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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

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.

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.

Friday, April 29, 2022

Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle - April 28

The upper room of the Bridge Hotel was packed with wall to wall bodies. Social distancing a thing of the past. The SSBB were back with a bang!

Gordon Goodwin's Hunting Wabbits featuring Summers on curved soprano and Parnaby on 'bone got things moving. It's an odd number with some unusual twists and turns not unlike some of those George Handy arrangements for the great Boyd Raeburn Orchestra and there's no greater compliment than that for Goodwin and, ultimately, SSBB.

Ms Grace stepped up to sing Something's Gotta Give and Willow Weep For me. Alice was in good voice.

Buddy Rich's take on Norwegian Wood followed with more fine 'boning. Emotionless Funk and a number from the band's album Harlem '58 brought pianist Don to the fore. This had a Basie kick to it, Robinson excelled on alto and CKS was the featured slideman.

Clap Yo' Hands exhorted Alice and we duly did often with added vocal approval from the bleachers! Then, at last, came the moment I'd been waiting for; a number from their heavily plugged (and. I'm told, deservedly so) latest album Strictly Smokin' Big Band Sings Ella. The title suggested that the band had formed a glee club to sing songs associated with Ella Fitzgerald. Fortunately, this wasn't totally true as the only band person to do any chanting was, of course, Alice who drew rapturous applause for I Said no. I would have liked more from the album but, as it contained a gaggle of orchestral strings, a French horn, an oboe, a harp and a conductor alongside the big band the audience would have had to sit on the railway track outside with potentially dangerous consequences (see photo).

Matt Forster's baritone was heard to advantage on My One and Only Love whilst North Shore Evening raised some debate between the more knowledgeable of us as to the time signature which, further investigation revealed, was a potpourri of 3/4, 4/4 and 7/8 - not your average meter - eat your heart out Jimmy Lally!

More 'Man of the Match' playing from Graham Don on Bob Mintzer's Mr Funk before Alice wrapped things up with All the Things You Are and Almost Like Being in Love.

A great night for lovers of big band music and there's more to come tonight!

Tonight, down in Shields South (as opposed to Shields North), another of Tyneside's big bands - the Customs House Big Band - are at the Customs House along with another fine singer, Ruth Lambert. Two great bands, two great singers = two great nights. Oh and further afield, down in deepest Darlington, as part of that metropolis' jazz festival there's the Durham Alumni Big Band and the Durham Music Service Big Band in concert at the Central Hall! 

And International Jazz Day is still a day away - Lance

Michael Lamb (MD), Pete Tanton, Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey (trumpets); Jamie Toms, Alan Marshall, Keith Robinson, Steve Summers, Matt Forster (reeds); Mark Ferris, Kieran Parnaby, Chris Kurgi-Smith, John Flood (trombones); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Graham Don (piano, keyboards); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals).

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