phone" - (DownBeat May 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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Sun 28: Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia @ Whitley Bay Carnival. Free. Plaza Arena stage. 12 noon.
Sun 28: MSK @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 12:15pm. Free. Marquee stage. MSK - Steve Glendinning, Katy Trigger, Martin Douglas.
Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 1:30pm. Free. Marquee stage.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary's Church, Wooler NE71 6BZ. 3:00pm. £15.00 standard; £5.00 student/unwaged; free under 18. Afternoon Cocktail, a Wooler Summer Arts' concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 3:00pm. Free. Plaza Arena stage.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 28: King Bees @ The Delaval Arms, Old Hartley NE26 4RL. 5:00pm. Free. Chicago blues at its best!
Sun 28: Matt Anderson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Anderson (saxophones); Jamil Sheriff (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums).

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 30: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 30: Big Chris Barber Band @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

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.

Sunday, February 09, 2020

Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool - Feb 9

(Review by Russell)
It was an auspicious occasion. The Park Inn's landlord is soon to retire and Musicians Unlimited pulled out all the stops to thank Mine Host Rick for giving the band a warm welcome every Sunday lunchtime for the past eight and a half years. Storm Ciara's threatened destruction of everything that stood in its path came to nought and had the hoolie materialised it wouldn't have made any difference - the joint was jumping, no one was going to miss this one!


In the Mood for starters. Hey, this was a great version, honest guv'nor! Mark Toomey, alto, and Sue Ferris on tenor traded before passing the baton to trumpeters Bill Watson and Kevin Eland to knock spots off one another. Soloists and band won huge applause and, to add to the party atmosphere, friend of BSH George from Hartlepool tripped the light fantastic from the get go.

Jerome Richardson's Groove Merchant featured excellent section work from the saxophones (Mark Toomey on soprano) and a classy solo from Bill Watson (trumpet). Doxy is always a blast and Kieran Parnaby didn't pass up the opportunity to have a blow on Sonny Rollins' classic number. Parnaby again on the set closer Basically Blues (Phil Wilson for the Buddy Rich band) shared the soloist's spotlight with Sue Ferris (tough tenor) and Jeremy McMurray sitting-in on piano.     

Intervals come and go but today's intermission proved to be a little bit special. Our man George had brought along a freshly baked corned beef and potato pie (baked by his talented daughter) especially for the occasion (see photo). George did the honours, your correspondent  sampled a slice - delicious! And there was more...MU's regular supporters arrived with mountains of sandwiches, saugage rolls, crisps, the works. All washed down with a pint of the house beer Marston's 61 Deep. 

Band vocalist Jan Spencelayh joined the orchestra on a couple of numbers - What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! and Cheek to Cheek - during the first set and would return later in the afternoon. 

To the second set. Lullaby of Birdland, Basie's Jive at Five (guitarist Edd Maughan soloing), C Jam Blues (arr. Dave Wolpe) is always a winner on a session like this not least as it was a request by long-time supporter Frank celebrating his 89th birthday this very day! And the other name synonymous with a big band firing on all cylinders is California's Gordon Goodwin. MD Mick Donnelly quipped that each member of the trumpet section prepared for Goodwin's High Maintenance by dipping their lips in ice! And to show that MU meant business Mick Shoulder switched to electric bass for the rollercoaster ride. 

Jan Spencelayh has been singing with Musicians Unlimited for awhile and it showed - assured, confident, listening to the band, singing to the room. Earlier in the set All the Things You Are sounded just fine and Spencelayh's final contribution of the afternoon - Fever - proved to be a highlight. To conclude Musicians Unlimited's first eight and a half years at the Park Inn Tito Puente's Oye Como Va featured a stupendous flute solo from Sue Ferris. What a way to go out! And they'll be back as soon as a planned refurbishment of the Park Road hostelry is finished. It could be four or five weeks - watch this space for updates.        
            
Musicians Unlimited: Mick Donnelly MD; Kevin Eland, Bill Watson, Bob Temple, Alan Catherall (trumpets); ?, Kieran Parnaby, Helen Grainger, Peter Morgan (trombones); Norman ?, Kim Skerritt, Mark Toomey, Sue Ferris, Barbara Fagan (reeds); Edd Maughan (guitar); Gary Hadley (keyboards); Mick Shoulder (double bass, electric bass); John Bradford (drums); Ernie Jackson (percussion); Jan Spencelayh (vocals) + Jeremy McMurray (keyboards); Dave Harrison (trumpet).
Russell   

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