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Bebop Spoken There

Raymond Chandler: “ I was walking the floor and listening to Khatchaturian working in a tractor factory. He called it a violin concerto. I called it a loose fan belt and the hell with it ". The Long Goodbye, Penguin 1959.

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

16350 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 230 of them this year alone and, so far, 27 this month (April 11).

From This Moment On ...

April

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer Café, Chillingham Road, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 18: Knats @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £8.00. + bf. Support act TBC.
Thu 18: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 18: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guest band night with Just Friends: Ian Bosworth (guitar); Donna Hewitt (sax); Dave Archbold (keys); Ron Smith (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums).

Fri 19: Cia Tomasso @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. ‘Cia Tomasso sings Billie Holiday’. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Radio Rooms, Berwick. 7:00pm (doors). £5.00.
Fri 19: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Levitation Orchestra + Nauta @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £11.00.
Fri 19: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. ‘Ella & Ellington’.

Sat 20: Record Store Day…at a store near you!
Sat 20: Bright Street Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. Swing dance taster session (6:30pm) followed by Bright Street Big Band (7:30pm). £12.00.
Sat 20: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Acoustic blues.
Sat 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ St Andrew’s Church, Monkseaton. 7:30pm. £10.00. (inc. a drink on arrival).

Sun 21: Jamie Toms Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Holy Grale, Durham. 5:00pm.
Sun 21: The Jazz Defenders @ Cluny 2. Doors 6:00pm. £15.00.
Sun 21: Edgar Rubenis @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues & ragtime guitar.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Art Themen with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. +bf. JNE. SOLD OUT!

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Vieux Carre Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30-3:30pm. £12.00. ‘St George’s Day Afternoon Tea’. Gig with ‘Lashings of Victoria Sponge Cake, along with sandwiches & scones’.
Tue 23: Jalen Ngonda @ Newcastle University Students’ Union. POSTPONED!

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Sinatra: Raw @ Darlington Hippodrome. 7:30pm. Richard Shelton.
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 24: Death Trap @ Theatre Royal, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Rambert Dance Co. Two pieces inc. Goat (inspired by the music of Nina Simone) with on-stage musicians.

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Lest we forget - as if!

I got to thinking the other day - or was it last year? - about some of the characters that have been part of the northeast jazz scene during the course of my lifetime. I've only picked out those who are no longer with us to avoid a libel action or getting filled in.

They weren't always the best or the worst on their instrument but they all had one thing in common - they were individuals. They were what jazz musicians were when jazz musicians were, shall we say, jazz musicians. Their sounds were as identifiable as their speech. They didn't learn to play the blues or blow bop or Dixieland at college but instead it was in the clubs and bars with like-minded wannabees. So, working on a one per instrument, here are my choices:

Teddy Langston: Trumpeter Teddy didn't mix much with the jazzers - he was a brass band man at heart - but when push came to shove he could hold his own as he proved on those Sunday mornings at The Bluebell in Felling. He could play Harry James better than Betty Grable. Once, after being stopped by the police on the way home from a gig he gave his occupation as "drain cleaner". This wasn't very flattering as I'd been on the gig with him that night!

Ronnie McLean: Ronnie was one of the few local trombonists who took the Teagarden/Dorsey route as opposed to his contemporaries who toed the Ory/Barber party line. His claim to fame was having played with Lennie Hastings and Diz Disley in a club in Dusseldorf. I worked alongside him in a music shop for many years and noted that he had few conversations with customers without the word Dusseldorf somehow entering the conversation.

John Saxelby: John had but one aim in life - to find the perfect clarinet mouthpiece. To achieve this goal he would buy mouthpieces like other players bought reeds! He was a big fan of the Dutch Swing College Band and when he discovered they were playing at a local venue he scraped up enough money to buy a ticket and, during the interval, he cornered the band's clarinet player, bought him a drink and asked the important question, "What make of mouthpiece do you use?"

The Dutchman shrugged, "I don't know - it came with the instrument!"

Nigel Stanger: Undoubtedly the number one alto player back then. He returned to the area after playing and recording in London with Alexis Korner and many other names that were rising to stardom by way of the emerging blues/rock scene. I remember the first words he said to me were: "Do you have a ciggie?" Me and everyone else I gather!

Charlie CarmichaelDifficult to be objective as Charlie was one of my best friends and favourite tenor players. However, he didn't suffer fools gladly and nor did they. He had little concern about chord changes but, somehow, it always sounded good. He was the only guy I heard blow bebop on clarinet. He worked as an electrician in the shipyards and, during his break, would spend the time blowing on a flute mouthpiece. Wonder he didn't get thrown over the side!


Clive Gray: Without doubt the number one banjo player. His idol was Eddie Peabody - google him - Clive used Clarion banjo strings, him and nobody else. I once asked him why and he replied saying that it was because they're the cheapest! They may have been the cheapest but Clive made them sound as good as the so-called best and most expensive!

Jacky Denton: Outwardly, drummer Jacky was as hard as they come and, if he didn't like what the guys out front were doing he could make their life hell! However, if he did like what was going on then they had it made!

These are just a few of them as was. I'm sure others will have their own memories to relate and perhaps a few others to add. I should also say that, for all their idiosyncrasies, they were all great, very talented guys.

Lance.

For more info on Bobby Carr (see Roly's comment.)

5 comments :

Gordon Solomon said...

Lance, we can't leave out Don Eddy. A superb drummer,who as you remember did stints with the Newcastle Big Band and the River City Jazzmen. I still giggle at the hilarious situations he got involved in when the NBB went to play in Pau in Southern France. Like the hot summer day when he climbed fully clothed into the municipal town fountain in Pau's main square to cool off. Unfortunately the fountain had a slippery base which sloped steeply down to the centre and Don slowly slid down to the middle and could'nt get back up again. we only got him out by borrowing some ladders from a passing builder. Priceless.

John Hallam (on F/b). said...

I once asked Jacky Denton if he could play a bit quieter. After the explosion, that's just what he did. A listening drummer who lifted every band he played with.

David Holman (on F/b) said...

I remember Ted Langston from when I worked in Wardley Legion.My dad said he was a brilliant trumpet player.

Roly Veitch said...

I've often reminisced about Bobby Carr. He was a great trumpet player and quite a character.
I once saw him at The Golden Lion, Winlaton Mill, having a sit in with Vieux Carre led at the time by Peter Gascoigne. (1970s) He played his party piece 'I Can't Get Started' a la Berrigan and got down on his knees to sing it. Quite a showman. I didn't know him personally and only saw him a few times but he was very highly regarded. Maybe your readers will have more information and stories about him.
Roly

Lance said...

Lots of stories about Bobby but we won't be printing them here...

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