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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

17372 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 656 of them this year alone and, so far, 61 this month (Sept. 17).

From This Moment On ...

September

Thu 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 19: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. THC with guests Kevin Eland, Dan Johnson, Jeremy McMurray, Ron Smith.

Fri 20: Lindsay Hannon’s Tom Waits for No Man @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 20: Rob Hall & Chick Lyall @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free (donations). SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Leeway @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. The Old Black Cat Jazz Club. CANCELLED!
Fri 20: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 21: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 1:00-2:45pm. Free.
Sat 21: Vieux Carré Hot Four @ The Beehive, Hartley Lane, Earsdon Whitley Bay NE25 0SZ. 4:30pm-6:30pm.
Sat 21: Baghdaddies @ Two by Two, Albion Row, Byker, Newcastle NE6 1RQ. 6:00pm.
Sat 21: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Northumberland Club, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 21: Jude Murphy & Alan Law @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free.
Sun 22: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Richard Herdman @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 22: Remy CB Band @ Blues Underground, Nelson St., Newcastle. 8:30pm. Free. Remi, 2024 Newcastle Uni graduate, superb soul/blues voice!

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Paul Booth with the Paul Edis Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blaydon Jazz Club 40th anniversary concert! SOLD OUT!

Tue 24: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv. from Tully’s of Rothbury). Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 24: Sarah Gillespie @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £16.50. Duo performance with Chris Montague.

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra UK: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Middlesbrough Theatre. 7:30pm.

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

JATP

Mosaic Records have, seemingly, released a ten CD boxed set of live recordings from  Norman Granz's legendary live jam sessions that first appeared on his various labels such as Clef, Norgram and, the last surviving one, Verve.

They've had favourable reviews in all the jazz mags - unlike, back in the day, when they were dismissed as 'rabble rousing extravaganzas. This, they undoubtedly  were and I for one wasn't complaining!

It was jazz excitement that has never been surpassed and, had it been pursued further, may have served to repel the invasions from Memphis and Liverpool.

However, the first chink in the armour for me came when JATP played Newcastle City Hall in 1958. It was their first British tour and had the mouthwatering contingent of, amongst others, Stan Getz, Sonny Stitt, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge and, of course, Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald who relegated the others to the supporting act which was okay but it wasn't the wild, may the best man win, concert I'd expected.

Jam sessions just weren't what they used to be.

Nevertheless, although Mosaic in their wisdom didn't send a review copy to BSH I do have thirteen JATP albums (some of them doubles), several CDs and maybe one or two that Mosaic didn't get their paws on.

Still, it's good that these historical moments are once again available. Shavers and Eldridge slugging it out, McGhee and Killian doing likewise. Flip Phillips and  Illinois blowing as if it was the Thriller in Manila. Buddy and Gene making like the Rumble in the Jungle. Why do I use these boxing terms?  Because these were champions putting  their titles on the line. If you doubt me, listen to Nat Cole (he had yet to be crowned) and Les Paul (he had yet to invent the Gibson guitar that bore his name) trading blues choruses. This was what jam sessions were all about. Christians thrown to the lions and the crowd roaring their approval at every riff, honk and squeal from the protagonists.

Of course it wasn't all Wham! Bang! Thank you Mam! There were ballad medleys, some contrasting solos by Charlie Parker and Willie Smith, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins and of course Ella and Billie although it was only years later when they appeared on a JATP album - Granz knew who his meal tickets were and he issued their discs later.

So, whilst I haven't heard the Mosaic ten CD set, and I'm sure it will be great, in the meantime I've got all those long players to catch up on - where do I start? Lance

PS: Maybe the popular Black Swan jam could do a special one off where a select group of players throw their hats and their reputations into the ring for a good old fashioned slugfest. Maybe in between the normal jams and held downstairs with an admission fee - just a thought ...

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