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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, March 21, 2010

You Couldn't Write The Script... The Safe Sextet (minus 2) - Splinter @ The Bridge Hotel.

John Rowland (ten), Alan Law (pno), Barry Ascroft (bs. gtr.), Steve Doyle (dms).
This was one of those nights where you couldn't write the script and if you did it would be for Spike Jones and his City Slickers!
The only difference tonight was that, for all the slings, arrows and music stands that befell them, the four piece sextet played music that swung.
Although now working as a quintet at their Jazz Café Friday night residency, they have retained their Safe Sextet nomenclature as it has more pizazz than say The Quintessential Quintet and besides, Steve's spent much time and energy fixing the letters to the head of his bass drum.
However, misfortune struck before a note was blown. Trumpet-playing leader Don Forbes was taken ill and so then there were four.
This meant that a new set list had to be made out with the onus falling on John Rowland. and, as if this wasn't enough, during the actual playing, music stands fell over frequently without, it has to be said, anyone missing a beat. 'Tis my feeling that the traditional music stands that have stood (!) the test of time for say the Hallé Orchestra are no longer practical for the gigster and nor do they enhance things visually.
Fortunately, the music itself more than made up for outrageous fortune and stirring renditions of Bernie's Tune, Blue Bossa, Four, Come Rain or Come Shine, a Clifford Brown/Max Roach number - Quicksilver - and several more concluding with Blue Monk made this a night when the Safe Sextet triumphed magnificently over adversity.
On piano, Alan Law played brilliantly; big fat chords and tension building crescendos that merged into delicate diminuendos. With Alan on keys a quartet really does sound like six.
John Rowland blew some tough tenor whilst Steve and Barry drove him all the way.
They will be back in the Autumn.
In the meantime best wishes to Don, I'd been looking forward to hearing him blowing trumpet and flugel.
Lance.

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Don (aka. billy billy) is AMAZING!!!!!!!!

you rock billy billy! (^-^)

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