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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.

Monday, October 17, 2022

Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ the Globe, Newcastle - Oct. 16

(© Ken Drew)

Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, soprano sax, flute); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums) + Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugel).

The fourth and final chapter of this ongoing north east saga drew to a close at the Globe where a goodly throng were witness to what most, indeed probably all, rated as the gig of the year so far.

Having read my worthy constituent's glowing reviews of the previous three gigs I felt complacent. This will be easy. I'll just steal a sentence or two here and there, shuffle them around a bit then job well done!

However, as in all good stories there's always an unexpected twist in the final chapter. We all know that the boy will get the girl and the killer will be unmasked but which boy and which villain did the dastardly deed? As they say in grand opera, it isn't over until the fat lady sings.

(© Ken Drew)
The fat lady in this case turned out to be neither fat nor a lady but the slim 17-years-old trumpet player from local band Knats - Ferg Kilsby - blowing some of the hottest trumpet on Tyneside since the days of Mike Gilby. More on this young man later.

Most of the first set and some of the second consisted of numbers played on the previous gigs and based, sometimes deviously, around the theme of 'home'.

(© Ken Drew)
Vasi was simply tremendous, as we've come to expect ever since he first showed on Tyneside in 2008. Back then I came up with the heading Be Aware of Greeks Blowing Riffs. I think everybody's aware of this particular Grecian saxophone god by now! The technique and the tone are modern albeit not without some olde school gutsiness when playing a blues. And when it comes to playing a ballad, outside of Peggy Lee's legendary vocal masterpiece, I doubt if you'll ever hear a better version of The Folks Who Live on the Hill.

He went into Coltranic territory when he played curved soprano - an instrument that is always more sympathetic to my ears than the straight version. The flute didn't project quite as well as his other horns but that could have been due to monitoring problems. Still sounded good though.

Paul Edis - what can I say? He never fails to impress either as a player, a composer or as a raconteur. It was in this latter category that, during some waffle about a raffle, he drew attention to the fact that the Globe didn't have a raffle which in many instances is the difference between life and death for a lot of jazz clubs. Given the large attendance last night the coffers could have been swelled handsomely for the small expense (or donation) of a book of verse, a jug of wine and a thou (or maybe a packet of biscuits). 

The bass and drums pairing of Champion and Hanley worked a treat. The former is comparable with any bass player in the UK maybe beyond whilst the latter's amazing brush solo on Edis' Mikey's Samba proved that drummers too have feelings.

(© Ken Drew)
Which brings us to the fat lady singing. As stated earlier Ferg isn't a lady and whilst he may not be fat, fat could be appropriate as on the final Dexterology, Vasi's tribute to Dexter Gordon, Ferg had a tone that brought to mind Fats Navarro (along with Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard). This young man will go far. He confessed earlier to being, shall we say nervous? However, once the chips were down any apprehension vanished and he proved he was Premier League material. 

As Paul Skerritt sang at the Westovian last week this was Such a Night, it really was! Lance

3 comments :

Brian Bennett said...

Excellent review, Lance, underpinned by Ken Drew’s superb pic’s. Tip-top jazz blogging.

Anonymous said...

excellent gig, but it will be the last time I ask a musician what time the gig ends as I intend to book a taxi, he told me 22.30 the latest, so to be on the safe side I booked 22.35, it was about that time when the sax musician announced to my embarrassment that some one asked him what time the gig finishes, well I saw the taxi was outside, so I had no choice but to get up to get my coat on, and off course everyone in the room knew it was me who asked the musician, still missed the end, next time I will consult my crystal ball!

Brian Shine

Hugh said...

Great story...

...is that name at the end a pseudonym in view of the "anonymous" tag at the top? Better get your raincoat, dark glasses and pork pie hat ready for the next gig you attend!

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