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Bebop Spoken There

Dee Dee Bridgewater: “ Our world is becoming a very ugly place with guns running rampant in this country... and New Orleans is called the murder capital of the world right now ". Jazzwise, May 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

16382 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 262 of them this year alone and, so far, 59 this month (April 20).

From This Moment On ...

April

Fri 26: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: East Coast Swing Band @ Morpeth Rugby Club. 7:30pm. £9.00. (£8.00 concs).
Fri 26: Paul Skerritt with the Danny Miller Big Band @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Fri 26: Abbie Finn’s Finntet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 27: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: More Jam Festival Special @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. A ’10 Years a Co-op’ festival event.
Sun 28: Swing Dance workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free (registration required). A ’10 Years a Co-op’ festival event.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox: The '10' Tour @ Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £41.30 t0 £76.50.
Sun 28: Alligator Gumbo @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ’10 Years a Co-op’ festival event.
Sun 28: Jerron Paxton @ The Cluny, Newcastle. Blues, jazz etc.

Mon 29: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 29: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30-8:30pm. Free. ‘Opus de Funk’ (a tribute to Horace Silver).

Tue 30: Celebrate with Newcastle Jazz Co-op. 5:30-7:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Swing Manouche @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. A Coquetdale Jazz event.
Tue 30: Clark Tracey Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ’10 Years a Co-op’ festival event.

May

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: The Eight Words - A Jazz Suite @ Newcastle Cathedral, St Nicholas Square, Newcastle NE1 1PF. Tel: 0191 232 1939. 7:30pm. £20.00. (£17.00. student/under 18). Tim Boniface Quartet & Malcolm Guite (poet). Jazz & poetry: The Eight Words (St John Passion).
Thu 02: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Friday, October 28, 2022

Knats - Actual Proof @ Hoochie Coochie - Oct. 27

Ferg Kilsby (trumpet); Jacob Wilson (tenor saxophone); Chris Outhwaite (keyboards); Stan Woodward (bass); King David Ike-Elechi (drums)

The Headhunters toured the world in the seventies filling concert halls from Newcastle to New York. It was around the time of Actual Proof, one of Herbie Hancock's jazz-funk hits (in the world of chart music it was a 'hit' of sorts). Fast forward half a century to Hoochie Coochie on Pilgrim Street in Newcastle for the return of a reshaped, reinvigorated Knats. It's only a matter of weeks since Stan, King and the now departed (to musical pastures new) Josh went off to the 'bright lights, big city' of London. The word was out and a large crowd turned out.

This free admission gig, hosted by the now resident (monthly) Swannek, pulled in newbies, oldies and in betweenies. Knats were billed as Swannek's guests, but full credit to the host band for getting it right, Swannek opting to open the show with Knats to follow. Bluster, self confidence, call it what you will, Stan Woodward is Knats' engaging frontman. Possessing prodigious jazz-funk bass-playing chops, Stan and big pal King David Ike-Elechi (drums) hit on a groove and didn't let up. At all of seventeen, band veteran Ferg Kilsby (trumpet) knew what was required, time and again stepping up to the plate, firing from the lip. Wow! 

From Joe Henderson to Herbie Hancock (Actual Proof) to danceable originals, this was one killing trio. Trio? Wait a minute! Make that 'quintet', the new boys were in town...meet tenor saxophonist Jacob Wilson and pianist Chris Outhwaite. New to London, it didn't take Stan and King long to recruit these two hotshots. In their twenteens, Jacob (Kent Youth Jazz Orchestra and on to music college) is living the dream, a successful crowdfunding campaign (supported by one of the British jazz scene's most venerable musicians) enabled him to purchase a more-than-decent instrument and look at him now! Jacob appeared to be enjoying himself trading with Ferg. The volume, the lights, the packed room, they were having fun! And pianist Chris (emerging from a Royal Birmingham Conservatoire junior jazz ensemble) more than made himself heard, we have another tremendous talent in our midst. We haven't seen or heard the last of Knats, far from it. The next time the boys are in town don't miss 'em!
Russell                       
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