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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

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.

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.

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Book review: Sam Emony (Neil Hughes) - The Old Familiar Places.

It's been said that the great jazz novel, like the great jazz movie, has yet to be written/made and that is probably true. However, The Old Familiar Places comes pretty close in the former category and would be a deserving contender in the latter if some movie maker picked up on it. It certainly equals, maybe surpasses, anything from this side of the Atlantic.

The story of Sonny Jackson, a Manchester based teenage pianist who meets and gets taken under the wing (and elsewhere!) of the rich widow of a trumpet playing one hit wonder songwriter, is one of those compelling can't put down books.

Sonny jams with Charlie Watts and Syd Lawrence  after the funeral and from there on in it's a roller-coaster ride of love, success, setbacks and tragedy in various permutations.

Sonny, named by his dysfunctional father after Sonny Clark's Blue Note album, Dial S For Sonny,  has a variety of relationships all of which relate in one way or another to his ever increasing ability.

It's funny, it's sad, it's a good thing, or it's bad to misquote a line from Johnny Burke/Jimmy Van Heusen's But Beautiful which also happens to be the title of one of the chapters. In fact, all of the 67 (short) chapters are song titled.

The timeline runs from 1975 to the present as our hero deals with his ups and downs. There are lots of tears, perhaps too many and the downs are overcome perhaps too quickly apart from the main one which I won't reveal.

Names such as Tommy Flanagan and Donald Byrd have cameo roles but the important thing is how well the author has created characters we love, or hate, but most importantly, understand.

I've got a feeling I'll be reading this over and over again even though I know the ending. Lance

The book will be launched upstairs at Ronnie's on Feb. 22. DETAILS.

Sam Emony: The Old Familiar Places. Brown Dog Books ISBN 978-1-83952-505-6.

1 comment :

Patti said...

The story line sounds intriguing - just ordered it online, Lance, on the strength of your review.

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