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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 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!"

Postage

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

June

Sat 03: Newcastle Record Fair @ Northumbria University, Newcastle NE8 8SB. 10:00am-3:00pm. Admission: £2.00.
Sat 03: Pedigree Jazz Band @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Sue Ferris. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Papa G's Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 04: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 04: Central Bar Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. £5.00. The Central Bar Quintet plays Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus. Featuring Lewis Watson.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 04: Struggle Buggy + Michael Littlefield @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues.
Sun 04: Swinging at the Cotton Club: Harry Strutters' Hot Rhythm Orchestra @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Sun 04: Richard Jones Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 04: Jam No. 18 @ Fabio's Bar, Saddler Street, Durham. 8:00pm. Free. All welcome. A Durham University Jazz Society event.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

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.

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