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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!

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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.

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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, March 05, 2010

SAGE GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL PREVIEW - SCOTTISH NATIONAL JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Over the years Scotland has produced more than its fair share of outstanding jazz musicians and this concert features the cream of the current crop in a fascinating big band excursion under the direction of Tommy Smith.
Tommy, himself a sax player of international renown, leads a big band that features such players as Ryan Quigley, Paul Towndrow, Alwyn Cosker and Martin Kershaw.
Kershaw I know only by reputation so this will be a journey of discovery for me but Quigley, Towndrow and Cosker are familiar to many in the North-east via their appearances at the Corner House and also last year's Scarborough Jazz Festival.
Quigley is an amazing trumpet player capable of soaring into the upper register without loss of his full sound - can't wait to hear him again. Towndrow has an incredible alto technique that enables him to unleash long florid solos bursting through the seams of creativity. Cosker demonstrated his awesome drum technique with his trio at the Corner House as recently as last month. Frankly, the room was too small for his powerhouse drumming - there will be no such constriction in Hall One of the Sage. His is perhaps the most demanding role - that of the drummer in a tribute to Buddy Rich regarded by many drummers as the all-time greatest!
The Rich tribute will be the climax to, not just a great concert, but to what promises to be the Sage's best festival so far.
The first set of the concert is unusual to say the least - Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin's most well-known classical piece has always been regarded as a hybrid composition. Too jazzy for the classical audience and not jazzy enough for the jazz audience.
However, with Brian Kellock (remember his performance with Sheila Jordan at last year's festival or his duo concert with Leanne Carroll?) sitting on the piano stool that I'm sure will change. This re-working by Tommy Smith could quite conceivably move it away from its Paul Whiteman quasi-jazz image into a work that stands alongside extended pieces such as Ellington's Tone Parallel to Harlem. We look forward to finding out.
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Rhapsody in Blue and a tribute to Buddy Rich, Sunday March 28, Hall One. £19.50.
Lance.
PS: See sidebar for other Sage Festival previews.

1 comment :

Hil said...

Approx 22 yrs ago Tommy Smith approached Mike (Gilby) and asked him to do a couple of Ellington big band arrangements for a concert at the E'burgh Jazz Festival.
Mike really enjoyed arranging Ellington tunes, we took a little Zoe(then about 7yrs old)along with us to hear the concert. I believe it was during the afternoon?
No wonder the poor wee girl got into jazz...I think it was the only music she heard for years :o)

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