Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

David Hadju: "It was kind of a lightning bolt [seeing a photo of a hi-fi store that's now occupied by a phone store]. Everyone had hi-fi systems, now everyone has a phone" - (DownBeat May 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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Sun 28: Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia @ Whitley Bay Carnival. Free. Plaza Arena stage. 12 noon.
Sun 28: MSK @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 12:15pm. Free. Marquee stage. MSK - Steve Glendinning, Katy Trigger, Martin Douglas.
Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 1:30pm. Free. Marquee stage.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary's Church, Wooler NE71 6BZ. 3:00pm. £15.00 standard; £5.00 student/unwaged; free under 18. Afternoon Cocktail, a Wooler Summer Arts' concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 3:00pm. Free. Plaza Arena stage.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 28: King Bees @ The Delaval Arms, Old Hartley NE26 4RL. 5:00pm. Free. Chicago blues at its best!
Sun 28: Matt Anderson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Anderson (saxophones); Jamil Sheriff (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums).

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 30: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 30: Big Chris Barber Band @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Scarborough Jazz Festival Day One - Sept. 24

(Steve T w. Hans Koller)

A destination for many childhood holidays and adult short-stays, Scarborough is always like coming home and is one of my favourite festivals. Beyond the Spa it’s a town in trouble, but we know a thing about that in the north east too.

It was at Scarborough that I first heard Rob Luft and enquired as to who is this phenomenal guitarist. He was already a master virtuoso but also  a  very rounded musician with intelligent use of pedals and exemplary comping. As the senior co-leader, saxophonist Dave O’Higgins was cool and in full control, taking on one of the greatest musicians ever.


Like Sonny – written by Trane about another of the greatest musicians ever – and Straight Street were followed by a beautiful, extended prog-rock style guitar intro to Naima; more Steve Howe of Yes than the darker tones of Robert Fripp from King Crimson.

 

I’ve seen the mighty Ross Stanley many times, including twice with Steve Howe’s Jazz Trio, and recently described him as a force of nature. O’Higgins claimed this afternoon set was his third of the day and introduced him as an ‘unstoppable terminator’ and audience response would suggest they agreed.

 

Four in One was followed by a brave interpretation of an already demanding Giant Steps and had no need of their apology in advance in case they messed it up.

 

O’Higgins played a short intro to Monk’s 'Round Midnight, a ballad that’s now generally considered – except by Monk aficionados -  as having best been interpreted by Miles Davis (a bit like Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower). Minor Mishap followed - a piece by Trane (written by Tommy Flanagan) - before Epistrophy closed the set, which threw me because I thought it had opened the set. This is typical of my experience with Monk; I will likely keep playing him forever, but I’m often more fascinated by him than particularly enjoying the experience in any usual sense of the word.  A Monk piece is a Monk piece.

 

Four world class musicians playing two of the all time greats. A fantastic start.

 

I‘d neglected to remind my long-suffering, north west born (far) better half that on this side of the country, if you face out to sea, north is left, so we ended up in an Airbnb with a much longer walk, that cut into our schedule and my feet.

 

We made it back for the Julian Joseph Trio, one of those treats that make festivals so special. I’ve been a self-confessed piano trio philistine for almost forty years so I hadn’t researched the artist, I didn’t need to know what it was he was playing, had no intention of buying an album, and was just happy to explore, miss a bit, check out the CDs, but still thoroughly enjoy the music and their playing.   

 

Hans Koller’s magnificent thirteen piece orchestra paying tribute to Bird closed the first day and was a revelation. A charismatic, amiable and witty German pianist and bandleader, his enthusiasm proved infectious throughout the band and the room, as he prowled around the stage, sometimes sitting side-saddle at his piano and occasionally hiding behind the curtains to conceal his excitement.

Billie’s Bounce was followed by Hot House, which I’d always thought was written by Dizzy but was apparently Tadd Dameron. The familiar melody took it’s time seeping through. OFF THE SCALE. Compere Alan Barnes had introduced the set saying the existence of Charlie Parker records in the world was a ‘reason to be cheerful’. BSH Editor is also a devotee and I felt his pain at not being there.

 

Milestones was followed by Word of Bird, a tribute by Ornette Coleman from his album Song X and Koller managed to get some Bird in there with Ornette. He succumbed to do Parker’s Mood despite his reservation that it’s perfect and should be left in peace. Passport was a rhythm changes where he imagined ‘Lee Konitz talking to Charlie Parker’.

 

I think Quasimodo was the last piece and I think this may have been one of the best things I’ve ever seen.

 

My feet were hurting, and I turned 60 during the walk back to our digs, but the anticipation of day two was palpable. Steve T      

No comments :

Blog Archive