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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: John H Hammond.
Thu 09: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:35pm. Documentary (dir. Johan Grimonprez) ‘about jazz, (de)colonial history and activism featuring Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie’.
Thu 09: Happy Tuesdays @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 09: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session now monthly, next one Thursday 2nd Feb, then first Thursday in the month thereafter.

Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 11: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 11: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 12: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: King Bees @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.
Sun 12: Dave Bottomley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.
Sun 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 13: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 13: Raymond MacDonald & Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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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