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Bebop Spoken There

Dee Dee Bridgewater: “ Our world is becoming a very ugly place with guns running rampant in this country... and New Orleans is called the murder capital of the world right now ". Jazzwise, May 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

16408 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 288 of them this year alone and, so far, 85 this month (April 30).

From This Moment On ...

May

Sat 04: Jeff Barnhart’s Mr Men @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Jeff Barnhart @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. Barnstorming solo piano!
Sat 04: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free (donations).
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 05: Sue Ferris Quintet plays Horace Silver @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm.
Sun 05: Guido Spannocchi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 06: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Calvert & the Old Fools @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 5:30-7:00pm. Free. Live recording session, all welcome.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 07: Suba Trio @ Riverside, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm last entry). £21.00. All standing gig.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 08: Conor Emery: Jazz Trombone, Stage 3 Final Recital @ Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 7:00pm. All welcome, the venue is located in the lane behind Blackwell’s, Percy St., Haymarket.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 09: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 09: Lewis Watson Quartet + Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble @ Laurel’s Theatre, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 09: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Dave Archbold (keys); Ron Smith (bass).

Fri 10: Michael Woods @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free. Country blues guitar & vocals. SOLD OUT!
Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Citrus @ The Head of Steam, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £11.25.
Fri 10: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ St Cuthbert’s, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Matt MacKellar Band livestreaming from The Black Swan, Newcastle - April 27

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
Matt MacKellar (drums); Andy Champion (bass guitar); Ben Lawrence (keys) + Evie Hill (vocals).

A few tech. probs. at BSH HQ meant I didn't make my entrance to the Black Swan's virtual Press Box until 10 minutes after the advertised start time. Fortunately, the band were still on the opener - Continuum - a somewhat introspective piece by Jaco Pastorius that set the mood for the evening. This wasn't going to be a putting the boot in set as much as a time for displaying the more melodic side of the contemporary scene.

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
Surprisingly, although Matt was far from being a shrinking violet, there weren't any extended drum solos. Instead, he opted for making his presence one of awareness rather than overpowering, a virtue that many drummers don't possess in abundance.

Ben Lawrence, as we've come to expect over the years, treated the material with respect. His delicate touch enhancing numbers that could have been lessened by a more flamboyant player.

As befitted his physical stature, Andy Champion was a tower of strength holding it all together both solowise and with his prominent, underlying, riffs.

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
Evie only got to sing a couple of vocals and she didn't go for any soft options - no Summertime or Cry me a River  with Evie! Instead we heard Disenchanted and Sweet Love. Neither of them easy songs to sing and she coped well. Look forward to catching her again. 


Matt dedicated a couple of songs to his dad - George would have been proud... 

Lance

Continuum (Jaco Pastorius)Roy Allan (Roy Hargrove)Disenchantment: The Weight (Nate Smith)Someday We'll All be Free (Donny Hathaway & Edward Howard)The Yellowjacket (Shaun Martin)Lost Painting (Ben Lawrence)Interlude (?) (H E R B)Sweet Love (Anita Baker)J-Dillalude (J Dilla)Overjoyed (Stevie Wonder).

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