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Bebop Spoken There

Raymond Chandler: “ I was walking the floor and listening to Khatchaturian working in a tractor factory. He called it a violin concerto. I called it a loose fan belt and the hell with it ". The Long Goodbye, Penguin 1959.

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

16350 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 230 of them this year alone and, so far, 27 this month (April 11).

From This Moment On ...

April

Fri 19: Cia Tomasso @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. ‘Cia Tomasso sings Billie Holiday’. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Radio Rooms, Berwick. 7:00pm (doors). £5.00.
Fri 19: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Levitation Orchestra + Nauta @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £11.00.
Fri 19: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. ‘Ella & Ellington’.

Sat 20: Record Store Day…at a store near you!
Sat 20: Bright Street Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. Swing dance taster session (6:30pm) followed by Bright Street Big Band (7:30pm). £12.00.
Sat 20: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Acoustic blues.
Sat 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ St Andrew’s Church, Monkseaton. 7:30pm. £10.00. (inc. a drink on arrival).

Sun 21: Jamie Toms Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Holy Grale, Durham. 5:00pm.
Sun 21: The Jazz Defenders @ Cluny 2. Doors 6:00pm. £15.00.
Sun 21: Edgar Rubenis @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues & ragtime guitar.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Art Themen with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. +bf. JNE. SOLD OUT!

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Vieux Carre Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30-3:30pm. £12.00. ‘St George’s Day Afternoon Tea’. Gig with ‘Lashings of Victoria Sponge Cake, along with sandwiches & scones’.
Tue 23: Jalen Ngonda @ Newcastle University Students’ Union. POSTPONED!

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Sinatra: Raw @ Darlington Hippodrome. 7:30pm. Richard Shelton.
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 24: Death Trap @ Theatre Royal, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Rambert Dance Co. Two pieces inc. Goat (inspired by the music of Nina Simone) with on-stage musicians.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jim Jams @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Jim Jams’ funk collective.
Thu 25: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 25: Death Trap @ Theatre Royal, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Rambert Dance Co. Two pieces inc. Goat (inspired by the music of Nina Simone) with on-stage musicians.
Thu 25: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Thu 25: Kate O’Neill, Alan Law & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 25: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Garry Hadfield (keys).

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

RIP Pete Stuart.

The obituaries are piling up and will be duly posted but, for those of us in the north east surely none is more sad than this one sent to me by drummer Ernie Jackson.

Very sad news. My dear old friend Peter Stuart passed away peacefully on the 22nd of July. He had been ill for a long time.

The funeral is on the 6th of August at Sunderland Crematorium at 9:30am. No flowers please by request. A great friend and a brilliant musician. RIP my old friend - Ernie Jackson.

Pete Stuart was, until ill-health took him off the scene, the number one bass player in the area and beyond. As part of the various bands at the Corner House, Newcastle, Pete was the lynchpin with Bill Harper, Malcolm Saul and the other bands that supported the various American stars imported by Jazz North East. Al Grey, Buddy Tate, Joe Newman, Sonny Stitt, Jimmy Witherspoon and a host of others all benefited from Pete Stuart's ability to fit in and enhance the gig.

He will be sadly missed. A great musician and an even greater gentleman. All musicians should play muted tonight.

RIP.
Lance

15 comments :

John Hudson (on F/b) said...

Had the honour of playing with Pete in Ray Chester's Big Band and in small groups......a driving force. Another giant has left us......RIP Pete Stuart.

Laurie Brown (on F/b) said...

Pete was also with us in the BBC Radio Newcastle Dance Band along with too many names who are no longer with us ! Probably the North Easts finest ! RIP

Anne DeVere Harper (on F/b) said...

Devastated by the news of Peter's death !! we had known of his tragic illness for a long time, having kept in touch with Dorothy & realised that this sad day would eventually arrive.

Steve Andrews said...

This is very sad news. Pete was bass-player Royalty! I had the great fortune to play several gigs with him over the years, and was always astonished at his facility, swing, and generosity towards my much inferior efforts. R.I.P. Pete.

shepherdlass said...

Such sad news. He was wonderful

Gillian Nelson (on F/b) said...

It was a pleasure to know you Pete, we had many happy gigs & trips together. RIP xx

Mia Webb (on F/b) said...

Oh no, so sorry to hear this news. I worked with Pete in various bands. He was a fabulous bass player. RIP Pete xx

Lewis Watson said...



Very sad news, had the pleasure of playing with Pete on many occasions, always loved his drive and energy, condolences to

his family

Lewis Watson

Jeremy McMurray said...

I was very sad to hear of Peter’s death this morning, a huge loss to the profession.

Pete was the very best of the best, a superb bass player and all round musician. I don’t know how he did it, (he told me he rarely practiced) but he seemed to know every tune in the book and if he didn’t, he soon did.

I worked with Pete on numerous occasions, the last few gigs we did together were at the Harrogate Brasserie with Dave Challice. We would often travel together and it wasn’t long before the conversation would centre around our joint passion for cars, particularly classic cars and his classic camper van!

Pete was the consummate professional, he made playing jazz all the more enjoyable and rewarding, but more importantly, he was a lovely guy with a wonderful sense of humour. He will be greatly missed. RIP Pete.

Alan Rudd said...

Very sad to hear about Pete Stuart passing. A great musician who was the North East's first call bass player until his health deteriorated. I used to often hear him playing with Tommy Moran's quartet or Roly Veitch's quartet back in the day, and was always inspired by his playing! RIP Pete

Roly said...

Such sad news. Pete was a wonderful bass player and it was a privilege to work with him at Blaydon and elsewhere over many years. As Jeremy says so nicely, he was a lovely, totally sincere person. Roly.

Tommy Moran said...

Absolutely saddened to hear the news that Pete has gone. Going back over the years I worked with Pete a lot, with my own quartet with Billy Harper, and with Malcolm Saul before that. We became very close friends. Very sorry for his lovely wife Dorothy and his family. We will miss him very much because he was the best bass player that came out of the North East. Lots of love and condolence to Dorothy and I will always remember Pete with great affection! RIP Pete

Rod Sinclair said...

Great musician and a real gentleman. I first heard him at the Corner House and was knocked out the power and musicality of his playing. When I first did a gig with him I was apprehensive because of his status but found him to be kind and encouraging.
A great loss to his family and the musical world.

Russell said...

Like Rod, I first heard Pete at the Corner House. What a great sound! Without exception the American touring musicians were fulsome in their praise of Pete's bass playing. I think most musicians would settle for one such accolade! And then there were the sessions at Blaydon Jazz Club - exactly the same, great bass playing. Pete would always nod and say hello. A nice man, he'll be missed.

Mark Robertson said...

I had the honour of playing with Peter for a glorious 4year stretch in Blaydon. At the end of my stretch I was a different player. Peter was always supportive. A part of my playing will always be "Pete" I doubt I will be alone in this. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. Love and condolence to his family. He will be missed. Mark Robertson.

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