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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Monday, November 08, 2021

The Stuart Fowler Quintet: Freddie Hubbard's Open Sesame + jam session @ Central Bar, Gateshead - Nov. 8

Stuart Fowler (trumpet, piano); Jamie Toms (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (bass); John Bradford (drums) + Harry Keeble (tenor sax).

The second of the Central Bar's monthly sessions continued with the Blue Note theme which was fine by me - it's my era!

Tonight's opening set concentrated on Freddie Hubbard's debut album for the label - Open Sesame.

The room was crowded and when Fowler hit the opening notes of One Mint Julep I knew this was going to be as close as we were gonna get this side of Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey 60 years ago.

They did the album justice.

(Pics by Pam)
Fowler has "a tone" not the strangulated apology of so many modern trumpet players but a sound that resonates from mouthpiece to bell - Fats Navarro and Clifford Brown had it - Miles didn't.

Jamie Toms slotted nicely into the Tina Brooks role. Brooks is surely one of the most underrated of tenor players - known only to the cognoscenti.

McCoy Tyner could never said to be underrated but his understudy tonight certainly is.

Alan Law may not have many, if any, CDs to his name but he certainly should. Tonight he was on fire.

Shoulder and Bradford seem to have been on every other gig you've ever been to and, tonight they proved their worth.

So far so good, now bring on the jammers - that meanlooking bunch of saxslingers out to kick ass. Jam sessions are, in theory, the equivalent of jousting contests, battle royals, bare knuckle brawls where the combatants go toe to toe and slug it out.

Apart from Keeble, who could kick ass at Birdland there were no takers - maybe he scared them off!

Nevertheless if the fireworks weren't there it was still interesting when Fowler proved he was no one-trick-pony by playing piano on Take the A Train.

By this time the audience had begun to dwindle and the final number was called. It should have been a showstopper: Dexter v Wardell, Harry v Jamie - the stuff that jams are made of. It didn't quite happen that way. Nevertheless, despite my misgivings it was still a great session and I can't wait for the next one and to discover which gem Stuart has mined from the Blue Note catalogue.

Blue Note, real ale - Shangri-la! Lance

One Mint Julep; Open Sesame; But Beautiful; All or Nothing at All; Gypsy Blues; Hub's Nub.

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