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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.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Jazz North East Sunday night @ The Globe: ELBA + Pope & Garner – Dec. 11

(© Ken Drew)
ELBA w Faye MacCalman: Andrew Woodhead (keyboards, samples, electronics); Aaron Diaz (trumpet, samples, electronics) + Faye MacCalman (sax, clarinet, voice, loops)

Based in Birmingham, ELBA is the collaborative musical practice between keyboardist Andrew Woodhead and trumpeter Aaron Diaz. Their music mixes acoustic sounds with live electronics and soundscapes, exploring the boundaries, if not breaking them down, between the worlds of jazz, improv, electronica and folk.


This was the first date of ELDA’s Collaborations tour, taking in 5 locations each with a different guest performer.  The tour is in support of their new box set release 'Collaborations 2020-2022' (a 7 disc set) which features remote and live recordings made over lockdown with a variety of special guests including  Faye MacCalman who was featured tonight.


The ‘Collaborations’ aspect is interesting in itself, and the performance was an uninterrupted but varying soundscape with live instrumentation played on top. Woodhead was armed with a range of small keyboards, effects and laptop with samples. MacCalman was armed with sax and clarinet, choosing nicely  between the two, and on occasion adding voice too. Diaz was also equipped with laptop and samples, although I was particularly wanting to hear him add his trumpet to the mix. This he did, working well alongside or interleaved with MacCalman, although often playing it single-handedly with the other working his laptop or effects.  Overall, quite a mesmeric piece, with much ebb and flow and interplay between each of the performers.  To close, they all slowly ‘faded out’ together to good dramatic effect.  It would be nice to replay the livestream to take it all in again !    

 

Garner & Pope: John Pope (double bass); John Garner (violin).


(© Ken Drew)
The improvising duo of John Pope and John Garner are often found playing pieces by some of their favourite composers, many of which are overlooked in the classic jazz repertoire, but they are also inspired to  play their chosen pieces with open-minds and with the spontaneous surrender (and challenges) of  free improvisation.  

With only two weeks before Christmas Day, several of their pieces were infused with vestiges of many familiar Christmas Tunes. All recognisable, but all played in the duo’s unique style. But this is not to diminish their incredibly intense performance, it rather enhanced it through their often fast-paced tightly knit repertoire.  Excellent stuff, greatly appreciated by the audience.

(© Ken Drew)
Coincidentally, the day had started (albeit at 00:05 am) with a track Neswatch from Pope and Garner’s latest CD Water Music* played at the start of Corey Mwamba’s Freeness programme on Radio 3. This was the second part of his reporting from the Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music Festival from October (catch-up of both programmes on i-Player is still available – but only just !)

Note: This was the final event of Jazz North East’s 2022 rather busy year, and a good way to wrap things up - until January 15 – diary date for the New Year! Ken Drew


*The picture directly above shows Wes Stephenson, the Director of Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music Festival,  promoting the CD to the audience.

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