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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Livestream: SSBB, Beth Macari @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle - July 18

The Tyne Theatre and Opera House, known to cinema goers back in the day as "The Stoll", proved the ideal setting for a livestream, socially distanced, concert by the Strictly Smokin' Big Band.

The building has certainly had an illustrious past but tonight was very much about the present as, let's face it, few of us can forecast the future. Not even Alfie Joey, the jovial compere who seemed to have recovered from the loss of his night club and Rita Hayworth - well he did get Kim Novak and a puppy in exchange - who gave the SSBB an enthusiastic introduction before handing over to Alice Grace and the band for Route 66.

Great as these streams are, just as at a live gig there is more to it than what comes out of the bell end. Acoustics are important on a live gig, and there are also imponderables whilst listening at home. Music that sounds great when heard through a sooper dooper Bose sound system loses something when heard through a couple of lo-fi speakers attached to your computer that you picked up at a car boot sale. And, just as sporting events aren't the same without the roar of the crowd so it is at a jazz gig. Nothing is worse than sitting down after the greatest solo you've ever played only to be greeted with silence. Tonight, although I applauded the solos with the greatest of gusto I doubt if I was heard 8 miles up river.

Nevertheless, taking all this into consideration it was a cracking night!

Alice, despite being heavy with child, as the saying goes, was in good voice and, as well as Route 66, also delighted us with Get Happy, Puttin' on the Ritz (hence the aforementioned usage of the words "sooper dooper") and Stevie Wonder's Sir Duke - this too was sooper dooper!

Not to be outdone, the band sooper doopered on Tickle Toe, Whisper Not and the Billy Taylor tune with the long title.

Time for a break and a set by Beth Macari. The songs were unfamiliar to me but this girl is a great singer - more soul/pop/funk than jazz - and I enjoyed her set. Nice to see jazz refugee guitarist Stuart Davies in the band.

So far we've had social distancing, sooper dooper, Sir Duke and now Stuart Davies - strange.

The big band's second set got underway with Alice singing: Almost Like Being in Love, Willow Weep For Me, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Lost in a Memory of You and The Late Late Show.

Leader Lamb blew trumpet on, of all things, Satisfaction. A strange choice and, although he played it well, he probably wouldn't have pulled Bianca.

Alice and her "Pal Joey" finished off a most enjoyable evening with a duet on A Slow Boat to China.
Lance
PS: Apologies for not making more of the soloists but, needless to say, Jamie Toms and Steve Summers did most of the solo work apart from blasts by dep Forster and trombones Kieran and Chris - they were simply delightful!

Michael Lamb MD, Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Mark Ferris, Kieran Parnaby, Chris Kurgi-Smith, John Flood (trombones), Jamie Toms, Matt Forster, Sue Ferris, Steve Summers, Laurie Rangecroft (reeds); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Graham Don (piano); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals).

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Beth Macari (vocals); Jonny Winter (keys); Stuart Davies (guitar); Phil Bell (perc).
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Alfie Joey (compere/vocal).

2 comments :

NeilC said...

I thought this was excellent thoroughly enjoyed SSBB you'd never think they'd been away. I thought the talented Beth Macari provided a really wonderful set in the interval and offered an intimate alternative to the boldness of the big band . Unfortunately this is how gigs will be for some time. It was strange for me and to be honest I clapped instinctively after each song , I cannot imagine how it was for the band and Beth to be met with silence when normally be applause and cheering however, it was just great to see live music again albeit in a screen . It was I suppose like going to a large outdoor event ,arriving late and having to stand so far back from the stage you can only see the band on the obligatory big screen like you see at Glastonbury .

Russell said...

The morning after the night before on BBC Newcastle's breakfast show presenter Alfie Joey described the SSBB's performance as 'absolutely sensational'and referred to the 'brilliant Beth Macari'. Well, Sinatra fan Joey should know, he was the on-stage compere.

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