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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, August 09, 2020

Adrian Cox Quartet Live - August 9

Adrian Cox (clarinet/vocal); Denny Ilett (guitar/vocal); Dave Newton (piano); Ferg Ireland (bass).

As Groucho Marx famously said, “Either this woman is dead or my watch has stopped!”
When it got to ten past three it occurred to me that maybe Adrian or I needed a new watch or one of us was dead!

By the time they eventually turned up I was elsewhere listening to Mainly Two who did get there at the time announced. But, as they are predominately a classical duo, it would seem, I guess, that jazz time is somewhat more flexible than classical time. Three o’clock? Nah the punters will still be in the bar…

About 3:18 the word was out that they were on air – BT the ones accused for the delay.

When I arrived, Cox was working out on Oh Lady be Good! and, I must admit he did the lady proud. Sugar Blues was a hit way back for Clyde McCoy who gave what was probably the most tasteless use of a trumpet mute ever. Cox didn’t need any gimmicks, instead, he chose to sing. I can almost certainly say that Adrian is probably the best clarinet playing singer I’ve heard. This puts him ahead of Benny Goodman in that classification. Wisely, to the best of my knowledge, Artie Shaw never chose to go down that road.

Lull at Dawn brought to mind, as intended, Barney Bigard.  You’re Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You had Denny Ilett deciding that he too wanted to sing before making way for Adrian and Dave Newton to come up with as a good a version of Stardust as I’ve heard since maybe now and possibly for many years to come.

China Boy and Poor Butterfly showed the gamut of Cox’ emotions. China Boy, which was close to breaking the sound barrier and Butterfly which broke through the tear barrier.

To finish, Jump For Joy, had me too jumping for joy – despite the delayed start. Still that’s jazz and the crazy world we’re living in.
Lance

PS: Some great (though not enough) piano from Newton and solid support from Ireland.

1 comment :

Russell said...

A real time, live gig! Clarinetist Adrian Cox just happens to know the people who run Gun Hill Studios in Sussex and they kindly offered the facility to Adrian's quartet to play a live YouTube set. A near fifteen minutes' delay thanks to internet connections going down in the local area didn't spoil matters, on the contrary it simply served to further whet the appetite.

Ten tunes in an hour and a quarter with each member of the band afforded solo space, Adrian Cox, at the age of 37, is at the top of his game as an engaging personality and a stupendous clarinetist. From the opening Tea for Two (as hot as you like) through to a joyous Jump for Joy, this afternoon set was as good as anything heard during lockdown. Aiding and abetting Cox were three of the very best around; multi award-winning Dave Newton at Gun Hill's Yamaha upright; swinging guitarist Denny Ilett (heard recently as accompanist to Rico Tomasso) and, from the coming generation, bassist Ferg Ireland.

Cox counted in Oh, Lady Be Good! and off they went at a ferocious tempo - tremendous! Ellington's A Lull at Dawn (a one time feature for Barney Bigard) took it down, Ilett kept it there singing You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You paving the way for Cox to play his favourite number - Stardust - as a duo with Newton. Marvellous.

Time to up the tempo, then some, on China Boy. Newton's stonking solo couldn't be bettered, or could it? Well, first Ilett, then Cox himself, did their level best to match the quartet's pianist. The virtual audience must have been applauding long and hard! As and when the 'new normal' makes way for 'old school normal' be sure to catch Cox in action, he's the business!

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