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Bebop Spoken There

Billy Boy Arnold: “As long as you don't think old you're good.” - DownBeat, December, 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!"

Simon Spillett: A lovely review from the dean of jazz bloggers, Lance Liddle...

Postage

16051 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 1058 of them this year alone and, so far, 12 this month (Dec. 6).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 10: Musicians Unlimited’s Xmas Party with Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. MU 1:00-3:00pm; Zoë Gilby Quartet 4:00-6:00pm. Tickets: £7.50.
Sun 10: Alan Law, Paul Grainger & Abbie Finn @ Darlington Market, Market Square, Darlington. 1:00pm. Free. A ‘Christmas Market’ outdoor gig. Wrap up warm!
Sun 10: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Funk Soul Sista @ Stack, Seaburn. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Sun 10: Beth Clarke @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 10: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Whittingham Memorial Institute, Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 10: Tele-Port @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Zhenya Strigalev.

Mon 11: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 11: Interim Final Recitals @ Newcastle University. Details TBC.

Tue 12: Stu Collingwood Organ Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £10.00.

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Bold Big Band @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Wed 13: Giles Strong Quartet @ Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Hot Fingers @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 14: After Hours Student Jazz Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. . Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 14: Niffi Osiyemi Trio @ Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Mo Scott ‘Little Mo’s Festive Appearance’ @ The Schooner, Gateshead. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Tees Hot Club w. Kevin Eland, Josh Bentham, Garry Hadfield, Adrian Beadnell @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 15: Paul Edis @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Paul Skerritt @ Black Horse Inn, Crook. From 7:00pm.
Fri 15: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ St Cuhtbert's Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £15.00. SOLD OUT! Waiting list open.
Fri 15: Zoë Gilby Trio @ Seventeen Nineteen, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £12.00. POSTPONED!
Fri 15: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. First night of two. SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Darlington Big Band @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Baghdaddies @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00.; £10.00.

Sat 16: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ Sage Gateshead. 2:00pm. A Jazzy Christmas + Jambone.
Sat 16: Porritt & Barrett & Friends Xmas Special @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:00pm. £4.00.
Sat 16: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 16: Red Kites Jazz Band @ The Staithes Café, Gateshead. 7:00pm--9:00pm.
Sat 16: Hayley's Little Big Band @ Ellingham Village Hall, Chathill. 7:30pm. £12.00., £8.00.
Sat 16: Paul Edis: A Jazzy Christmas @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Sat 16: Strictly Smokin' Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Second night of two.

Saturday, May 13, 2023

Hexham Jazz Festival: Rachel Sutton + The Ushaw Ensemble @ Hexham Abbey - May 12

The 2023 Hexham Jazz Festival got underway in the splendid setting of Hexham Abbey with performances by Rachel Sutton and The Ushaw Ensemble. Taking a pew alongside a sizeable audience, the installation of several screens relaying the on-stage action proved to be a welcome innovation given that the sight lines aren't the best. Some came prepared with cushion in hand designed to give some relief from the unforgiving hard-as-teak (quite possibly teak) pews.

Rachel Sutton (vocals); Roland Perrin (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Steve Hanley (drums) 

Vocalist Rachel Sutton is a favourite on the London jazz scene and here in Hexham Abbey she was introduced to the congregation by Jazz FM's Nigel Williams. Up from the 'Smoke' with her regular accompanist Roland Perrin, Sutton's impassioned, theatrical performance embraced a selection of standards and original compositions. All of MeComes LoveBut Not for Me, Ms Sutton's expressive vocals were backed up by the impressive Perrin at the grand, alongside two of the north's finest, the 'Champster', that's bassist Andy Champion, and from Yorkshire, the ever-reliable Steve Hanley, drums. The cavernous venue's acoustics aren't particularly conducive to intimate, cabaret-style performance, credit to the musicians for somehow making it work.

The Ushaw Ensemble: Paul Edis (MD, piano); Emma Fisk (violin); Andy May (Northumbrian pipes); Graham Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Graeme Wilson (tenor sax, bass clarinet, flute); Paul Susans (double bass); Rob Walker (drums)

Earlier, Paul Edis returned to his native north east to revisit his Arts and Words Festival commission The Lindisfarne Gospels. Given the subject matter, there could hardly be a more suitable venue than Hexham Abbey. The Ushaw Ensemble is an occasional project, joining Edis to perform a continuous suite of music were out-and-out jazz musicians and a Northumbrian piper. Comprising nine parts, Edis no doubt wrote the music with specific musicians in mind. 

At either end of the 'frontline', violinist Emma Fisk and piper Andy May created other worldly sounds, sounds which would have been heard in ancient times. In the sonically challenging space of Hexham Abbey it was, perhaps, Graham Hardy's brass instruments which fared best (trumpet and flugelhorn) alongside Graeme Wilson's flawless contributions, principally on tenor sax with some bass clarinet and flute adding colours to his palette. Local lad, bassist Paul Susans, and first call drummer Rob Walker anchored and enhanced Edis' musical vision. 

The Hexham Jazz Festival is well and truly underway. Further concert performances are scheduled across the weekend in Hexham Abbey, Queen's Hall Arts Centre and the Forum Cinema. Full details at: www.queenshall.co.uk. Russell 

1 comment :

Patrick said...

I agree fully with your observations regarding the acoustics - the Abbey was not an ideal venue.

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