Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Marcella Puppini (in concert with the Puppini Sisters at Sunderland Fire Station, November 27, 2024): ''We've never played there, but we've looked it up, and it looks amazing.''. (The Northern Echo, November 21, 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

17523 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 797 of them this year alone and, so far, 35 this month (Nov. 10).

From This Moment On ...

November

Thu 21: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Autumn into Winter Titles (music & songs that go with the change of the seasons)’.
Thu 21: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle 5:00pm. Film documenting political machinations in 1960s’ Congo. Dir. Johan Grimonprez. Soundtrack features Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie & many others.
Thu 21: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Newcastle Cathedral. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00., £14.00. ‘Swing Into Xmas with the Down for the Count Swing Orchestra’.
Thu 21: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Neil Brodie (trumpet); Donna Hewitt (sax); Josh Bentham (sax); Garry Hadfield (keys); Ron Smith (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums).

Fri 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The White Swan, Ovingham. 12:30-3:30pm. Line-up: Chris Perrin (clarinet, tenor sax); Phil Rutherford (sousaphone); David Gray (trombone, trumpet, vocals); Brian Bennett (banjo). To book a table tel: 01661 833188.
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 22: Dilutey Juice @ Independent, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf.
Fri 22: Archipelago @ Poprecs, High St. West, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. Multi-bill, Archipelago on stage 8:00pm. A Boundaries Festival event.
Fri 22: Groovetrain @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. £15.00. + bf. 8:45pm (7:30pm doors).

Sat 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 11:00-1:00pm. £6.00. at the door, £4.00. advance. Tel: 0191 691 7090. A Spanish City ‘Xmas Market’ event in the Champagne Bar.
Sat 23: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Skinnergate, Darlington. 11:00am-12:30pm. Free (donations, fill up the bucket!).
Sat 23: Washboard Resonators @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Sat 23: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ Westovian Theatre, South Shields. 7:30pm.

Sun 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 11:00-1:00pm. £6.00. at the door, £4.00. advance. Tel: 0191 691 7090. A Spanish City ‘Xmas Market’ event in the Champagne Bar.
Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Skerritt (solo) performing with backing tapes.
Sun 24: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 24: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Washboard Resonators @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £8.00.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Groovetrain @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. £15.00. + bf. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). SOLD OUT!
Sun 24: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 24: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe. 8:00pm.
Sun 24: Lighthouse Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 26: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £12.00.; £10.00. advance.

Wed 27: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 27: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 27: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 27: Puppini Sisters @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.
Wed 27: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

NYC jazz notes (16)

The Empire State, Times Square, Macy's, all the touristy things. It was another scorcher, 30° plus. Craning necks, looking up and up and up, the Manhattan skyline is something else! Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the Empire State Building? Our New Yorker replied: You got it! This is it, right here. We were standing outside the main entrance! Crossing over the road to get a better view, the iconic Empire State is but one of countless skyscrapers reaching for the stars. 

Macy's. Think Fenwick's x 10, make that x 100. The department store is big, that's for sure. If you like shopping, this is the place for you! If you don't, perhaps other things will catch the eye, for instance, one of several wooden escalators (see photo)! Times Square makes Piccadilly Circus look like a quiet backwater. Loud, neon signs every which way, New Yorkers scurrying here and there, tourists (with cameras), gazing this way and that, trying to take it all in. Beldam, 24/7!

It was time to take the subway out to Mets-Willets Point. In much the same location as the Louis Armstrong House in Corona, our evening's entertainment would depart from the week's jazz gig schedule. 

Alighting the subway, to our left stood Citi Field stadium, home to the New York Mets (National League, that's Major League Baseball). New York's other Major League Baseball outfit is the Yankees (American League). Perhaps there is a rivalry similar to Newcastle United and Sunderland (that's 'soccer' to you). We were heading right, along with tens of thousands of others. Up ahead, there it was, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home to the US Open Tennis Championships. 

Tickets booked before we set off on our week-long adventure, an evening session under lights held great appeal. There is nothing better than a midweek (soccer) match under floodlights at St James' Park (Newcastle United). The thinking was it would be the same here in Corona.

The National Tennis Center complex stretches as far as the eye can see. Much like Wimbledon, numerous courts stand in the shadow of the show courts. The Louis Armstrong Stadium, with a capacity of 14,000, is the second show court (see photo), adjacent to the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis stadium in the world (a capacity not far short of 24,000). Those who know St James', the Arthur Ashe Stadium is of similar size, in other words, it's vast. The Armstrong connection? The world famous trumpeter lived - and died - in nearby Corona. 

Entering the stadium was a 'wow!' moment. 
Seats up in the bleachers (court-side seats cost squillions), this was razzamatazz tennis, big style. Noise, constantly-changing advertising boards, noise, noise, noise. Hey buddy, I'm going for another burger. This was mid-rally. Hey, man, get me a beer while you're there...and some fries The rally continued. Sure thing, buddy! Such was the noise it was impossible to hear racket on ball. Wimbledon this ain't! Arthur Ashe being the main show court, 'big names' were guaranteed. 

First up, Carlos Alcaraz! The Wimbledon men's singles champion was drawn against Australia's Li Tu. In a relatively straightforward encounter, an unconvincing Alcaraz ran out the winner 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. As dusk descended over Flushing Meadows an all-American match-up featured Jessica Pegula and Shelby Rogers. Home favourite Pegula (born in Buffalo, New York) came through a tough match 6-4, 6-3. Close on midnight, it was time to head back to Manhattan. 

The next day we would fly out of JFK, but not before taking in a much-anticipated lunchtime concert up on Lexington Avenue. Russell          

1 comment :

Jen said...

Thank you for your 'jazz notes'. It's incredible how much you have packed into your week in New York - I thought you had been there for at least a fortnight!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your accounts - it brought back great memories of my time living in New York in the mid 70's when I worked at United Nations.
As I said to Lance most of my stories are kept close to my chest!!
Jen

Blog Archive