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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Sun 22: Hot Club du Nord @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £15.00. + bf. Xmas party. SOLD OUT!
Sun 22: Red Kites Jazz @ Gibside Chapel, nr. Rowlands Gill. 1:00pm. Admission charge applies.
Sun 22: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 22: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Revolutionaires @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb rhythm & blues outfit.
Sun 22: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger & Mark Robertson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Line-up TBC.
Sun 22: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music (musicians TBC).
Sun 22: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Zerox, Sandhill, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).

Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 23: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 4:00pm. Free.
Mon 23: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Mon 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. TBC.
Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. 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, December 18, 2024

BBC Big Band: A Swinging Christmas @ the Glasshouse - Dec. 17

© Lance
Barrie Forgie (MD): Tom Dennis, Tom Walsh, Tom Tait,  Steve Fishwick  (trumpets); 
Kieran McLeod, Rob Harvey, Ollie Martin, Peter North (trombones); Sammy Mayne, Martin Kershaw (alto sax, flute, clarinet); Julian Siegel, Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor sax, flute, clarinet); Andy Hunter (baritone sax, flute, clarinet); Robin Aspland (piano); Ewan Hastie (bass); Tom Gordon (drums); Emer McPartland (vocals)

More Christmas fayre. The sparkly tops and the once a year jumpers were well to the fore and the ephemeral thoughts of peace and goodwill were in the air - at least for the moment. 

Those who groan at the thought of another avalanche of songs about snow should stop and listen to the actual music - in the main - they're very good tunes, at least they are when arranged by Barrie Forgie and played by the hard-hitting BBC Big Band and, if they have to have words, there's few better than Emer McPartland to sing them.

The band is rammed with top soloists and section players. When it comes to lead trumpets, Tom Walsh is right up there - and I mean right up there, the sky's the limit! Tom Tait filled it out with Steve Fishwick and Tom Dennis blowing the jazz.

The trombones (3 out of 4 pictured with big band enthusiast Tony Eales*) stood out as a perfectly harmonised section with impressive soloists.

The saxes, a dream team if ever there was one. Sammy Mayne and Martin Kershaw on altos; Julian Siegel and Konrad Wiszniewski on tenors with Andy Hunter blowing baritone. All five doubling on the usual doubles. For me, one of the highlights of an evening packed with highlights was the pairing down front of Hunter and trombonist McLeod playing Forgie's cleverly titled God Rest Ye Gerry Mulligan. Something else! McLeod, incidentally, helped me with the names and the spellings - thank you Kieran.

Piano, bass and drums - you couldn't get much better than Aspland, Hastie and Gordon. Aspland was featured on, among others, Claude Thornhill's Snowfall. A great arrangement that paid tribute to the original and One O'Clock Jump

Back in 2022, Hastie was justifiably crowned as the Young Jazz Musician of the Year. He plays bass left-handed and there's nothing wrong with that - some of my best friends are left-handed. 

Tom Gordon drove things along swingingly before exploding on the Sing, Sing, Sing finale. Forgie gave this Christmas credibility by mentioning Handel's Christmas oratorio The Messiah in his introduction - one Messiah to another!

Which brings me to Emer McPartland. What a great voice with an incredible range. Part West End, part jazz, the perfect mix for an evening such as this.

Knocked out! Lance

Deck the Halls; Ding Dong Merrily on High; Silent Night; Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend (v); Embraceable You (v); Santa Baby (v); Winter Wonderland (v); Sleigh Ride; Snowfall; One O'Clock Jump; Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer; God Rest Ye Gerry Mulligan; Let it Snow; I've Got my Love to Keep me Warm (v); The Christmas Song (v); 'S Wonderful (v); Santa Claus is Coming to Town (v); Hot Toddy; Christmas Medley; White Christmas (v); Sing, Sing, Sing

* Photo (l-r): Kieran McLeod, Ollie Martin, Pete North, Tony Eales

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