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Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey: "You [Bobby Watson] don't want to play too long, because you don't know they're clapping because they're glad you finished!" - (JazzTimes, Nov. 2019)..

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!"

Postage

15848 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 855 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Sept. 18).

From This Moment On ...

September

Sat 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tanfield Railway, Gateshead. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. A '1940s Weekend' event.
Sat 23: Jason Isaacs @ Stack, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 23: Andrew Porritt & Keith Barrett @ Cullercoats Watch House, Front St., Cullercoats NE30 4QB. 7:00pm.
Sat 23: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig. Country blues.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm.

Tue 26: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Alice Grace Quartet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm. All welcome.
Thu 28: Faye MacCalman + Snape/Sankey @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 28: Zoe Rahman @ Jesmond United Reformed Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 28: '58 Jazz Collective @ Hops & Cheese, Hartlepool. 7:30pm.
Thu 28: Speakeasy @ Queen's Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm. £15.00. A Southpaw Dance Company presentation. Dance, audio-visuals, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, swing dancers etc.
Thu 28: Mick Cantwell Band @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Ace blues band.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

The Central Bar Quartet play Wes Montgomery @ the Central Bar, Gateshead - March 20

Joe Steels (guitar); Alan Law (piano); Mick Shoulder (bass); John Bradford (drums).

Because of the shape of the building the Central Bar is known locally as 'The Coffin' so it seemed an appropriate venue for the exhumation of guitarist Wes Montgomery or, at least music associated with and recorded by him

You could tell before a note was played who the featured guest was. Joe Steels, in a powder blue jacket, snazzy shirt and tailored jeans stood out in the sartorial stakes. By comparision, the house trio were, shall we say?, casual chic(ish).

Another clue of course was that this being a celebration of Wes Montgomery's centennial they weren't going to book a banjo player.

Jesting aside, after the one, two, a one, two, three, four off we go, it was only the music that counted.

Full Stop was, understandably seeing as it was their opening number and I doubt if there'd been much, if anything in the way of rehearsal, not quite as tight as I'd hoped. It still sounded good and it got gooder (sorry, even better) as they moved on to another Montgomery classic - Stablemates. The Adrenalin was kicking in and four individuals were becoming one.

Cariba, I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face, Four on Six and Sandu brought us up to the break.

Thirsts quenched, there was nothing in the second set to dampen my enthusiasm. That happened later thanks to the vagaries of the weather and the reliability of the bus timetable which is more fictitious than a novel by J.K. Rowling. 

Still, the monsoon was but a few raindrops compared to hearing these four fine musicians playing Airegin, El Libro (?), Fried Pies, 'Round Midnight, Jingles and Gone With the Wind. For my money (a fiver) Jingles, despite the now seemingly obligatory fours, was the stand out number although the exquisite I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face certainly ran it close.

Steels played at a 90º angle to the audience so it was impossible to tell if he was using the fabled Montgomery thumb technique but whatever, he got there just the same. Alan Law, Mick Shoulder and John Bradford, needless to say were their inevitable super selves ensuring a good night was had by all. Rain? Never noticed it!

Next session is on April 10 when Pete Tanton (trumpet) and Steve Summers (tenor sax) along with the trio exhume Hank Mobley's classic Blue Note album Dippin'. This is one of my favourites so I won't need to do my homework. Lance

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