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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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

15848 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 855 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Sept. 18).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: La Malbec Orchestra @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 21: Linsday Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Ray Stubbs R & B All Stars @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:30pm. Free.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 22: Brief Encounter @ Bardon Mill Village Hall, Northumberland. 7:00pm. Tickets: £10.00. adv from 07885 303166; £12.00. on the door. Chris & Veronica Perrin improvising to a screening of the 1929 'Jazz Age' silent film Piccadilly (Dir. Ewald André Dupont).
Fri 22: Paul Edis & Graeme Wilson + Three Tsuru Origami @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 22: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Fri 22: Abbie Finn's Finntet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tanfield Railway, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. A '1940s Weekend' event.
Sat 23: Jason Isaacs @ Stack, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 23: Andrew Porritt & Keith Barrett @ Cullercoats Watch House, Front St., Cullercoats NE30 4QB. 7:00pm.
Sat 23: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Country blues.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Preview: Steve Walker on Coastal Sound (Skegness community radio broadcasting to the world) - Wednesday

At eight o'clock tonight online radio station Coastal Sound presents Steve Walker's Big Band Bash. Trumpeter Steve has worked with just about everyone who is anyone in the music business. Now, in addition to performing and teaching, presenting the best in big band music has become a weekly (Wednesday evening) affair for the man originally from Middlesbrough.

Steve kindly emailed BSH details of the occasion when he took part in the BBC's National Big Band Competition. In 1985 Steve found himself playing in the trumpet section of the Durham Youth Jazz Orchestra. The material makes for fascinating reading. This was the era of Sheila Tracy hosting BBC Radio 2's big band broadcasts. Standing alongside Steve in the trumpet section was one Gordon Marshall. Whatever became of him? The answer: First call trumpet for Ray Chester's award-winning big band, the Customs House Big Band, the Strictly Smokin' Big Band, Gerry Richardson's Big Idea and a whole lot more! 

The saxophones included Peter 'Pepe' Greenaway and David (Dave) Black; in the 'bones, David Barnes (heard many a time with the Strictly Smokin') and the rhythm section boasted Stuart Haikney, a busy working drummer to this day, alongside Marcus Brown. Pianist Marcus went on to do it all...working with Madonna, Hollywood film scores, the lot, more recently taking on the job of adjudicator alongside Mick Donnelly at the annual Great North Big Band Jazz Festival. Clearly 1985 was a very good year for the  DYJO!

The Guildhall Jazz Band took part in '85. Pete Whyman on lead alto and the great Mornington Lockett on tenor in the saxophone gives an idea of the standard of the then young guns, now established figures on the scene. And in the trumpet section, Noel 'Loose Tubes' Langley! 

Imagine...tough competitive action, radio airplay, Sheila Tracy presiding, Bobby Lamb presenting the Marty Paich Trophy to Adrian Drover (trombone, Guildhall Jazz Band) and Iain Ballamy shaking hands with Henry Lowther as he picked up the John Dankworth Most Promising Musician Trophy award. Yes, fascinating reading, thanks to Steve for sharing the memories. Catch Steve's Big Band Bash tonight (8:00pm) at: www.coastalsound.co.uk.
Russell

2 comments :

Betty Brett (on F/b) said...

This was an amazing gig playing Baritone sax in DYJO. Thoroughly enjoyed the rehearsals and the recording of course. Also met up again briefly with a college friend Pete Murray who was playing keys with the the Guildhall big band.

Lance said...

I wonder if Steve is familiar with the work of the late Ken Rattenbury a trumpet player, pianist, composer and arranger who was born in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, and died in 2001.

He was one of best musicians in his chosen fields and yet is rarely remembered these days. Although not an out and out big band man I feel his name should not go unrecognised in Lincolnshire Jazz circles.

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