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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.

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Hot Club du Nord @ Sage Gateshead - June 10

Emma Fisk (violin); James Birkett, Dave Harris (guitars); Bruce Rollo (bass).

Meandering (as opposed to staggering) from Sage Gateshead I met up with JNE's Bream the Younger who had also been to the concert. "I'd have thought that you'd have seen Hot Club du Nord at least 500 times" remarked Bill, not unkindly. I admitted that I had seen them more than twice but, if something is that good then each time is like the first time and this applies not only to music. 

And this was that good!

However, because their repertoire is a familiar one I'm not going to tediously rehash chapter and verse but, instead, just offer a few generalisations.

(Emma & Dave © Russell)

Much as I loved the original Hot Club - Stephane and Django were nonpareil - the guitar-heavy, chugging, rhythm did, at times, tend to create the effect of two olympic swimmers competing in a sea of Mars Bars whereas with du Nord the flow is much looser and less rigid.

Fisk is on a par with any of the current Hot Club stylists whilst the two guitarists don't attempt to turn it into a cutting contest but comp and complement each other perfectly. Bruce Rollo proved that you don't have to be in a hillbilly band to play slap bass and he slotted in very effectively.

Charlie Shavers' Undecided is always a crowd pleaser and Emma reminded us that the original Hot Club version had a vocal by Beryl Davis. Beryl, who was the daughter of bass saxophonist and co-leader of the Oscar Rabin Band Harry Davis, went on to have a successful career in America and was, in my opinion, by far the best of the British wartime singers - sorry Vera.

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square featured Emma at her melodic best reminding me of the time I heard Mel Tormé singing it with George Shearing at the RFH back in the 1980s. I also recall a version by NYJO titled A Nightingale Swang in Berkeley Square as well as the American singer Francis Day who's rendition came out as An Englishman Spoke in Grosvenor Square (site of the US Embassy).

I digress! A very enjoyable affair by what one of my fellow scribes described as the Virtuosi 4 - not a bad description at all and one I fully endorse - Lance

This Can't be Love; Body and Soul; Si Tu Savais; Belleville; Blue Drag; Swing 42; Summertime/I Found a New Baby; Nuages; Stomping at Decca; Ultravox; Bésame Mucho; Undecided; Ain't Misbehavin'; Minor Swing; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; Sweet Georgia Brown; J'attendrai.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Agreed as good as ever. Nice to see a few different numbers from the last couple of times we've seen them. Just a minor correction it's Ultrafox, which as Emma told us are a German electropop band according to Google. Keep up the good work Lance

EmmaFiskJazzVio said...

Thanks for the review Lance…I didn’t spot you there last night!
Emma x

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