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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two.
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

Monday, September 21, 2020

The Riviera Quartet, live and online @ The Globe Jazz Bar, Newcastle - Sept. 20

Pete Tanton (flugelhorn, trumpet, vocals, shakers); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums).


It was a great feeling to be at a live, indoor gig in an actual jazz club. The ever forward thinking Jazz Co-op have kept the jazz flame burning in the northeast with a regular programme of live streams featuring both local and national names since lockdown began. However, this was the first actual jazz gig at the venue where a small, socially distanced, credit card wielding audience of bottled beer drinkers and wine connoisseurs ventured forth into the redecorated, refurnished, refurbished and more spacious ground floor bar. 

They couldn't have chosen a better band for such an auspicious occasion (which was also going out via the usual streaming channels to a global audience - no pun intended!) than the Riviera Quartet.

The Alabama born Northumbrian revealed that, as of October, he will be a UK citizen. He should have hung on for a couple of months - his vote may have swung the election!

Many instrumentalists double on vocals and some vocalists also play an instrument but few are equally adept both ways. Pete Tanton is an exception - he does both better than most.

It was a storming set from start to finish with Tanton playing, mainly flugel, an occasional number on trumpet and some great vocals. All but two of the selections were his own compositions including lyrics where applicable. The two exceptions were No More Blues, a number he first heard on an album by Dizzy Gillespie - Dizzy on the French Riviera. This was a game changing moment for Pete and ultimately led, many years later, to the band's name and much of its music. In the year of Charlie Parker's centennial it's good that Dizzy too is remembered even though he would have hit the 100 mark 3 years earlier.

The other non-Tanton original was guitarist Mark Williams' Booze Blues, a number we've heard Mark do in many different settings. Tonight, it must be said, he played an absolute blinder (does he ever do any other? Probably, but never when I've been present!).

For the rest we had engaging vocals from Pete on To Heaven Overnight; When Monday Came; I Fall in Love; Tell me When It's Safe to Open my Eyes. Sizzling instrumentals inc. Turf War; Barbados; The Wait and the loudly demanded encore - The Cat's Reply.

Needless to say it wan't just Pete and Mark who were at the top of their game, Andy and Russ too showed us how it is done. Bass solos don't usually thrill me over much but Andy is one of the rare exceptions and tonight was one of those exceptions. On the aforementioned Booze Blues, after Pete's tightly muted trumpet solo and Mark's blast it was as if nothing could possibly follow which was vastly underrating Andy who added a further dimension and that was that - or was it?

Come in Russ the Brush! Morgan began his solo deftly flicking brushes - a drum solo doesn't have to be all Flash! Bang! Wallop! That came later, gradually building up. Brushes, brush and stick, stick and stick and we're off to the races! No wonder the fans wanted more. They got it with The Cat's Reply. Another killler no less because of Pete's introductory patter describing the actions of his own cat (and just about every cat in the world!) which inspired the tune. 

A splendid conclusion to a most enjoyable evening.

Lance

2 comments :

Ron Hampton said...

Enjoyed it on Facebook.

Hilary Day said...

Very enjoyable.

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