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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Monday, March 08, 2021

Let's hear it for the girls!

International Women's Day (International Men's Day, in case the publicity passed you by, was back on Nov. 19) got me to thinking about some of the north east's jazz women past and present.

My emphasis is on women instrumentalists (although some do also sing) as, compared to their male counterparts, female jazz singers have never been so much in abundance - not that I'm complaining!

Kathy Stobart is perhaps the best known instrumentalist to emerge from the region. The late, South Shields born saxophonist began her musical life with Don Rico's Ladies' Swing Band before joining Peter Fielding's Band at Newcastle's Oxford Galleries. Her subsequent career centred around London where, as well as leading her own band, she played in the Vic Lewis Orchestra, formed a quintet with her then husband, trumpet player Bert Courtley and ended her career as a member of Humphrey Lyttleton's band.

I'm sure there were many others although most have either been forgotten or found refuge in the Ivy Benson Band.

Once such was Lynn Weems who, after a spell with Ivy Benson, returned to the area and played alto sax in the Newcastle Big Band as well taking up a music-teaching post with one of the local authorities.

A jump forward to the present with apologies to those I've overlooked.

Monarch of all she surveys, Emma Fisk (pictured) can hold her own with just about any swing violinist in the country and I'm not sure who the "just about" is! Her Hot Club du Nord was a natural follow on from her stint with Djangologie and is always a crowd-puller either live or online.

Another swing fiddler is former Northern Sinfonia violinist Kay Usher who enlivened many of the jam sessions at the Dun Cow in Jesmond. Which reminds me of another violinist; Elaine Binney who shook up some of the Jazz Café jams and gigged with her band, the Jazz Rascals. I spoke to her recently and I'm pleased to report that after several years of ill-health she's alive and kickin' on the country music scene. Among the various Strad (Strad(i)varius get it?) aspirants, Judith Thompson co-led The Hot House Dragons with Matt Office before disappearing off the radar.

Abbie Finn has developed from jam session sitter in to bandleader and local A-Lister. A player who can handle any gig anywhere and, as if that isn't enough, she's appeared on stage in the West End!

You name it, Jude Murphy does it! Sax, flute, bass guitar, sings and goodness knows what else. Jude's the one you say "Hey Jude" to when you're looking for someone for a gig.

Then there's Sue Ferris. Not many sax players of any gender will put themselves in the frame to swap choruses with Alan Barnes on baritone sax but Sue isn't just any sax player and she could, also, probably take most guys to the cleaners on flute!

Faye MacCalman, Karen Rann, Rachel Richman, Faye Thompson, Sarah Travena, Nicola Milne (Weaver), Fiona Finden and Caroline Bagley all blow sax as good as some men and maybe better than most.

There are so many more coming up, pianist Laurent Ainsborough whom we featured a couple of days back, Beth Roberts from Teesside, the various girls who are increasingly turning up in student big bands - the girls are on the march - look out guys, you better start practising or else you you'll be buying sweeping brushes instead of drum brushes!

Lance

PS: And how could I forget sax players Jill Brett and Elaine Francis of the Customs House Big Band?!

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