Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17328 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 612 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (Sept. 5).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Giles Strong Quartet @ BAA Fest, Brownrigg Lodges, Bellingham. 2:40pm.
Sun 08: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 08: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: ???

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:30pm. £4.00. ‘A Great Day in Harlem’.
Thu 12: The Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Pete Tanton & co.
Thu 12: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Donna Hewitt, Bill Watson, Dave Archbold, Adrian Beadnell, Mark Hawkins.

Fri 13: Jeff Barnhart & Neville Dickie @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Two pianos, two pianists! SOLD OUT!
Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ The Old Library, 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: Dilutey Juice @ Old Coal Yard, Byker, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.00. adv..
Fri 13: Ray Stubbs R & B All-stars @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. Classic blues.

Sat 14: Jeff Barnhart’s Silent Film Fest @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 14: Customs House Big Band w. Ruth Lambert @ St Paul’s Centre, St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor DL16 7LR. 7:00pm (6:45pm doors). Tickets £10.00. from the venue or tel: 01388 813404. A ‘BYOB’ event.
Sat 14: Emma Wilson @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00. Acoustic blues.
Sat 14: Rat Pack - Swingin’ at the Sands @ Billingham Forum. 7:30pm.

Monday, December 20, 2021

R.I.P. Phil Kelly - Death of a stalwart

We are devastated to have lost an absolute stalwart of Take it to the Bridge. For many years, Phil Kelly was a regular audience member who often sat on the door (with good friend Norman Redhead) as the smiling guardian of our £1 subs and raffle tickets. 

Apparently on a night out with friends, he had a fall. He went home and was found dead by neighbours next day. It’s unclear at present whether an injury from the accident proved fatal or something underlying had caused him to fall in the first place. Presumably we will hear more in the next few days. 

 

This was a man whose knowledge of and passion for jazz was second to none.  He paid almost annual visits to the jazz clubs in New York and always came back with T shirts, baseball caps, CDs, Village Voices and fascinating stories of artists who we needed to check out. If there was a jazz gig anywhere in the region, chances are you’d see Phil there. 

 

Phil’s literary awareness and fury at political idiocy was matched only by his genius for telling the worst imaginable jokes.  In the past couple of years he’d dipped his toe in the waters of singing (very ably) with the jam regulars and had even bought a trumpet – he was a keen student. He was also a highly talented artist as you can see from the portrait of Freddie Hubbard which he gave to Dave some years ago.

 

Take it to the Bridge regular Roy Stephenson remembers, “Phil was always there when I first started coming along to TITTB at the Chilly.  Always a kind word and a bad joke :-).

I remember Phil suggesting we visit a club, Swing 46, in NYC when Daphne took me there for my 70th.  A wonderful club off Times Square -  full of wonderful people and music - a recommendation I’ll always remember and in doing so always remember Phil.”

 

RIP brother. We’ll miss you very much. Jude

5 comments :

Russell said...

Such sad news. Whenever I went along to Take it to the Bridge, Phil would be there on the door with a ready smile. On one occasion, he greeted me wearing a Louis Armstrong House Museum t-shirt. Phil had just returned from one of his frequent visits to New York. He handed me a copy of Hot House (NYC's jazz 'what's on' magazine) knowing I'd appreciate it. I last saw Phil little more than two weeks ago. As I walked into the Hotspur pub on Percy Street in Newcastle he walked over, smiling, to say 'hello'. Phil will be sorely missed.

Norman Redhead said...

What can I add other than say he will be sadly missed and I am the proud owner of one of Phils magnificent pencil sketches of drummer Roy Haynes which he did as a thank you for taking him home after the weekly jam sessions
A great guy
Farewell Phil
Norman Redhead

Dave said...

This is a lovely eulogy for my wonderful and much-missed friend Phil. I'm so happy to say that I visited NYC with Phil in 2002. All the above is spot on. I'll come along and see you at the jazz sometime; I did have the great pleasure of meeting Dave and some of you once (with Phil) when I saw you in Heaton!

Beautiful tribute, love to you all.

Dave Reed

Unknown said...

I met Phil at school with Dave Reed. He was a very dear and close friend for many many years. He could make you laugh until you cried but also could say subtle things that made you think then laugh after a few seconds. Things he said and did have stayed with me and I still say them nearly every day, if not indeed every day. He’s made a huge impression on my life. Goodbye dear friend.
Dave Hardy

Margaret said...

I sat with the guy a few times at the Jazz club(the Globe) seamed a really nice guy,his jokes were awful,I loved them!.R.I.P.
Yours G.

Blog Archive