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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, December 27, 2020

Art Pepper, Blue Wisp Big Band, Tabasco Pete Webb.

Anyone out there remember Tabasco Pete Webb? Pete ran the Art Pepper 
Society which may have been when he added the Tabasco moniker to his name. As an avid Art Pepper fan myself I joined and, during this period (1987/9) I was bold, or maybe foolhardy enough to give a talk on Art to the Gateshead Jazz Society. 

I duly reported back to Pete enclosing a transcript of my talk which he seemed to like and, in response, sent me a tape of the Blue Wisp Big Band which was based in Cincinnatti and is still going strong in that city although founder member/leader drummer John Von Ohlen has since passed on as I'm sure have many of the players on the tape.

I remembered Von Ohlen from seeing him driving the Herman Herd at Newcastle's City Hall.

The tape comprises two albums - Live at Carmelo's and Butterfly. Both stand up alongside any of the other big bands then and now. Precision section work and modern, for the time, soloists. Nica's Dream.

Pete Webb is no longer with us but I treasure my copies of "The Newspepper" that, along with Pete's accompanying letters, used to turn up regularly through my mailbox.

Lance

Jim Sherrick, Mike Andres (alto sax); Herb Aronoff, Joe Gaudio (tenor sax); Larry Dickson (bari sax); Don Johnson, Kevin Moore, Larry Wiseman, Al Kiger, Tim Hagans (trumpets); Bill Gemmer, Gary Langhorst, Paul Piller, Clarence Pawn (trombones); Steve Schmidt (piano); Lynn Seaton (bass); John Von Ohlen (drums).

PS: Getting back to Pete and the APS, Alan Barnes was playing at the Corner House and I mentioned that he'd been doing an Art Pepper tribute gig organised by Pete. I asked Alan if Pete had insisted that he, Alan, played numbers associated with Art?

"Oh yes" replied Alan, "I did everything Pete asked apart from wearing Art's underpants!"

PPS: I note, from my files that northeast members of the APS included Peter Bevan, Dave Brownlow and a D.Wilson from Hebburn. Mr Wilson must surely be the guy who buys DownBeat from my local newsagent. If this is you, please get in touch.

2 comments :

Dave Brownlow said...

I do remember my membership of The Art Pepper Society under Tabasco Pete. He had some wacky ideas as I recall - he wanted me to set up a franchise to sell Art's records here in the North.

He also wanted me to join him in setting up some sort of commune in Spain for all Art Pepper fans where Art's music would play all day and we would drink wine......he may mistakenly have thought I could contribute funds to the idea .....!

K Limbrick said...

Hi Lance, thank you for the great post. And thanks Dave for the comment. I am the grandson of "Tobasco" Pete Webb! :)

Your memories, including references to the Newspepper, wacky ideas and the dream of a Spanish commune led to knowing and bittersweet smiles from me and my Mum.

I Googled "Tobasco Pete" this evening after looking through and playing some of his (heavily annotated!) record collection which I am fortunate enough to have with me here in Copenhagen, Denmark (which in normal times has a strong jazz scene).

Sadly Pete passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack in January 1997. I was only 11, but I have precious and vivid memories of him listening to Art Pepper, as well as him telling me about his regular chats with Art's wife Laurie and joys of running the Art Pepper Society.

It really is a tragedy he left us just before the internet, email, message boards, video calls and YouTube/Spotify etc really took off - he would have been in his element!!

Thank you again for remembering Tobasco Pete and his love of jazz and the jazz community.

I'd be happy for you to reach out to me at kanelimbrick@gmail.com if you have any further memories / questions or if you ever find yourself in Copenhagen.

Best wishes,

Kane

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