Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 2026

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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Durham Alumni Big Band & Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Theatre. 7:30pm. £12.00. Two big bands on stage together!
Fri 06: Nauta + Littlewood Trio @ Little Buildings, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Double bill + jam session.
Fri 06: FILM: Made in America @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Ornette Coleman.
Fri 06: Deep Six Blues @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

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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