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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Josh Weir: I love the writing on bebop spoken here... I think the work you are doing is amazing.

Postage

17602 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 876 of them this year alone and, so far, 21 this month (Dec. 11).

From This Moment On ...

December

Fri 13: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Bellavana @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Customs House Big Band @ Stocksfield Community Association. 7:00pm. Featuring Ruth Lambert.
Fri 13: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 13: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £19.00. + bf. First night of two.
Fri 13: Fiona's Jazz Express @ Flash House Brewing Co., Northumberland St., North Shields NE30 1DS. 8:00pm. Free. Featuring: Fiona Finden (tenor sax); Stu Finden (flugelhorn); Lara Hopper (trumpet); Keith Barrett (guitar); Andrew Porritt (double bass); Neil Hopper (drums).
Fri 13: Ransom Van @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 13: Boys of Brass @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 9:00pm. £10.00.

Sat 14: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:15pm. Free but ticketed.
Sat 14: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm.
Sat 14: Red Kites Jazz @ Staiths Café, Autumn Dr., Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14 Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors 7:30pm). £19.00. + bf. Second night of two.
Sat 14: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 15: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 12 noon. £8.50. Xmas party feat. Musicians Unlimited + Customs House Big Band. SOLD OUT!
Sun 15: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 2:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Mitch Laddie Band @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb blues power trio.
Sun 15: Leeway @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Sun 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 12 noon. £9.95. ‘Festive Turkey Dinner’. Book now: 0191 266 8137.
Mon 16: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Tue 17: Paul Edis & Friends: A Jazzy Xmas @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Tue 17: BBC Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘A Swinging Xmas’.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 17: Bellavana @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 7:45-9:35pm. Free.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 18: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 12 noon. £27.00. (inc. three -course meal).
Thu 19: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Christmas comes, but once a year: seasonal tracks & annual quiz’.
Thu 19: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Josh Bentham (sax); Dan Johnson (sax); Graham Thompson (keys); Adrian Beadnell (bass).

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 22, 2021

Grand Ole Opry @ The Globe: Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia - Nov. 21

Bradley Creswick, Kyra Humphreys (fiddles); Pat Rafferty (accordion, lap steel guitar, vocals); Brian Hume (guitar, vocals); Irene Hume (vocals, shakers); Dave Harris (guitar); Archie Brown (snare drum, guitar, vocals); Ian Thompson (bass).

Question: What do the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Young Bucks, Prelude, Lindisfarne and Emma Fisk's Hot Club du Nord have in common?

Answer: They all have members, past and present, represented in tonight's band.*

This was a new departure for the Globe's Sunday night sessions. Buddy Rich may have been turning in his grave after the recurrence of his much publicised allergy but none of the living were complaining - certainly not those who'd been sardined into the room - it would have required a shoehorn to get any more in!

Western Swing - the name goes close to defining it - can be described as jazz meets country meets blues. It crosses the border to Mexico bringing in polkas played to a Latin beat and tonight we had all of that - in other words, Americana.

The fiddles were on fire particularly on the Mexican polka where presto was but the starting point. On Take me Back to Tulsa they hit double prestissimo which is even faster than a government u-turn. Kyra really went to town on Maiden's Prayer.

The Humes sang most of the vocals which were, in general and speaking in the vernacular, hurtin' songs. Irene impressed in her solos and in her choice of harmony to hubby Brian's vocals.

Rafferty played accordion, lap steel and sang, as well as providing vital info about the repertoire much of which was based around such legends of the genre as Bob Wills and Spade Cooley.

Archie Brown was unobtrusive on snare drum and brushes although he did grab a piece of the action with a vocal on The Honky Tonk Side of Town.

Dave Harris's solos were the jazziest but they slotted in perfectly proving that the two genres aren't that far apart.

A most enjoyable, albeit different, Sunday Night @ the Globe - Lance

Rose of San Antone; Break Up, Break Down; Corrina, Corrina; A Mexican Polka (?); Tennessee Border; Careless Love; The Honky Tonk Side of Town; Horsehair Boogie; Miss Molly; Carmen's Boogie; A Faded Love; Blues Stay Away From Me; Steel Guitar Boogie; Eat at Joe's; Callin' it a Day Tonight; Maiden's Prayer; Three Way Boogie; Take me Back to Tulsa; Route 66; Black Mountain Rag.  

*Creswick and Humphreys are, respectively, past and present leaders of the RNS. Rafferty and Brown, original members of the Young Bucks, are currently with the New Young Bucks.
Husband and Wife, Brian and Irene Hume, had chart success both here and in the US as part of harmony group Prelude.
Dave Harris is highly regarded on the gypsy jazz scene.
Ian Thompson was depping but his credentials as part of Lindisfarne are beyond question!

2 comments :

NeilC said...

What a great gig I came to the party later after tickets had sold out so had to console myself with a livestream pass but it didn't really detract from the sheer enjoyment . I have no idea how many people were in the audience nor can I understand why their enjoyment seemed rather muted. The band deserved more vocal support from the audience rather than what seemed polite applause .

Anonymous said...

I was disappointed. The sound balance on the live stream was poor - fiddles way too loud, lap steel too quiet, as was the electric guitar. They were all better on the Spade Cooley tunes as his numbers always had a slightly more polished sound compared with Bob Wills. It's was always clear that fiddlers were classical players though - too much technique (not to suggest that Wills or Cooley lacked technique). The vocals really needed someone who was much more of a crooner - have a listen to Tommy Duncan singing on San Antonio Rose or Take Me Back To Tulsa and you'll hear it. Rout 66 was their best number I thought - they certainly were better in the second half.

The most interesting thing about Spade Colley didn't get told - for some reason we was let out of prison to play a gig and at the end of it he drop dead back stage.

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