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Bebop Spoken There

Wendell Brunious: "Because the blues is not 1,4 and 5 or 1,4,5,2,1. You could wake up with a flat tyre or a headache this morning, that's the blues, man" - (DownBeat, Oct. 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

15878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 885 of them this year alone and, so far, 83 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Sun 01: Smokin' Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm.
Sun 01: Dulcie May Moreno sings Portrait of Sheila @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Moreno sings Sheila Jordan with Giles Strong, Mick Shoulder & John Bradford.
Sun 01: Middlesbrough Jazz & Blues Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 2:00pm.
Sun 01: The Easy Rollers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.70., £11.55.
Sun 01: Brand/Roberts/Champion/Sanders @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sun 01: Papa G's Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Mon 02: FILM: Wattstax; 50th Anniversary @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 8:00pm.

Tue 03: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums). CANCELLED!

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Paul Skerritt @ Vespa Italian Bar & Steakhouse, Primrose Hill, Jarrow. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 483 3355.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Sound the Trumpets @ King's Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hot Club du Nord @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00. POSTPONED!
Thu 05: Thursday Night Prayer Meeting @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Tommy Bentz Trio + Mark Croft Duo + George Shovlin & George Lamb @ The Harbour View, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Harbour View Speakeasy's USA blues double bill + Shovlin & Lamb!
Thu 05: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Ragtime piano. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 06: Alcyona Mick @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 06: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 2:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Balo @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Fri 06: Lexer/Mayes/Noble + Semay Wu + Miman @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 06: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Vault, Hexham. 7:30pm. £20.00. Book in advance. Moreno with Alan Law, Paul Grainger & John Bradford.
Fri 06: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. 'Celebrating Oscar'.
Fri 06: Nu Brass Sounds: Big Brass Bash @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: TBC @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Blind Pig Blues Club. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sat 07: WORKSHOP: Philosophy of Arts & Entertainment @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 10:15am. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Augustine's Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 07: Bugge & Niccols + Moore & Fairhall @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. Tutor: Steve Glendinning - All the Things You Are. £25.00. Enrol at: www.jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Rie Nakajima @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Paul Skerritt @ 3Sixty Champagne Lounge, Hadrian’s Tower, Newcastle. From 7:00pm. To book a table - 0191 933 8591.
Sat 07: Samuel Blaser Trio + Toxvaerd & Zeeberg + Muramatsu & Welch @ Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:20pm. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 07: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Wednesday, June 07, 2023

Black Swan Jam Session, Newcastle Arts Centre - June 6

The house trio opened up with All the Things You Are - has there ever been a jam where Kern's immortal classic didn't show up either in toto or as contrafact? Who cares? It's still a good tune.

Earlier the death of Astrud Gilberto had been announced so it was inevitable that there would be numbers associated with the Brazilian singer popping up during the course of the evening and the trio set the ball rolling with One Note Samba which, despite the title, actually contains several notes particularly in the middle eight. 

Stu sang I Thought About You despite playing keyboard and juggling with a swaying mic stand simultaneously.

It was now time for the jammers to take centre stage and first up was Kate O'Neill who sang Billy Taylor's I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free. Loud and earthy, Kate wrings out every amount of emotion from a song. The Girl From Ipanema, as Astrud demonstrated, demands a more subtle, laid back approach, nevertheless, this version offered an interesting contrast.

On both of these numbers the super Spanish sax star Luis Verde (pictured) spiced things up just as Stan Getz did on the original Ipanema.

Verde stayed aboard for Coltrane's Soul Eyes. As the name implies it was indeed soulful - beautifully so.

Alex Shipsey played bass guitar on C Jam Blues before being joined by the indefatigable Edgar whose atonal approach to jazz could be the next 'new thing' - then again ...

Showtime joined him for Watermelon Man which, if it wasn't all (Herbie) Hancock at least some of it was.

Debra Milne added her tribute to Astrud with  Corcovado (Quiet Nights) although it was perhaps too quiet. Perdido was more audible with an impressive scat chorus. By this time, Jacob Egglestone had signed in and, as always, he delivered.

A brief interval to allow Sid White to switch the kit around to suit the inscrutable Kris Finney's more orthodox set-up before Katrina Miller sang How Deep is the Ocean? An out of tempo first chorus followed by a nice easy swing feel.

Owen Jones (he's Welsh) took over on double bass and 'Showtime' showed as Theo (surname unknown) crooned They Can't Take That Away From me. It's rather wonderful that young singers such as Theo and Katrina manage to delve into the GASbook without hitting on Summertime!

Gray and Verde played Ornithology trombone and alto working well together with excellent solos then, just as the number was drawing to a close, David slipped in a vocal chorus of How High the Moon which is, of course, the chord sequence that Ornithology is based on.

Out of Nowhere had more good solos from alto and trombone plus the inevitable vocal. Is the trombonist who sings fast becoming the singer who plays trombone? Whichever, he does both very well.

At this point, knowing the hoards of 'Kissettes' would soon be exiting the nearby Utilita Arena I made my exit. However, the saga will continue shortly courtesy of Russell. Lance

Stu Collingwood (keys, vocals); Paul Grainger (bass); Sid White (drums) + Edgar Bell (trumpet); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone, vocals); Luis Verde (alto sax); Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Alex Shipsey (bass guitar); Owen Jones (bass); Kris Finney (drums); Kate O'Neill, Katrina Miller, Theo, Debra Milne (vocals). 

(Late arrivals - see Russell's separate post) Esther Coombes (clarinet); John Pope (bass); Jamie Watkins (bass guitar); Freddie Richards (drums).

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