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Bebop Spoken There

Ambrose Akinmusire: “ I am certainly always aware of what the masses are doing. And when I see too many people going one way, I'm going another way - even when I don't know what's over that way". DownBeat, March, 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

16287 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 169 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (Mar 18).

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Castillo Neuvo Trio + Conor Emery & His ‘Bones Band @ The Grove, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00. (£7.00. student).
Thu 21: Remi Banklyn + Chris Corcoran Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.50. Chicago blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Thu 21: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime piano.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Nauta + Remy CB + Last Orders @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). Free.
Fri 22: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 22: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 23: Jambone @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Free (ticketed). End of term performance in the Northern Rock Foundation Hall.
Sat 23: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 23: Red Kites Jazz @ Rowlands Gill Community Centre NE39 1JB. 7:00pm. Tickets: £12.00. (gibsidecommunityfarm@gmail.com). A ‘Build a Barn’ fundraiser. BYOB, tea/coffee available.
Sat 23: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. + bf (book in person at venue - no booking fee!). Featuring pianist Martin Litton.
Sat 23: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Park Inn, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 24: Luis Verde @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums). Alto sax brilliance!
Sun 24: Elsie Franklin @ The Globe, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Country blues. An International Guitar Foundation promotion.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Las Vegas Live with the Rat Pack @ The Forum, Billingham.
Sun 24: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Otterburn Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 24: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Note start time - 7:00pm.
Sun 24: Bold Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 25: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Spice of Life

Wednesday nights at The Spice are never dull and never without a twist. The twist tonight came when Emma Smith, intent on doing Beautiful Love (in E minor), was joined by Ian Shaw and the pair went into the most amazing version of Centrepiece I've ever heard. They sang and they scatted in a Bach fugue-like manner. It was something else. Unlike Samson, Ian Shaw's vanishing locks have not weakened the power of his delivery. Emma did good too trading cut and thrust with Ian and not losing out.
The night began sedately enough with Paul Pace and You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To.
Paul sets the mood with a Sinatraic vocal and cool announcing. Behind him the trio of Alex Hutton (pno), Simon Little (bs) and John Blease (dms) tell the singers waiting (metaphorically) in the wings that they have nothing to fear re the backing. Paul also sang That Old Devil Moon later on.
Kate Windsor got the ball rolling with That's All, This Can't Be Love, No More Blues, the Very Thought of You, Exit Song and an uptempo Sunday.
The feeling was there.
Next the headliner Kate Eden.
Kate comes on firing to the hip with Hallelujah I Just Love Him So, Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Comes Love, Close Your Eyes, My Lean Baby, Good Morning Heartache, Yip Harberg's Down With Love and the amazing line that goes, "Give it back to the birds and the bees and the Viennese" finishing up with Wardell Gray/Annie Ross's Twisted. Would Wardell ever have imagined his solo would have been vocalised and sung in a London pub sixty years after he recorded it?
Michelle from New York sang a bouncy Spiderman that was kind of like a female Bobby McFerrin.
That rare species known as the male vocalist got up and crooned Stairway To The Stars. This was John ? who had been listening, I guess, to Mel Tormé he looked a bit like Jimmy Carter (former president) but probably was a better singer.
SARAH ELLEN HUGHES - a keen supporter of BSH sang But Not For Me. Sarah was the only singer tonight to sing the verse. She scatted and phrased the lyric cleverly.
Sarah is back in the main spot on June 2.
Esther Bennett did Loverman and a lady introduced as 'Yotz', I think, gave Moondance a blast. (Yots Koutsouvelis of Jazz UK fame - tomorrow they have Vasilis Xenopoulos!)
Then came the grand finale with Ian and Emma.
There may have been better nights at The Spice but they can't have been much better!
Lance.

3 comments :

Simonlittlebass said...

The singer who did Moondance was the lovely Yots Koutsouvelis... And don't forget Esther Bennett!
Glad you enjoyed the show. Hope to see you at another soon.
Simon

Lance said...

Thanks Simon, I will amend accordingly and by the way you were PDG yourself.

Hil said...

I thought your readers might be interested in a bulletin from the Gilby/Champion P.R. department (in other words me!..lol..)

Yes the local Cullercoats duo are booked to appear at "The Spice of Life"

31 Mar 2010 20:00
Supporting Polly Gibbons.

Any further information, and 'hot off the press news' please contact the P.R. department...;o)

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