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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.

Friday, May 13, 2016

The Ronnie Scott’s Club Quintet - The Ronnie Scott’s Story @ Gala Theatre, Durham. May 12.

James Pearson (pno/narration); Alex Garnett (ten/narration; Freddie Gavita (tpt); Sam Burgess (bs); Chris Higginbottom (dms).
(Review by Lance).
The show opened with a clip of Ronnie Scott from the film Misterioso. The one where Ronnie is in his office practicing then breaking off to answer the phone. "What time do we start? What time can you get here?"
The audience laughed and that was the pattern throughout the evening. All the old chestnuts were rolled out sometimes on screen by Ronnie, sometimes as part of Garnett's narration. Although most of us knew the punchlines, even after all these years, they're still funny.
As well as telling the story in his own laconic style (along with occasional observations by Pearson) Garnett blew some fine tenor tailored to suit the occasion. On trumpet, 29-year-old Gavita captured the mood of those early years with shades of Jimmy Deuchar and the Hamer brothers.  James Pearson, the current house pianist at Ronnies, impressed, particularly with his Bill Evans-like version of My Foolish Heart. Sam Burgess also scored on bass whilst Higginbottom had the drummers in the audience going home and digging out the practice pad!
The set list centered around the music of various Scott bands - in particular the quintet - as well as numbers associated with some of the headliners who'd performed at the club over the years.
Some of my Best Friends Are Blues (Scott); Boogie Stomp Shuffle (Mingus); Night in Tunisia (Dizzy); A Pint of Bitter (Tubbs); My Foolish Heart (Bill Evans); Through the Night Roared the Overland Express (Couriers); Theme From Alfie (Rollins); Milestones (Miles); Drum feature (Buddy) Cute (Basie); Chelsea Bridge (Duke dedicated to Joe Temperley who'd died the previous day); Sack of Woe (Cannonball) and, finally, The Claw (Scott) which had the band blowing on stage whilst the Ronnie Scott Quintet were on screen playing on an old TV show 3-2-1. You remember Ted Rodgers and Dusty Bin?
There was more, much more happening video-wise but those were some of the highlights. Earlier I spoke to Garnett, Burgess and Higginbottom (pictured l-r) in The John Duck pub.
Catch them somewhere soon at a venue near you.
22nd May - Chelmsford, The Civic Theatre
24th June - Wimborne, Tivoli Theatre
6th – 10th July - Henley-on-Thames Henley Festival
17, 24 & 31 July - York, Great Yorkshire Fringe.
Lance.

1 comment :

Lance said...

As an afterthought, following on from the Simon Spillett/Tubby Hayes video/live session at GIJF, would not a Garnett/Spillett Jazz Couriers project be an idea worth pursuing?

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