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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Sat 05: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: Musical Boxing Training @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 2:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. ‘A workshop for musical improvisers’. An event in a boxing ring!
Sat 05: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Wylam Village Institute, Church Road, Wylam NE41 8AP. Doors 7:00pm. Tickets £15.00. + £1.50. bf, available from: www.gigantic.com.
Sat 05: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. From 7:00pm. £12.00. Bright Street Big Band on stage at 7:30pm, preceded at 7:00pm by a swing dance taster session.
Sat 05: J.A.M. String Collective + Tara Cunningham + The Flame @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & Lit & Phil.
Sat 05: Heavy Drunk @ Anarchy Brewery, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.00. + £1.50. bf. ‘Mississippi Delta Blues Experience’ feat. Heavy Drunk, Watermelon Slim & Leonardo Giuliani.
Sat 05: Maggie Nicols & Tim Dalling: Musical Boxing Night @ The Tute, Ridley Terrace, Cambois NE24 1QS. 7:30pm. Free. Tickets: www.eventbrite.com. Nicols, Dalling ao. An event in a boxing ring!
Sat 05: Milne-Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 05: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Swarland Village Hall NE65 9JG. 8:00pm. £12.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm (12:30pm doors). £7.50.
Sun 06: Luis Verde Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Catriona Bourne Quartet + Heather Ferrier + Emma Johson’s Gravy Boat @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £10.00. + bf. NFOJIM in assoc. w. JNE & The Globe.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock).
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Friday, February 17, 2023

Syd Lawrence Orchestra: Big Band Brass @ The Fire Station, Sunderland - Feb. 15

(© M. Lamb)
The popularity of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra is undiminished. The band's first visit to Sunderland's magnificent Fire Station venue attracted a large crowd. Two full one hour sets under the metaphorical baton of Chris Dean produced the goods with a programme offering something for everyone. The suited-and-booted orchestra filed onto stage to a warm Wearside welcome. From the down beat the sound balance was exceptionally good and the stage lighting ensured no one was left out of the spotlight.

The SLO line-up read like a who's who of the big band world. Between them they've been there, done that. From La Scala to the John Wilson Orchestra to stints on the QE2 to the BBC Big Band and BBC Concert Orchestra, Tony Bennett, Carnegie Hall, countless radio and television engagements, Royal Variety Performances (plural), Hollywood film soundtracks galore, yes, there's no doubting the collective pedigree. 

Opening with Stompin' at the Savoy set the standard with all sections firing, the rhythm section - pianist Trevor Brown, bassist Tom Mark and long-serving powerhouse drummer Dave Tandy - one to die for. Section leaders and soloists hit the spot. A weak link? There wasn't one. The veteran members of the band were joined for the first time by twenty two year old trumpeter Adam Neild. What a thrill it must have been for the young man standing in the section alongside Tony Dixon, Richard Freeman and hotshot Chris Snead! Sing, Sing, Sing maintained the momentum before MD Chris Dean took it down a notch, just a notch, with the introduction of vocalist Jo Marshall singing Get Me to the Church on Time. Ms Marshall remained on stage to sing Shirley Bassey's hit This is My Life. Confident, secure, the ideal vocalist to front the SLO. 

The programme was nothing if not varied: The Girl from IpanemaString of Pearls (inevitably), Chris Dean singing Tender is the Night, confiding Tony Bennett is one of his musical heroes, and another Glenn Miller winner, Pennsylvania 6-5000, audience sing-a-long all but compulsory. The second set opened with an extended James Bond medley (the trumpet section blowing for fun). More Major G. Miller - American PatrolLittle Brown Jug, then a 'left turn!' to Quincy Jones' Soul Bossa Nova featuring Emily Burkhardt (of Manager's Big Band fame) on baritone sax. 

MD Dean is no mean singer, once again demonstrating the fact with a fine take on Matt Monro's big hit Portrait of My Love. The Fire Station's audience loved every minute of the two hours and more that the Syd Lawrence Orchestra was on stage. Jo Marshall returned to sing a mellow More Than You Know, Major Miller parachuted in once more bearing gifts...Tuxedo Junction and, with the audience gently swaying, Moonlight Serenade. To close a most enjoyable evening the SLO went out Stan Kenton style. Can you hear those trumpets? They were absolutely bang on with a terrific take on The Peanut Vendor. MD Chris Dean asked the audience if the SLO should come back to Sunderland. A unanimous chorus of: Yes! suggests it could be same time next year.
Russell 
                             
     
Syd Lawrence Orchestra: Chris Dean (MD, trombone, vocals); Tony Dixon, Adam Neild, Richard Freeman, Chris Snead (trumpet); Steve Blyth (tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute), Emily Burkhardt (alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet); Damon Oliver (tenor sax, clarinet, flute); Adrian Wilkinson (alto sax, clarinet, flute);; Tom Dunnett, Andy Watson (trombone); Trevor Brown (piano); Tom Mark (double bass); Dave Tandy (drums); Jo Marshall (vocals) 

1 comment :

Barry Aitchison said...

Chris Dean's Syd Lawrence Orchestra was amazing. From Glenn Miller to James Bond all the solos were amazing and you could hear all the different sounds from bass clarinet to double bass and piano. Chris Dean played trombone and sang on one or two numbers. The Girl From Ipanema was good. The sounds were loud enough with lots of different colours and people getting up to dance as best as they could and the band went into the audience which was good as well. If they come back I would certainly go and see them again.

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