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Bebop Spoken There

Kelly Sill: "Just because everyone is playing through the changes in the same time doesn't mean they're actually playing together" - (JazzTimes March/April 2023).

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

15260 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 279 of them this year alone and, so far, 92 this month (March 29).

From This Moment On ...

April

Sun 02: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny. 12:45pm.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.

Mon 03: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 04: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 04: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Bradley Johnston (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations. Feat. John Pope, Marie Shreer, John Garner.
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibtion Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 06: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Note earlier start time.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 07: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 07: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Traveller's Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 07: Finntet + Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion @ Bobik's, Punch Bowl, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.
Fri 07: TBA @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Blind Pig Blues Club.

Sat 08: Me Lost Me + Ceitidh Mac + Heather Ferrier @ Bobik's, Punch Bowl, Newcastle. 7:30pm. JNE.
Sat 08: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington Covered Market, Darlington DL1 5PN. 6:00pm. New venue, live jazz!
Sat 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00. RESCHEDULED from last week (Sat 01).
Sat 08: Robbie Reay @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Acoustic blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Mr Tighe's, Bebside, Northumberland. 8:30pm.

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Record Shop Days

No, this has nothing to do with the animated comments that followed the Bacon Butty post. In fact, at the time I'm writing about, vinyl was but a gleam in the record companies' eyes.

No, here I'm reminiscing about Gordon Eades Ltd. I don't know who Gordon Eades was or if there ever was such a person but, his name was the name over the door of a record shop on Fawcett St., in Sunderland and, as is relevant to this post, a shop in Jarrow which is now, after several other changes of direction - including another record shop - a Turkish barbers. 


The shop sold records (78rpm), sheet music and pianos - a bit like J.G.Windows at the time and probably many others throughout the country.

The Jarrow branch was run by a rather doddery old gentleman called Mr. Stubbs. My parents were regular customers buying say a recording of Eileen Joyce playing Dohnányi's Rhapsody in C Major (my mum could also knock out a fair version which, in years to come, became her signature dish - I digress!)

I too was a regular customer buying, at first, such things as Tennessee Ernie's Shot Gun Boogie or Frankie Laine's Jezebel before moving on to Louis, Artie, Duke, Benny, Stan etc.

The thing about Mr Stubbs was, if my mum asked for something by Chopin, Mr Stubbs would happily trot along to get the record or the music, humming the melody as he left on his quest, when I asked for a pop or a jazz record he would refer me to his assistant saying, "Serve this young chap will you?"

His assistant was an attractive blonde, so I didn't mind at all! However, she was older and totally out of the range of a 15 year old who had yet to start shaving!

I changed record shops.

In neighbouring Hebburn, there was a small record shop - The Tinkler Music Service - it's now the Citizen's Advice Bureau or something similar.

Back then, it was presided over by a rather attractive girl - Sylvia. She was older than me but, by now, I'd started shaving so the age difference wasn't so noticeable.

We kinda clicked and went to jazz concerts at The Odeon, The Essoldo and the City Hall in Newcastle. I got my records cheap and her dad had a pub. But, as happens ...

After National Service in the RAF I found myself living in London and, needless to say, I was a regular at Dobell's on Charing Cross Rd. but, my most abiding memory is of James Asman's shop on, was it St. Martin's Lane? Among the records were a couple of books - Mezz Mezzrow's Really The Blues and Charles Delauney's Hot Discographie. They were both quite expensive and, I think, first editions so I left to speculate on which one to go for. I drank a pint of Watney's Red Barrel in a nearby pub and decided, what the hell, I'll buy them both. Needless to say, when I returned, they had both been sold.

Eventually, the wheel turned the full circle. Gordon Eades Ltd. had gone but, up in Newcastle, J.G. Windows Ltd. hadn't and, eventually, I spent the next 30 odd years of my life working there.

So, best of luck on Record Store Day, sell lots of albums - irrespective of format and, maybe one or two customers will buy a saxophone or a trumpet or a grand piano.

However, re the bacon butties - is there a Vegan option?
Lance 

2 comments :

Russell said...

Lance- you must take a look at www.britishrecordshoparchive.org. It includes an advert for the Disque record shop chain. There was a branch in Jarrow!

Lance said...

I can't remember much about Disque. Before the Turkish Barbers' sign went up you could still see, in faded lettering - Discount Records.

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