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Bebop Spoken There

Marcella Puppini (in concert with the Puppini Sisters at Sunderland Fire Station, November 27, 2024): ''We've never played there, but we've looked it up, and it looks amazing.''. (The Northern Echo, November 21, 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

17523 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 797 of them this year alone and, so far, 35 this month (Nov. 10).

From This Moment On ...

November

Fri 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The White Swan, Ovingham. 12:30-3:30pm. Line-up: Chris Perrin (clarinet, tenor sax); Phil Rutherford (sousaphone); David Gray (trombone, trumpet, vocals); Brian Bennett (banjo). To book a table tel: 01661 833188.
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: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 22: Dilutey Juice @ Independent, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf.
Fri 22: Archipelago @ Poprecs, High St. West, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. Multi-bill, Archipelago on stage 8:00pm. A Boundaries Festival event.
Fri 22: Groovetrain @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. £15.00. + bf. 8:45pm (7:30pm doors).

Sat 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 11:00-1:00pm. £6.00. at the door, £4.00. advance. Tel: 0191 691 7090. A Spanish City ‘Xmas Market’ event in the Champagne Bar.
Sat 23: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 11:00am-12:30pm. Free (donations, fill up the bucket!).
Sat 23: Washboard Resonators @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Sat 23: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ Westovian Theatre, South Shields. 7:30pm.

Sun 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 11:00-1:00pm. £6.00. at the door, £4.00. advance. Tel: 0191 691 7090. A Spanish City ‘Xmas Market’ event in the Champagne Bar.
Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Skerritt (solo) performing with backing tapes.
Sun 24: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 24: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Washboard Resonators @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £8.00.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Groovetrain @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. £15.00. + bf. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). SOLD OUT!
Sun 24: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 24: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe. 8:00pm.
Sun 24: Lighthouse Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 26: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £12.00.; £10.00. advance.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 27: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Puppini Sisters @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Paul Skerritt @ Ashington High Street. 5:45pm. Xmas lights switch-on.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues singer!
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free.

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, July 03, 2022

Spats Langham's Hot Fingers with Emily Campbell @ Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club - July 2

Spats Langham (guitar, banjo, ukulele, vocals); Danny Blyth (guitar, mandolin, clarinet, bass clarinet, harmonica, vocals); Malcolm Sked (double bass, tuba); Emily Campbell (vocals)

Almost four years to the day, Spats Langham's Hot Fingers returned to St Augustine's Parish Centre to play to an expectant full house. Mr Langham is a popular chap in Darlington, attracting fans from all parts...Darlington, Norton, Tyneside and Florida. Yes, this Saturday lunchtime concert was introduced by the Hot Fingers' leader as: A truly International Gathering. And with our American friend in the audience it was fitting that much of the material performed over two sets originated on the other side of the Atlantic. 

Popular songs of the day (essentially from the twenties/thirties), jazz, blues and more entertained an on-side crowd. Vo-Do-Do-De-o Blues opened the show, quickly followed by Patrol Wagon Blues, Langham (variously guitar, banjo and vocals) and co hit the ground running. Jelly Roll Morton's My Home is in a Southern Town featured Langham on banjo, on the final chorus turning to his band mates to cue them in on an effective stop chorus.

Oscar Alemán's Melancholia as an instrumental (Langham setting it up with a thumbnail sketch of the Argentinian composer's influence on jazz guitar, not least his friend Django Reinhardt) went down well with the Larchfield Road audience. From popular song and jazz to the blues as Langham, a big Leadbelly fan, recalled meeting Ken Colyer as a young boy. Colyer the revivalist, on learning of Langham's interest said simply: Leadbelly is the truth! And off went Colyer, last seen heading to the bar. And so Langham sang, accompanied by Danny Blyth's harmonica, In the Pines.

It was time to introduce the 'Cotswold Canary'. Langham welcomed to the stage Emily Campbell to sing the first of several numbers, When I Get Low, I Get High. The Ella connection (Chick Webb) continued with an early career Fitzgerald number, Have Another Guess, between times singing a spirited St Louis Blues

The second set opened with Emily Campbell, gong in hand, recreating a song recorded by Louis Armstrong, Shanghai Shuffle. If anyone doubted the multi-talented Hot Fingers, this number and many others in the set surely dispelled any lingering doubts. The talents, Messrs Danny Blyth (clarinet, bass clarinet, guitar, mandolin and a blues vocal number) and the one-and-only Malcolm Sked playing bull fiddle and tuba. Blyth's vocals were heard in duet with Langham, singing Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee's Cornbread, Peas and Black Molasses. Excellent! 

Emily Campbell returned to the stage to sing a fox trot tempo (the original tempo, said Langham) The Man I Love, the spiritual His Eye is on the Sparrow and a double helping of Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie. The one song title which escaped your reviewer turned out to be a major highlight of the afternoon. Langham recalled hearing Boulou Ferré in Paris and being knocked out by the Frenchman's amazing guitar playing. Well, Langham's Hot Fingers certainly lived up to the name with a stonkingly good, hotter than hot take on whatever the tune was! Bravo! It had been a marvellous afternoon's entertainment. Next month (Saturday 6 August) at St Augustine's it's the Savannah Jazz Band. 
                                  
Set list: Vo-Do-Do-De-o BluesPatrol Wagon BluesMy Home is in a Southern TownMy Sweet VirginiaMelancholiaIn the PinesWhen I Get Low, I Get HighSt Louis BluesHave Another GuessI Hate Myself for Being So Mean to YouWhere the Blue of the NightIt All Belongs to MeLittle White LiesCrazy BluesShanghai ShuffleSouth American JoeShake That ThingHittin' the BottleNight OwlA High Hat, a Piccolo and a CaneCornbread, Peas and Black MolassesDevil's Gonna Get YouThe Man I LoveHis Eye is on the Sparrow; ?; Can't Help Lovin' Dat ManMama, He Treats Your Daughter MeanRussell

1 comment :

Rosemary Reads Poetry said...

Love this recap of a truly fine show. Worth crossing the pond for! Especially pleased to see the set list. Thanks a million!

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