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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Traveller's Rest, Darlington - Oct. 14

Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax, flute); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums)

Earlier in the day Vasilis and Paul played a duo gig at Durham's Gala Theatre with a focus on 'home'. The theme continued this evening at Opus 4 Jazz Club. Joining our duo, A-listers, bassist Andy Champion and drummer Steve Hanley. A good turn out at the Traveller's Rest suggested word had got around that this gig was definitely one not to be missed. A pint of Theakston's Bitter (cheap as chips), a strip or two of raffle tickets, we were set fair.


As at the Gala, the set opened with Cole Porter's You'd be so nice to come home to (solos all, regulation fours). Dvorak's Going Home by way of a Stanley Turrentine arrangement (Turrentine is one of Vasilis' favourite saxophonists) heard our London resident Greek tenor player in stupendous form (scribbled notes consisted of one word - 'WOW!'). Switching to flute, Vasilis impressed again, as did Steve Hanley (brushes in hand) with a commanding solo. Not to be outdone, Andy Champion landed a knockout solo of his own on Memories of Home (comp. V. Xenopoulos). To close out a marvellous first set the quartet blazed a trail on VX's Dexterology.

The interval: another pint of Theakston's and, wait for it, a winning raffle ticket three times on the bounce! Your correspondent bagged one prize (an Ike Quebec CD) and declined to take the others (the raffle meister re-drawing the tickets). 

Second set, more of the same, ie. stellar playing from a stellar quartet. On the Street Where You Live featured VX in stunning form, a torrent of fleeting quotes peppering a majestic tenor sax solo. Paul's London Lockdown featured its composer and, playing soprano sax, Vasilis. Setting up a Coltrane groove, Vasilis played his socks off, one punter exclaimed: He's the boy! 

PE's The Coast sounded better than ever, The Folks Who Live on the Hill the evening's ballad highlight, then, to finish, the title track of the Xenopoulos-Edis album, A Narrow Escape. An encore? You bet! Vasilis said they'd go out on a blues. A blues by way of TS Monk. This was world class jazz here in Darlington. Saturday (Oct. 15) the show moves up the road to St Cuthbert's Centre in Crook (Abbie Finn replaces Steve Hanley) and on Sunday the 'up north' tour concludes in Newcastle at the Jazz Co-op on Railway Street. Saturday or Sunday (both?!), don't miss these guys!  Russell      

2 comments :

Abbie said...

You've listed me at the top as drumming on this one, you might want to change that to Steve :) cheers

Lance said...

Sorry Abbie, now corrected!

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