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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Fri 20: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 20: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Smokin’ Spitfires @ Platform 1, East Bedlington Community Centre. 7:00pm.
Fri 20: Pete Tanton’s Christmas @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Alligator Gumbo @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Abbie Finn’s Finntet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 20: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sat 21: Lindsay Hannon Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £15.00. ‘Swinging with Christmas Songs’.
Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 21: Jackson’s Wharf Xmas Party @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 7:00pm. Free. Featuring the New ’58 Jazz Collective.
Sat 21: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Sunday, May 08, 2022

Jeff Barnhart's Mr Men @ Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club - May 7

Jeff Barnhart (piano, vocals); John Hallam (tenor sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Keith Stephen (banjo, guitar); Bruce Rollo (string bass)

The last time the Mr Men played together was at St Augustine's and that was back in May 2019. Earlier this week Jeff Barnhart flew in from America for a first visit to these shores in a long while. He'd been looking forward to meeting up with the boys - John Hallam, Keith Stephen and Bruce Rollo - to catch up and play a few tunes. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club's loyal audience turned out in force, a makeshift kitchen dispensing coffees and teas doing good business with the bar open for alcoholic beverages. In some ways it was as if the last two years hadn't unfolded in the way they did. All seemed (relatively) well with the world.
The Mr Men are consummate professionals, casually picking up where they left off. Jeff Barnhart thought Harold Arlen's As Long as I Live summed up our lives - survivors, gathering together to listen to some jazz. Over the course of two sets there'd be some Jelly Roll, some Ellington and much more. There is No Greater Love featured John Hallam on tenor sax (throughout the afternoon Hallam would switch from tenor to baritone sax, clarinet and back again) and some terrific stride piano by Barnhart. Hallam on baritone resulted in a marvellous take on Bechet's Si Tu Vois Ma Mère and the first set closer heard more baritone, Keith Stephen on banjo and a Barnhart vocal on Dream Man.

Messrs Hallam, Stephen and Rollo remained at the bar as Barnhart opened the second set with a request, High Society as a solo piano piece. Marvellous. Reluctantly or otherwise, the gentlemen of the orchestra reassembled to play a hot Fine and Dandy. Fine and dandy, indeed! A rash of Ellington - Hush-a-bye and I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart - brought out the best in the Mr Men, similarly Pee Wee's Blues (Hallam blowing clarinet with sensitive solos all round). More Ellington - Doin' the Crazy Walk (Hallam on baritone), Mr. Gentle and Mr. Cool, and before we knew it, the three o'clock finish had been and gone. Barnhart wanted to play one more, Hallam suggested Bye Bye Blackbird. Until the next time, gentlemen. 

Next month at St Augustine's (Saturday 4 June) it's Alligator Gumbo. Russell

   
      
Set list: As Long as I LiveBlue Blood BluesThere is No Greater LoveDo Nothin' Til You Hear from MeSweet Georgia BrownYou're Driving Me CrazySi Tu Vois Ma MèreIf I Had YouDream ManHigh SocietyFine and DandyHush-a-bye, Baby MineI Let a Song Go Out of My HeartPee Wee's BluesIndianaDoin' the Crazy WalkMr. Cool and Mr. GentleBye Bye Blackbird.

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