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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 ...

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

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.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Pope @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton - Sept. 24

(However, after the session in Holy Cross Church,  the day’s musical festivities were not over, but continued nearby in Ye Olde Cross pub, with the Newcastle Improvisers Orchestra - editor)

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The theory behind this grouping, the Newcastle Improvisers Orchestra, at least in its original conception as it was once explained to me, is that anyone can do it – we all have improvisational musical potential. I agree to an extent, but it has to be said that, in practice, this sort of session does tend to attract the more technically capable participant.

That applies in spades to the facilitator, bassist John Pope, a North-Easterner, but with a much wider reputation. Pope is a versatile musician, with a particular penchant for improv. Over the last decade or so, I’ve seen him with outfits as diverse as Wilbur’s Fate, ALT, Archipelago, singer Lindsay Hannon’s band, a trio with reed player Chris Biscoe and another with Dutch trombonist Walter Wierbos. His own quintet has been known to range in repertoire from Ornette Coleman to Tom Waits.

 

There was lots of bass in evidence this afternoon – Pope’s double bass plus two bass guitars. The overall instrumentation also took in trumpet/ flugelhorn, keyboards, electronics, alto sax, vocals and percussion. Musically, it was consistently interesting (and way out of my playing league, although I did use my pen to tap a bit on my notebook).

 

As if to emphasise the point, part-way in, Paul Taylor showed up and contributed the standard of piano playing you would expect from somebody very good indeed. A Pope bass undertow with a Taylor lead piano was later one of the highlights of an excellent final session.

 

Having said all that, this sort of occasion certainly has its messages for the mere bystander. In particular, the insights into the improviser’s art, provided by Pope’s tutorial moments (and the feedback he got from the other musicians) were fascinating. When and how to listen, when to assert yourself and when not to, when to lead and when to follow and when to do neither. Lessons for life as well as music. Geoff Fimister

2 comments :

Andy Wood said...

As a workshop observer I was enthralled - the level of musicianship was varied and the interaction was a joy to witness. Credit to John Pope who led the session.

James Watts said...

Loads of interesting and useful stuff was taken away from this one

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