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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17346 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 630 of them this year alone and, so far, 35 this month (Sept. 11).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.

Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.

Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.

Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Jude Murphy, Steve Chambers & Sid White @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Panharmonia @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Swing Manouche @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: John Hallam with the James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert!

Tue 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £13.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Indian Summer Afternoon Tea’.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Sunday, December 13, 2020

PERFECT FOR 10. Paul Edis/Vasilis Xenopoulos Quartet @ Hampstead Jazz Club – Dec. 12.

Paul Edis (piano); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax); Adam King (bass); Matt Home (drums).

Three for two and one for four – not a variant on Tea for Two, just the seating arrangements at HJC for this estimable gig featuring A LIVE AUDIENCE! Only ten of ‘em, admittedly, but they made lots of noise and visibly gave pleasure to the four musicians, Covid-starved of the reaction which is such a vital part of any live music. Wish I could have been there! Being a live-streamer was a bit like eavesdropping through the door of Newcastle’s Side Café back in the day, envying the small but select band of listeners who had managed to squeeze in! I could quote numerous comments posted live by the online audience as evidence of their enjoyment but this single, eloquent one will suffice: “Yeaaaaa!”

All but the bassist got to solo on the catchy opening number, the Edis original, Whiskers. Did Vas quote If I Were a Rich Man in his solo, or did I imagine it? Adam King, on bass, got his chance to introduce himself on the Dexter Gordon swinger, Hanky Panky, with the first of several fine solos during the all-too-short set.

A second Edis original, Snakes and Ladders – the title track of his latest album – brought a quieter, gentler mood with some vibrato sax and its “up and down” melodies (the composer’s words, not mine). I think it’s more up than down: more ladders than snakes, as it always strikes me as a distinctly happy tune. Cue for some lyrics, maybe? The next tune, Joao Gilberto’s El Pato (the Duck!) does have lyrics which I’d love to hear – especially the version with actual quacking involved! All Latin, exotic rhythms from Matt Home’s infectious drum intro to the perfectly timed snap ending. Great!

Vas, during lockdown(s), had to choose between practising or watching Netflix! But he scribbled the odd tune too – and one of them (if I heard it right) was For Heaven’s Sake. Nothing odd about this smoky, atmospheric ballad which took me straight back to the 50’s and moody black and white film scores. By way of contrast, Horace Silver’s Opus de Funk was the up-tempo final number (aka the “pre-encore”!) which Paul Edis promised us would be “a lot of fun”. It certainly was, despite the camera freezing in mid-tune! This glitch was the only one of the night and if you have watched many live-streams this weird year, you’ll know how technically difficult they can be, so congrats and much thanks to Matt (?) who did all the video and sound for HJC and allowed all us absent friends to join in the fun.

And then it was Just in Time (and, sadly, just out of time). Oh for a second set……!

Bebop readers, please note: at the time of writing (Sunday 11.30am) the live stream still works, so if you missed it, you know what to do!

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Jerry

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