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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.

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music: The Edith Adamson Carillon – Performance 2 of 3 @ Newcastle Civic Centre. Sept. 29

(© Ken Drew)
Paul Taylor (composer); Jon Bradley (carillonneur)

Following the opening performance of this year's Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music last week, in which the debut recital of a specially commissioned piece by Paul Taylor was played by Jon Bradley on the Civic Centre's  carillon, as noted last week for Part II I arrived in the quadrangle just before kick-off at 3:00pm. 

The weather was much brighter and drier - typical 'spring' weather (such is the British weather this year!) with just a few passing white clouds against an alluring blue sky. I found the five flying swans, an artwork frozen in time above the rectangular lake (pond?).  A moment after 3:00pm two things happened. The bells of the carillon struck up, and a cyclist quickly parked up, dismounted and lay in anticipation of another relaxing hour of unique and spellbinding music unfolding.  

Last week's circumnavigation around the outside of the Civic Centre had brought new sights to my attention, and the sounds of the carillon performance were mostly evident but occasionally lost against the hubbub of the city centre traffic and passers-by (yes, people still do their voice-calls 'on-the-fly' using hands-free apparently).   Hrumph. But it was a pleasant enough tour as the bells chimed away. This week in the quadrangle, those extraneous sounds were effectively eliminated, so the chimes rang out, lightly bouncing off the four walls of the quad space. The only interlopers were those pedestrians who knew where they were going, since the two entrances/exits to the quad are in opposite corners, but still just concealed enough to make this an occasional thoroughfare.

The music, being more distinct, rang out clearly as did the 'form' and the 'flow' of the piece, with occasional rests (well earned, given the manual effort required to play the instrument). Yes, it was quite serene, and nicely backed by the distant vision of the bell tower of the Civic Centre set against the blue sky. Looking around, there were both passers-by-ers and visitors-for-the-duration.  Several 'workers' (people with a lanyard proudly displaying their allegiance/identity) wandered through with things to do, but a group of three wandered through and sat for the rest of the performance. As did a couple who nabbed a seat close the the far-off trees, opposite the swans. I did briefly wonder whether their thoughts were lost in relaxation, or given the proximity of the sycamore to them, lost in sadness for one of its relatives.  Either way, the music floated over the space providing a quite relaxing atmosphere.    

At around half way through the hour, I spied a chap in a kilt carrying bagpipes on the 'public side' of the Civic Centre. Time for a brief wander, to check the acoustics once again, and to see who else was around. Within two minutes he also struck up with some music. I think none of us would be surprised as to how far the sounds of bagpipes can, and did, travel ........ and so the bells were briefly outnumbered (!). It then became apparent through the flash-mob of a  wedding party heading towards three awaiting white limousines that a wedding had just taken place under the very bells playing out. The competing sounds lasted all of two minutes as I was compelled to return to the quad and settle back down to the peace and tranquillity which I'd earlier become accustomed to.  Bliss! The cyclist was still there, the three workers, the two peeps behind the trees, and two more (familiar) faces had appeared - music followers keen to sample the unique performace of the carillon whilst it was on offer.

So, a very much worthwhile second visit, and the much longer uninterrupted segments I heard made more 'musical' sense I guess. Well worth it, so I hope the weather is as kind next week for the final performance of this Jazz Festival-commissioned tryptich. Ken Drew

LINKSNew Jazz and Improvised Music Link (links to the label's 18 album releases, including Interlude music created for the Festival). NFoJaIM info Link (advanced tickets highly recommended for indoor performances)

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