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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 2023).

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!"

Postage

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Friday, April 30, 2021

Ten Irish Jazz Musicians from the 1960s and '70s: No. 2 - Tony Drennan

The piano player with the Butler Fox band (see No. 1) was a delightful and very gentle man named Tony Drennan. He was totally dedicated to jazz, and piano in particular, sometimes to the detriment of the more practical things in life it must be said. While his favourite piano player was Teddy Wilson, he was an excellent exponent of both boogie woogie and stride piano and was a big fan of Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and Fats Waller. At any Butler Fox band session he would always be given the opportunity to play a couple of boogie solos, Honky Tonk Train Blues being one of my favourites.

During his career Tony Drennan played many regular gigs and concerts in Dublin and throughout Ireland and was often called upon to support visiting artists from the UK and US. Along with other Irish jazz musicians he played with Bud Freeman on a now very rare album recorded in 1976 Bud Freeman - The Man; Live in Dublin.

His love for music was passed on to his children and one son, Myles, is now one of Irelands most acclaimed jazz piano players (and he also plays drums to a high standard) and another, Anto Drennan, is a much sought after guitarist who has played with Genesis, Mike + the Mechanics, Clannad, Moving Hearts, the Corrs and many other groups.

Inspired by his playing and the fact that a good friend of mine was taking piano lessons from him, I signed up as well. However the difference was that my friend had quite a lot of musical ability whereas I had…….After a few sessions, Tony Drennan realised my lack of potential and rather than try and teach me to play he decided to try and educate me about jazz piano - a sensible decision.

Therefore lessons consisted of us listening to his record collection and then him demonstrating what the pianists were doing on his piano. It was at one of these lessons I first heard Art Tatum on record and was completely stunned by his playing. Tony didnt try to replicate his playing on the piano so it was not until I came to Newcastle that, much to my surprise and delight, I heard a local pianist play a sensational version of Art Tatums Tea for Two live. My equivalent of that madeleine cake moment in Proust.

JC

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