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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.

Monday, June 07, 2021

Sunday Night @ The Globe: Ali Affleck & Friends - June 6

(Photos by Russell
Collage by Lance)
Ali Affleck (vocals); Colin Steele (trumpet); Roy Percy (bass); Bradley Johnston (guitar).

House of the Black Gardenia on Saturday and Ali Affleck and Friends on Sunday! What a feast for those who like their jazz to be from an earlier era.

Affleck, a vivacious American, based in Scotland but with both French and Australian ancestry (legendary operatic diva Dame Nellie Melba is Ali's great great aunt!) is truly at home in her chosen idiom - twenties/thirties jazz and blues.

Not just a singer, this most personable lady is also an entertainer who knows how to work a room by introducing each number with a story or an anecdote that nicely links the songs together.

The repertoire covered gems from Annette Hanshaw, Ethel Waters, Ma Rainey, Mildred Bailey, Maxine Sullivan and several others.

Singer, entertainer you can add historian too!

Needless to say, her Friends were the kind of friends a gal/guy needs on a gig and they proved their worth.

On trumpet, Colin Steele was last heard in these parts playing the role of Chet Baker in that iconic stage production - A Funny Valentine. I saw the show three times in different locations and thought I'd typecast Colin... As usual, I was wrong tonight he was Red Allen or maybe some other pre-bop firebrand. Whatever, on open horn he wailed, on plunger he growled. Talk about a man for all seasons! Apart from Chet and Red I bet he does a mean Miles too!

In the absence of a drummer the impetus was on bassman Roy Percy to hold it all together which he did to perfection and his incredible double-time slap-bass solos were guaranteed crowd pleasers.

And then there was local boy Bradley Johnston who, like Steele, can float stylistically. Metheny, Eddie Lang, Django, he's got their measure. Ali exclaimed, "I want to take him home with me!" 

Did they have a pre-gig rehearsal? Maybe but, given the time factor it must have been minimal and yet they gelled as if they'd been playing together since time began.

Quite a night! You've got to hand it to The Jazz Co-op and The Globe these Sunday night sessions just go from strength to strength. Lance

When You're Smiling (trio); Loveless Love; I Get the Blues when it Rains; Diga Diga Do;Someday Sweetheart; St. Louis Blues; Ain't Misbehavin'; Poor Papa; Ain't no Man Worth the Salt of my Tears; Exactly Like You; Please Don't Talk About me When I'm Gone/Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue; Handyman Blues; I Cried For You; I'll Fly Away + a couple of numbers that Ali sang in French.

1 comment :

Patti said...

I just checked with Ali - the two French numbers were both made famous by Django. Coucou was recorded by the Quintette du Hot Club with Josette Dayde. Menilmontant was written by Charles Trenet in the late 1930's - again, Django recorded it many times.

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