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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 2025).

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Monday, November 15, 2021

BSH FIVE MILLION NOT OUT!

Once upon a time, in the pre-pandemic era, photographs of jazz musicians in action were posted to the internet. One of the men responsible for this innocuous act could never have imagined what it would lead to. Sharing his enthusiasm for jazz, not least bebop, generated much interest out there in cyberspace.  

It all began in 2008 and in no time our man found himself inundated with comments, contributions by way of album and concert reviews, and an ever-expanding gig list which became an indispensable feature of what we now know as Bebop Spoken Here. A little over a decade later (October 2018), our man found himself in the Holborn Pizza Express rubbing shoulders with some of the British jazz scene's most famous names. He was there to attend the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group's annual awards ceremony. An APPJAG award is a coveted prize and as the winners across various categories went up onto the stage to accept their awards it came to the Jazz Media award. And the winner is...Lance Liddle for Bebop Spoken Here! 

Lance wound his way to the stage to utter a few words. Being all but speechless wasn't ideal, but the warm applause spoke volumes. Returning to his seat, Steve Crocker kindly took a commemorative photo of Lance with his certificate, which, we understand, was subsequently framed and takes pride of place on a wall at BSH HQ. 

Not one to rest on his laurels, Lance has continued to post all manner of things covering the Tyneside jazz scene and, increasingly, from further afield...London, Hong Kong, Europe and the USA. The FIVE MILLIONTH hit is anticipated to be reached in the early hours of today, Monday Nov. 15* and there is little indication Lance will be slowing down any time soon. Here's to the ten million!  Russell  

*(Lance) Look out for the fireworks and the sound of champagne corks popping all over the world - well maybe not all over the world - China has yet to log on to BSH.

7 comments :

Anonymous said...


Congratulations, Lance.
More hits than the Beatles, Madonna, Sinatra, Ed Sheeran, Adele and all the other pop stars combined.

An amazing number of hits and even more amazing achievement!

JC

Roly said...

Congratulations Lance. I see the 5 mill is now reached. I remember you starting this off, handing out fliers etc. and now look where it is. Amazing. Best wishes and thank you to you and your team for all you do.

Ken_D said...

Congratulations Lance - what an amazing achievement !!! 5 Million .... and still counting !!

Elaine Harrison said...

Wow Congratulations 🎉 Lance!
X

Ann Alex said...

I feel good to be a tiny part of this 5 million. Congratulations to Lance, Must go now, I have 2 reviews to do, so it goes joyfully on .....

Rob Adams said...

Well done, Lance, and thank you for all the posts you've accepted from north of the border.

Tommy Smith said...

Again, as all the folks above have written, many congratulations, and here's to the next 5 million. Best wishes, Tommy Smith

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