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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.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

A Jazzy Christmas: The Paul Edis Trio, Jo Harrop & Guests @ Sage Gateshead – December 22

Paul Edis (piano); Andy Champion (bass); Russ Morgan (drums); Jo Harrop (vocals); Matt Anderson (ten, sop sax); Graeme Hardy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Emma Fisk (violin); Alex Thompson (alto sax, clarinet); Kate Garnett (trombone); Megan Robinson (flute, piccolo)
(Review by Ann Alex/Photos by Jerry and main photo by Sarah Williams)
What a grand start to Christmas! A different take on many Christmas favourites to get us in the right mood. Different from the first tune, which was an unusually rhythmed  Jingle Bells, in tricky 5/4 time from the trio with Matt Anderson on tenor sax. The piano lid, bass, bass drum and mic stand were adorned with fairy lights and Paul read out Christmas cracker jokes at various times during the evening. Enter Jo wearing a glamorous short, black, sparkly dress, to sing Let It Snow, and the mood was well set for the audience in hall 2, which was full, including many seats taken on level 3.
All the instruments were well up to the mark, with the saxes and brass giving us skilled solos, Emma’s violin sounding superb, and Jo Harrop, back in her native North East, singing well in a clear voice with an obvious jazz edge, and every word distinct. And the three younger musicians, trained by Paul in the Jambone band, did themselves credit. Jo did a very fun version of Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo; then a much sadder wartime song I’ll Be Home For Christmas (if only in my dreams); a saucy Santa Baby, reminiscent of the Eartha Kitt version; a moving Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (with piano only).
 
 The instrumentals included White Christmas (beautiful violin from Emma); Driving Home For Christmas (requested by Mrs Edis); Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. There was a lovely carol medley, featuring the piano for In The Bleak Midwinter; O Come All Ye Faithful led by Emma; and a very up tempo Silent Night from everyone. While Jo and Paul were playing, the other instruments left the stage, then played a moving God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, from various parts of the auditorium downstairs. It reminded me of orchestras which Thomas Hardy recalled playing in church when he was young. The instruments were similar, though maybe not saxophones as I’m not sure if they had yet been invented, but you get the idea.
 Winter Wonderland was the last number, followed by an encore of Mel Tormé's The Christmas Song (chestnuts roasting on an open fire etc), with everyone in Santa hats, except that there was no hat left over for the drummer. Jo gave her hat to Russ, well deserved for his hard work. A friendly gesture to round off a great evening.
Ann Alex  

1 comment :

Steve T said...

On my honeymoon in Rome I saw this brilliant jumper but it was £350 and this was 1995. Had it been £100, I'd have tortured myself and no doubt led a life of regret, but at £350, there was no decision to make and so it was on Friday.
When I first saw this night on the Sage Website, I emailed Paul to say how brill it sounded but fortunately delayed buying tickets and it was only when I came to buy them later I spotted the collision.
As I said, there wasn't a decision to make which doesn't mean it doesn't hurt; imagine how splendid I'd have looked in my £350 jumper.
More or less the ultimate North East Jazz super-group, with our very own Duke Ellington (Lord Paul) at the helm. The return of a great sax player and friend of the North East, (PC ALERT) a prodigal daughter who looks and sounds terrific (ditto the fiddler), and I'll leave it for the ladies to evaluate the male protagonists in that dept.
Next Year.

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