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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.

Monday, February 16, 2015

The Road to Hong Kong with Colin Aitchison - Part Two.

Q: Obviously Hughie, your dad, was a big influence on you not just playing-wise but in what you listened to.
A: Dad used to have a very big 78rpm collection with just about everyone - Muggsy Spanier’s Great 16, Eddie Condon, Count Basie etc. I grew up listening to all of these greats. He was a French Polisher at Swan Hunters' Shipyard and times did get hard with the strikes and other things. Sadly, he had to sell off a huge part of his collection to make ends meet.  Later, with the arrival of vinyl, his interest was mainly with Duke Ellington. They do say that he had the largest Duke Ellington collection in the North East. I can still picture him sitting sitting in his armchair and playing along with Cootlie Williams and Ray Nance. I have warm memories of him tuning in to the "Voice of America" presented by Willis Conover. Again, through this influence I got to understand the magic of Ellington and grew up knowing most of the personel on his recordings.
Q: We know you've now been resident band leader at Ned Kelly’s in Kowloon for many years. How many exactly?
A: I started at Ned's part time just as a dep musician and bandleader in 1993, I became full time in 1997. So we are looking at 18 years now, full time.  I have the honour of being the longest serving bandleader at Ned Kelly's. I wonder if I will get a Long Service Medal?
Q: Prior to that you played at holiday camps and on cruise ships before you arrived at where you are now. Can you tell me more about those times?
A: It has been a diverse and interesting playing career, I must say. I left the North East in 1976 when I was 21.  My first professional job was a summer season with  The Gene Mayo Sound (Pictured)
at Pontin's Seacroft Holiday Camp at Hemsby, Great Yarmouth. When that was over, I joined the band with Chipperfield's Circus. It was a hard blow - I remember muddy Newbury Race Course, 7 hour rehearsals in cold tents  and bleeding lips.
Needless to say, that did not last too long. After 6 months I decided to go for stability and something more musically rewarding.  I spotted and ad in  Melody Maker for a trumpet player at Pontin’s Camber Sands, East Sussex.  This was a major turning point in my life.
The bandleader was Steve Stephenson who had made a name for himself with big  bands during the war years in East Anglia. In fact he had won quite a few Melody Maker competitions in the 1940's.  He formed his show band in the 60's and recorded a few tracks for Decca.
I went for the audition on my day off and recall having to sight read, and play by ear, a number of standards and some ballroom dancing songs. I remember having to play the Spanish Gypsy dance.  At the end it must have been  nervousness as my trumpet sound had an uncontrolled vibrato. I was sure that I had failed the test. After that I had to spend a couple of hours just waiting ... and waiting and waiting. I was praying that I would get the job. When Steve called a couple of hours later, his gruff words of "well son, when can you start?" were the seven most beautiful words I had ever heard.
Steve was a tough, no nonsense bandleader but he could read the crowd and gave the audience what they wanted.  As it was a show band, it was not just playing - we had to sing, dress up, and take part in comedy routines. Being one of the younger band members, Steve took me under his wing and I gradually lost my shyness. I would dare say it was Steve who moulded me into what I am today. It was a popular band with frequent road trips and one nighters. We played several summer seasons at the holiday camps and off season dates were filled with gigs in various areas and the big London hotels, It was through Steve that I managed to meet some famous stars like Matt Monroe, Roy Castle, Leslie Crowther, Bert Weedon, Joe Loss, Sir John Mills (pictured) and Dame Vera Lynn.
I was with Steve from 1977 through to 1986 and it was Steve who nudged and encouraged me to move on. Perhaps he knew that he was going to pack up soon too.  We kept in touch and I did visit him on my trips to England. Sadly he passed away a few years ago.  I am still in touch with his wife Pat, and even managed to stay with her for a couple of days on my visit back last year. We enjoy reminiscing about the good old days of the band. 
Colin Aitchison.
(To be continued...)

7 comments :

JC said...

I'm enjoying the Road to Hong Kong; fascinating story about how music can take you all over the world!
As I have been reading about Irish showbands I was interested to see that Colin describes the Steve Stephenson band as a 'showband' which included singing, dressing up and comedy in the overall act. I was wondering if this band was unusual in the UK context as I thought the 'showband' concept was pretty much an Irish phenomenon, albeit a highly popular one. At its peak in Ireland in the early 1960s there were 500 showbands and 450 dance halls throughout the country, some holding up to 3000 dancers. Was this a common thing in the UK as well?
JC

Lance said...

Hi JC,

You are correct about Showbands being an Irish phenomenon many of whom also came over and played in the UK, In consequence many combos who'd previously been known as dance bands and pop groups re-branded themselves as showbands to jump on the (show)band wagon playing working men's clubs and what remained of the dancehalls or, in Colin's case, holiday camps.

CCJAZZMEN said...

Lance, you hit the nail on the head, I remember being on the road, and on gigs with 2 or 3 bands at the same function, such as The Jack Hawkins Showband & Singers, Andy Ross, Ray McVay and many others did jump on the band wagon in the 60's & 70's. also a showband would play all different types of music from Quicksteps, Waltz's, Comedy to the current pops of the time, even a little jazz & swing, of course Glenn Miller's music was still very popular in that era, as it still is today.

Anonymous said...

The Steve Stephenson Showband worked for Mecca for a short period at the Mecca Ballroom, Belfast

CCJAZZMEN said...

Yes you are right, what year was this, maybe 1960's ?? and did you see the band ??

Unknown said...

Hi I am Gene Mayo's Grandson.
I've been searching for any info or pictures but not having much luck.
Just wondered if that is him playing the drums in the G.M picture
Cheers Dave

Colin said...

Hi Dave,
Yes, that is your granddad playing drums at Pontin's Seacroft Holiday Camp, Gt Yarmouth. This is where I played one summer season with him back in 1976.
I also remember his name being up at the Oxford Galleries in Newcastle back in the mid to late late 60's, when I was a kid.
If you would like some pictures of the band at Pontin's Seacroft, I would be more than happy to email them to you.
My email. aitchisoncolin@yahoo.com
Regards
Colin Aitchison.

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