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Bebop Spoken There

David Hadju: "It was kind of a lightning bolt [seeing a photo of a hi-fi store that's now occupied by a phone store]. Everyone had hi-fi systems, now everyone has a phone" - (DownBeat May 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

15478 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 499 of them this year alone and, so far, 120 this month (May 27).

From This Moment On ...

May 2023

Sun 28: Bradley Creswick's Western Swingfonia @ Whitley Bay Carnival. Free. Plaza Arena stage. 12 noon.
Sun 28: MSK @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 12:15pm. Free. Marquee stage. MSK - Steve Glendinning, Katy Trigger, Martin Douglas.
Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ The Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 1:30pm. Free. Marquee stage.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary's Church, Wooler NE71 6BZ. 3:00pm. £15.00 standard; £5.00 student/unwaged; free under 18. Afternoon Cocktail, a Wooler Summer Arts' concert promotion. Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Back Chat Brass @ Whitley Bay Carnival. 3:00pm. Free. Plaza Arena stage.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 28: King Bees @ The Delaval Arms, Old Hartley NE26 4RL. 5:00pm. Free. Chicago blues at its best!
Sun 28: Matt Anderson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Anderson (saxophones); Jamil Sheriff (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums).

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 30: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 30: Big Chris Barber Band @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm.

Wed 31: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 31: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 31: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 31: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

June
Thu 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Donations.
Thu 01: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 01: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 02: Claire Martin & Her Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00. Feat. Jim Mullen, Alex Garnett & Jeremy Brown.
Fri 02: Guy Davis + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. Doors 7:30pm. Blues double bill.
Fri 02: Anders Ingram @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. Country blues. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

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.

Saturday, April 16, 2022

Ukraine Fundraiser @ St James' and St Basil's Church - April 16

It's not often that I go to church on a  Saturday and, to be honest, I haven't shown my face much on Sundays either - we each have our own way... This Saturday, however, was rather special. We weren't thinking of the troops of Midian prowling around but those of Adolph (intentional) Putin's troops decimating a country.

With all this in mind I felt that it was important that we stood up and applauded the artists who gave their services free to appear as well as the jazz fraternity - some of whom showed their faces - and, hopefully, dug deep.

Zoë Gilby and Andy Champion got the ball rolling. This was particularly special for the duo as they'd played festivals in Ukraine and bonded with many of the folks they'd met. In the past I've bemoaned the acoustics of the church but, whether or not by divine intervention, they seemed to enhance all of the afternoon's performances. Loved our girl's take on Nice Work if You Can Get it with her semi-rap ending. Oh baby she's got it!

Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Tim Johnston (drums) + David Gray (trombone). For some obscure reason, Harry didn't use the mic. This was fine when he was blowing but left the audience playing 'guess the tune!' We did guess Have You Met Miss Jones? which brought David Gray on stage and, as ever, he blew up the proverbial, but the first and last numbers were mysteries although I did find out later that the last number was Steve Kuhn's oddly titled The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers. Alan Law set down the benchmark for any pianist to follow and, perhaps, the only one who could was Paul Edis.

Paul Edis, now domiciled down south (and making a name) played a solo set that revealed just why he is held in such high esteem. A complex, but logical take on Greensleeves, Brubeck's It's a Raggy Waltz, Lord of the Dance, an amazing One Note Samba and a strange Young at Heart were just some of the numbers in his set. Hallelujah I Just Love him So wasn't in the set but I'm sure it was in the hearts of many of the listeners.

We recharged our glasses albeit not without a feeling of guilt as I recalled the original JC kicking the money changers out of the Temple (John 2: 13-16).

Ruth Lambert (vocal); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass) Tim Johnston (drums) + Jim McBriarty (clarinet). With all due respect to every one, but Ruth really nailed this one. Maybe by only a short head but, her reading of But Beautiful was one of those rare, once in a lifetime moments.  Jim McBriarty blew fine clarinet on I'm Old Fashioned and How High the Moon, with Alan Law also shooting for the moon, just perfect.

Of course the aim of the game was to raise cash for the cause and no doubt a statement will be duly issued with a special mention of Ashington's John Taylor who donated a couple of books one one of which, William Claxton's Jazz Files, went to an anonymous buyer adding £20 to the kitty in the process - well done John.

It had been a long day and I reluctantly left before the jam session.

That such enjoyment comes from sadness makes one think and wonder why so many more of the jazz fraternity weren't present ... Lance (Photos © Ken Drew)

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Ruth’s take on “But Beautiful” brought me to tears….and I know I wasn’t the only one…

Dave said...

Hi Lance
I wish I’d known you were there. I’d have come and said hello.
I also skipped the jam. The lure of a beer in the garden was too strong on such a day.
Cheers
Dave Sayer

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