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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 2023.

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...

Postage

16034 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1041 of them this year alone and, so far, 73 this month (Nov. 27).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 05: Customs House Big Band @ All Saints Church, Cleadon. 7:00pm. Concert in the church hall. BYOB.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Sid White. The best free show in town!

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 8:00pm. Free. Note later start time, concert performance (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay, Newcastle. 12 noon - 4:00pm. £26.00 (inc 3-course meal in in St Mary's Lighthouse Suite). SOLD OUT!
Thu 07: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 07: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.Donations. Feat. Mark Sanders. CANCELLED!
Thu 07: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00. Downstairs.
Thu 07: Tees Hot Club: Just Friends @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guest band night w. Richie Emmerson, Ian Bosworth, Dave Archbold, Ron Smith, Mark Hawkins. 9:00pm.

Fri 08: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 08: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle. 1:00pm. £7.00.
Fri 08: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Woodland Village Hall, Bishop Auckland. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Fri 08: Sleep Suppressor + Redwell @ Head of Steam, Neville St., Newcastle. 8:00pm. £10.00. (£8.00. adv); £5.00. student.
Fri 08: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert's Church, Shadforth, Co. Durham.
Fri 08: Têtes de Pois + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £8.00.

Sat 09: Prudhoe Community Band @ Central Station, Newcastle. 10:00am - 12 noon. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 09: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 1:00pm.
Sat 09: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 09: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Middleton & Todridge Village Hall, Morpeth. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sat 09: Paul Skerritt @ Slaley Hall, Hexham NE47 0BX. 7:30pm. From £42.00.

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoe Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Jambone, JB's Cats & the CAT Percussion Ensemble @ Sage Gateshead - Dec 18

Sage Gateshead's Young Musicians' Programme Winter Festival went ahead with strict measures in place. Proof of vaccination at the door, face coverings to be worn at all times, welcome to the never-ending weird year of 2021 and 2022 and...An audience comprising family, friends and supporters, this annual showcase for some of the very best talent in the region would take the form of three sets, each led by experienced tutors, in a wholly supportive environment.

Jambone, directed by Paul Edis and James Brady, featured a twelve piece ensemble (two or three chairs were occupied by experienced musicians there to augment the youthful sections) playing four compositions. Outgoing director Paul Ediswelcomed one and all to Sage Two, the band kicking off with Abdullah Ibrahim's Soweto. Fine playing all round. The tutors each contributed one composition: Edis' Of Mice and Men (its composer expressing his admiration for the young musicians' efforts in successfully negotiating the number's convoluted form). Brady's four-part suite Four Scenes on L'Homme Arme demanded concentrated minds, the composer's animated conducting guiding his young charges through each section. Mary Lou Williams' Roll 'Em closed Jambone's programme, swinging it as if it were circa 1939!     
Jambone: Paul Edis (MD, reeds); James Brady (MD, trumpet, percussion); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet); Joseph Meston (trumpet);James Goldberg (trumpet); Adam Johnston (reeds); George Ivanov (guitar); Izaac Wilson (piano); Jack ? (bass guitar); Nathan Hulme (drums)

Earlier, JB's Cats (that's James Birkett's group of talented early teenage years musicians) presented a guitar-centric set which, James Birkett informed the audience, being a guitarist himself, suited him just fine! Dr Birkett's one-time protégé Bradley Johnston assisted his one-time mentor in coaxing a marvellous performance from some of Sage Gateshead's stars of the future. 

Guitarist Joe Ducker's solo performance of Tommy Emmanuel's Gameshow Rag couldn't have been more impressive. Bradley Johnston sat alongside, next time you see BJ, ask him about Joe Ducker. In pre-Covid days trombonist Ben Haslam made a big impression. Perhaps fifteen at the time, now at the age of seventeen or so, Haslam is one seriously good musician (But Beautiful, solo, was, well, quite beautiful). What's more, the young man can play the piano! Sitting at Sage Gateshead's Steinway he proceeded to amaze a spellbound audience by knocking out a couple of tunes, including Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely? 

The Cats enjoyed playing a funked-up DoxyMinor Swing swung, and, to conclude an eye/ear-opening set, vocalist Ariah Robertson joined the band to sing a couple of songs including I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire. Make a note of the names, if they choose to make music their career, you'll be hearing more, much more from them.            
JB's Cats: James Birkett (MD, guitar, bass guitar); Bradley Johnston (guitar); Joe Ducker (guitar); Ben Haslam (trombone, piano); Jack Stead (drums); Ariah Robertson (vocals)

The Saturday evening concert began with a short, spirited set by Sage Gateshead's CAT Percussion Ensemble. Illness reduced the intended number of participants but this didn't deter inspirational MD, Roger Hempsall. In the time allocated to the ensemble, Hempsall ensured his charges gave it their all. Two pieces - Militaria and Latinska Melodia - reverberated around the hall, Hempsall setting the pace, rattling out ever-more complex drum patterns. It can be reported that all four young percussionists did themselves proud. 

Paul Edis has made an inestimable contribution to Sage Gateshead's education programme (numerous comments posted to Facebook suggest just that). It would have been fitting if, on the night, Sage Gateshead had, in some small way, acknowledged Paul's achievements. One thing is for certain, as Paul makes London his home, Tyneside and the wider region's musical landscape will be the poorer for it.  Russell             

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