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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 2024.

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...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Saturday, February 01, 2020

What's in a name?


This Month's issue of DownBeat features an excellent interview with trumpet player Nicholas Payton. Payton, one of the top brass names in our music - and the reason I stress our music is because Payton expresses a problem he has with the term jazz representing what he plays.

It's not a new problem, in 1970 Frank Foster, in Crescendo magzine, said "I've been debating with myself whether I still dig this word [jazz]. I've decided I don't. I think its been around too long, and is the cause of a lot of mis-identification. I'd like to find a short monosyllabic word to replace it." 

And, as far back as 1949, DownBeat itself also sought to come up with an alternative name and launched a contest with a $1000 prize which, back then, must have been big bucks.

The winner was one Esther Whitefield, 2334 Glen Green, Hollywood 28, California. I guess that, if she's still with us, she lives elsewhere. Her suggested alternative name for jazz was crewcut. Esther's reasoning was that crewcut was the exact opposite to longhair which was the name given at the time to classical musicians. I suppose that these days the opposite could be applied!

Incidentally, the runner up - Irwin A. Johnson from Ohio - whose Amerimusic won him the chance to have the Charlie Barnet Band  play a gig of his choice maybe didn't collect his prize as the same DownBeat page announced the break up of the Barnet Band!

Despite awarding the prizes, none of the magazine's judging panel considered any of the winning entries seriously and so jazz remains jazz - until now...'

Do any of our readers have their own ideas as to an alternative name for the music? I'm afraid there aren't any prizes - we ain't got a thousand bucks and Charlie Barnet is dead - but we welcome your suggestions ...
Lance

2 comments :

Russell said...

Remind me, who was it who said 'If you have to ask what jazz is' etc? Jazz is the perfect word to describe 'our music'. Mouldy old figs use the phrase 'our music' to retain ownership, refusing to admit newcomers unless they're onboard. Quite right too, Arts Council supports all sorts of quasi-jazz!

Steve T said...

Wayne Shorter recently said ' I dare you' but that's three words so how about 'Progressive'(Russell)?

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