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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Thursday, May 12, 2022

The Bold Big Band @ The Black Swan, Newcastle - May 11

Other than this year's Great North Big Band Jazz Festival, December 2019 was the last time the Bold Big Band gave a full concert performance. From past experience we knew what to expect, not for nothing is the Newcastle based ensemble called the Bold Big Band! MD Danny Wilson presided over affairs, the band kicking off in style with a typically rip-roaring Caravan. The audience, comprised almost exclusively of Newcastle University undergraduates, liked what was on offer and applause would ring out solo after solo for the remainder of the evening.

The Bold Big Band is made up of Newcastle University undergraduates and alumni. It was noted just how settled the line-up is, no mean feat considering the pandemic and graduating students moving on. Indeed, for the first two of three sets, guitarist James Cuxson sat in the rhythm section sight-reading the charts having earlier in the day travelled up from Leeds. The usual names - composers and arrangers - featured throughout the evening: Gordon Goodwin, Tom Kubis, Erik Morales, Sammy Nestico et al. 

Tom Alcorn (a final year student?) played some blistering trumpet and flugelhorn, alto saxophonist Jacob Lightfoot stepped up as principal soloist in the reeds, Bertie Marks and Alex Utting prominent among the trombones, and southpaw guitarist James Cuxson contributed some fine work (his journey north well worthwhile). The drummers, yes, two of them, fine big band drummers both, rotated on the drum stool: medic Dan Arenstein and Caleb (is it Caleb Durant?).      
            
Pianist Harry Knott had plenty of dots to read, as did the rest of the band. We rarely, if ever, see Knott, and some of the others, at jam sessions. More's the pity. Recent graduate Ifedi Osiyemi is still around and this evening he played his usual dual role of bassist and vocalist. On the vocal numbers (The Lady is a Tramp and L-O-V-E.) Osiyemi came down front, first Cuxson taking over on bass (as a left-hander playing the instrument upside down!), then, third set, fellow guitarist Ben Davies* (orthodox right-hander) similarly played bass as Osiyemi sang. The Bold Big Band is an entertaining, not to mention accomplished, outfit. The band went out where it came in - blowing the roof off - on Gordon Goodwin's Count Bubba.    

Ben Davies late arrival was down to the fact he had a gig earlier in the evening, MD Wilson saying the guitarist's services are in great demand.  Russell     

Tom Alcorn, Danny Wilson, Thomas ?, Oli Presland (trumpets); Jacob Lightfoot (alto sax, clarinet), Emma ? (alto sax, clarinet), Cristina ? (tenor sax, clarinet), ? (tenor sax), Brian Wicks (baritone sax); ? (trombone), Bertie Marks (trombone), Alex Utting (trombone), ? (trombone); James Cuxson (guitar, bass guitar); Harry Knott (piano); Ifede Osiyemi (bass guitar, vocals); Caleb ? (drums), Dan Arenstein (drums) + Ben Davies (guitar, bass guitar)

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