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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1068 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (Dec. 11).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. POSTPONED!
Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

Sat 16: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 2:00pm. A Jazzy Christmas + Jambone.
Sat 16: Porritt & Barrett & Friends Xmas Special @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:00pm. £4.00.
Sat 16: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 16: Red Kites Jazz Band @ The Staithes Café, Gateshead. 7:00pm--9:00pm.
Sat 16: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Ellingham Village Hall, Chathill. 7:30pm. £12.00., £8.00.
Sat 16: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Sat 16: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Second night of two.

Sun 17: Red Kites Jazz Band @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00-2:30pm.
Sun 17: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm.
Sun 17: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Rock ‘n’ roll excellence!
Sun 17: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Alehouse, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 17: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Multi-bill inc. David Gray’s Flextet + jam session.
Sun 17: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £17.00., £15.00.
Sun 17: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Amble Parish Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00., £6.00.
Sun 17: Snake Davis Trio @ St John’s Hall, Snods Edge, Shotley Bridge DH8 9TJ. 7:30pm. £15.00. from 07766 037893.

Mon 18: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Sunday, October 09, 2022

A Swingin' Affair: Paul Skerritt w. Danny Miller Big Band @ the Westovian Theatre, South Shields - Oct. 8

(© Russell)
This wasn't merely a concert, this was a show worthy of Vegas in its heyday - all that was missing was a chorus line of long-legged lovelies. However, the voice and the band made up for it and we did have some terpsichorean action during the encore (New York, New York) following the standing ovation after the good times had well and truly rolled. 

Skerritt was in good voice engaging with the audience as well as some fun repartee with his fellow frontman bandleader Miller - ad lib or rehearsed? Who cared?.

(© Russell)
The show had been some years in the making, the pandemic having put the finalisation on hold. Fortunately, it all eventually came together. Miller brought the core of his personnel over from Liverpool, added a few big hitters from Tyne and Tees to provide a swinging big band accompaniment. He also chipped in with some, maybe all, of the arrangements.

A choice selection of gassers mixed with a few more contemporary items such as Van Halen's Jump, Stevie Wonder's You Are the Sunshine of my Life, Could This be the Magic?, Here, There and Everywhere, Such a Night, Come by me, Sweet Caroline all given a big band swing treatment.

Paradoxically, for me my favourite number of the night was just voice, piano and muted trumpet on the Sinatra classic (first featured by Fred Astaire in a movie) Johnny Mercer's One For my Baby. Skerritt captured the angst of a broken love affair just as Sinatra did. Stockdale had the Bill Miller intro off to perfection with Lamb's interjections just right although he could have had a tad more volume.

(© Russell)
Talking of tads, or rather Tadd Dameron, the big band opened the show with Dameron's Lady Bird with solos by Parnaby and Shotton telling us the evening was going to be a swinger and it was!

A class singer, a punchy big band and a receptive audience - magic! Lance

Paul Skerritt (vocals); Danny Miller Big Band: Danny Miller (MD); Phil Shotton, Arthur Phillips (alto sax); Dan Thorne, Karoline Brennan (tenor sax); Sarah Dutch (bari sax); Tom Hill, Michael Lamb, John Naylor, Naomi Todd (trumpet); Kieran Parnaby, Jack Rowlands, Oli Websdell,  Adam Dutch (trombone); Arnar Stefansson (guitar); Dean Stockdale (keys); Keith Peberdy (bass guitar); John Bradford (drums)

Other numbers: How'd You Do?; It's Only a Paper Moon; So Happy Together; Night and Day; Still Alive;  It Had to be You; I've Got the World on a String; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; Strike Up the Band; Hello Young Lovers; Lady is a Tramp; On the Street Where You Live; Let the Good Times Roll. 

1 comment :

Lance said...

I forgot to mention the sound system was great.

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