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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17346 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 630 of them this year alone and, so far, 35 this month (Sept. 11).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Jude Murphy, Steve Chambers & Sid White @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Panharmonia @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Swing Manouche @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: John Hallam with the James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert!

Tue 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £13.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Indian Summer Afternoon Tea’.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Celebrated London Pianist to Close Popular Jazz Programme at Middlesbrough Town Hall

(Press release)

Sunday Jazz is returning to Middlesbrough Town Hall for its final instalment of critically acclaimed live music which, since launching in September, has brought some of the UK’s leading jazz musicians to Teesside.

Closing the popular 6-month programme is award winning pianist and band leader Nikki Iles, who will be performing alongside her recently formed 18-piece jazz orchestra on Sunday 29th March for one of the first times in the UK.

Described by The Guardian as “formidably creative”, Nikki Iles has established herself as a leading voice in the national jazz scene, earning numerous nominations for the Parliamentary Jazz Awards and winning Best Pianist in the 2017 British Jazz Awards.

For her latest project, Iles brings together some of the UK’s finest musicians to produce a concert that ties together her long and distinguished career, drawing on her vast back catalogue of compositions along with a number of new works.
Commenting on the forthcoming concert, Iles said: “Playing original music for the first time is such a special experience and one I can’t wait to share with our audience in Middlesbrough.

“The music ranges from gentle swing pieces - very much influenced by the big bands I listened to in my youth, through to exciting funk grooves inspired by more contemporary music.

“First and foremost, my band want to create a friendly, relaxed and approachable concert, so it really is for everyone; of any age, background or experience of concert going.

“It is unusual to see so many jazz musicians together, so if you are unsure, give it a go. It is exhilarating hearing the contrast between the beautiful sound of the muted brass and woodwind against the electrifying sound of the band in full flow!”

This is not the first time Iles has performed on Teesside. Speaking of her last concert in Middlesbrough as part of the Town Hall’s Jazz Weekender Festival in 2018, Iles commented:

“The Jazz Weekender was a wonderful event and Middlesbrough Town Hall is such a great venue. It’s the perfect place for a Sunday afternoon of live music to bring the family together”

Support comes from Manchester-based rising star Nishla Smith whose live sets are noted for their incredible variety, including breath-taking originals, dark jazz standards and dreamy ballads.

This special performance will also involve Teesside’s young musicians, giving members of Tees Valley Youth Jazz Ensemble the opportunity to take part in a workshop led by Nikki Iles and the Head of Jazz at The Royal Academy of Music, Nick Smart.

The concert will see the youth ensemble perform alongside Iles’ professional orchestra, playing a piece of music rehearsed during the workshop.

Iles commented: “Nick Smart and I are sending some new charts up to the Tees Valley Youth Ensemble and we will be working with them on improvisation and ensemble playing.

“Some of the guys and girls from my Orchestra will be joining them for a performance to kick off the event - we can’t wait to hear how it sounds!”

The youth band is led by music educator Justin Down for Tees Valley Music Service and formed as a result of the Town Hall’s 2018 Jazz Weekender Festival, where the young musicians performed alongside the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Lead programmer of the Sunday Jazz concert series, Ros Rigby commented:

“The March 29th Sunday Jazz will give the audience a chance to see some of the finest players in UK jazz today.

“Amongst the star-studded line-up are guitarist Mike Walker, saxophonists Julian Siegel, Tori Freestone and Karen Sharp, trumpeters Henry Lowther and Nick Smart, trombonists Richard Henry and Ollie Martin, and of course the wonderful Nikki Iles herself on piano.

“When they are joined by the Tees Valley Youth Jazz Collective the numbers on stage will swell to nearly 40 which will be quite a sight to behold in the intimate surroundings of the Crypt.

“This concert is particularly special as it is the last in this series of Sunday Jazz, so we want to go out on a high!”

Sunday Jazz ft. Nikki Iles Jazz Orchestra and Nishla Smith will take place at Middlesbrough Town Hall on the 29th March 2020.

Tickets can be purchased for £12 (+bf) via the Town Hall website or by calling the box office on 01642 729 729.

For tickets and more information about Sunday Jazz visit:

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