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Bebop Spoken There

Béla Fleck: “ And that's the great thing about live performances, you take people on a journey. It doesn't have to be like something else they've heard. It's not supposed to be". DownBeat, April, 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

Thu 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 28: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Gateshead Central Library, Gateshead. 2:30pm.
Thu 28: Richard Herdman Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 28: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Guests: Josh Bentham (alto sax); Alan Marshall (tenor sax); Neil Brodie (trumpet); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Graham Thompson (keys); Steve Hunter (drums).

Fri 29: FILM: Soul @ The Forum Cinema, Hexham. 12:30pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 6:00pm. Free. POSTPONED!
Fri 29: Thundercat @ Newcastle City Hall.
Fri 29: John Logan @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 30: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 30: Pete Tanton’s Cuba Libre @ Whitley Bay Library, York Road, Whitley Bay. 8:00pm.

Sun 31: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Metro Station. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields NE30 1HJ. 3:00pm. Free. Lambert, Alan Law & Paul Grainger.
Sun 31: Sid Jacobs & Tom Remon @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. USA/London jazz guitar duo.
Sun 31: Bellavana @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

April
Mon 01: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free.

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Dean Stockdale, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Brand & Sanders + Faye MacCalman 4tet @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre – May 21.

(Review/photos courtesy of Ken Drew)
A two-Set “Women Make Music” JNE presentation was received with much anticipation heralding, as it did, the return of Sarah Gail Brand - resulting in a decent sized audience.
Sarah Gail Brand (trombone); Mark Sanders (drums). 
These guys need no introduction – although Sarah’s rare visits to Tyneside make this a near possibility - unless your memory takes you back to 2007.  It was noted that her longest established and most empathetic musical relationship is with drummer Mark Sanders, although, sadly for us, they’ve never appeared on Tyneside as a duo until now.  However, Mark performed at the GIJF in 2014 and, prior to that, with Paul Dunmall’s group at Cluny2.  
But it was straight in at the deep end for Sarah, leading with a multitude of rhythms, sounds, gasps and  much physical excursion,  with Mark following her every move through what appeared to be putting the trombone (and her own technique) through its paces.  She combines most enthusiastically an abstract approach to melody along with a tone that varies between great purity and earthiness, but always sonorous.  The duo seemed perfectly aligned and always in-sync whilst each giving the other space to express and explore.  The array of sounds from Sarah was expertly matched by Mark’s equally large array of ‘devices’ which complement the drum kit at which he sat (well, most of the time).  Three separate pieces came from the duo - each full of energy and intrigue, always twisting and turning yet flowing seamlessly. A veritable Masterclass disguised as yet another Free Improv gig in Newcastle.   But the musicianship and the audience’s overall delight gave that one away!  
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 Faye MacCalman (sax); Pete Curry (piano); John Pope (bass); Christian Alderson (drums)
The first set was also eagerly anticipated giving exposure to a new local ‘4tet’. Whilst Faye had performed recently on the same stage (with bass and electronics) prior to Linda Sharrock’s excellent performance earlier this month, this was their first outing as a unit – but you really would not have guessed that.  Nor would you guess (why would you?) that Faye is about to finish her degree and then take that big step into full time music.   The piece they performed worked well throughout.  Mostly led by Faye’s eminently confident sax playing, and occasionally driven by the bass – sometimes rhythmically and other times by loud interjections from one of his strings.  The keys were solid in their support, and the drums were at least that, if not also a pre-cursor to what would follow in the next set.  Overall, I couldn’t say what the style was – apart from nicely (and sometimes surprisingly) varied and truly Improv from start to finish.   Nice one guys – well done!
Ken Drew.

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