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Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 2023).

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

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Tue 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 06: Jam session @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums).

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Hexham Jazz Festival: Jo Harrop + Freddie Benedict @ Hexham Abbey - May 13

The second day of this year's Hexham Jazz Festival and the sun shone. Hallelujah! Hexham Abbey, the principal venue, once again drew a large crowd, no real surprise given that top of the bill was none other than Jo Harrop. What's more, Jo shared this evening's double bill with the up-and-coming vocalist Freddie Benedict. Festival MC Nigel Williams read out the parish notices, not forgetting to plug his own late night jazz DJ set in the Great Hall. 

Jo Harrop (vocals); Emma Rawicz (tenor sax, soprano sax); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums) + Freddie Benedict (vocals)

Jo Harrop is riding the crest of a wave; a non-stop gig schedule, invaluable media coverage, important career visits to Los Angeles and New York, and now, a welcome return to this weekend's Hexham Jazz Festival. Here in Hexham Abbey Jo was in the company of friends on and off stage. A programme incorporating standards (Henry Mancini's Charade arr. P. Edis, Cole Porter's Just One of Those Things) and original compositions, many of them from last year's superb Jo Harrop-Paul Edis album When Winter Turns to Spring, our Chester-le-Street to London superstar knew she was singing for an on-side crowd. 

Jo's band, what a band! MD Paul Edis at the grand piano, the award-winning Emma Rawicz (coming soon to Sage Gateshead) playing both tenor sax and soprano sax, and the unbeatable bass and drums pairing of Andy Champion and Steve Hanley. A voice to die for, intimate, late night material reaching out to the far corners of the ancient, imposing building here on Beaumont Street. Jo Harrop and band couldn't have wished for a better reception, chalk it up as another successful gig!             
 
Earlier, the first of two concerts introduced Guildhall School of Music and Drama graduate and ex-NYJO singer Freddie Benedict. 

Freddie Benedict (vocals, flugelhorn); Emma Rawicz (tenor sax, soprano sax); Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums)


Young, dapper (see those shoes!), charming, confident, there is little doubt that our vocalist won himself an abbey-full of new fans. Taking a loan of Jo Harrop's amazing band, Benedict let the audience know he appreciated working with them, some he'd known for a while, Steve Hanley, up from Leeds, he'd known 'for a few minutes'! 

Opening with No More Blues sung in Portuguese, Benedict's tenor voice hit home, a baritone is in his vocal armoury, as is an upper register delivery - most impressive. One or two standards, including One Note Samba, were interspersed with a range of original compositions including Star-Crossed Lovers, not to be confused with Billy Strayhorn's composition. As if vocal talent weren't enough, Benedict plays more than half decent flugelhorn. Some guys have all the talent! Messrs Edis, Champion and Hanley, and Ms Rawicz, proved to be the ideal musicians for Benedict's 'up north' debut. There's no doubt about it, we'll be hearing more of Mr Freddie Benedict. Russell    

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