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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, October 18, 2013

Mary Coughlan @ Caedmon Hall, Gateshead. October 17

Mary Coughlan (vcl); Steve Watts (pno); Jamie Lawson (gtr/vcl); Pauline Murray (gtr/vcl).
(Review by Lance.)
Mary Coughlan has lived the life, known the pain and came through it as an artist capable of talking about and overcoming her demons and, ultimately, turning them into some of the most heartfelt and impassioned works of art heard in recent years. This was hardly a jazz gig although the sheer depth of emotion displayed evoked the spirit of Billie Holiday and Judy Garland without sounding remotely like either.
Coughlan is unique - her own woman - a singer revered the world over who drew a good crowd into Caedmon Hall including some of the few who'd bought tickets for Wednesday night's Darlo gig that was cancelled because of poor ticket sales. No such problem tonight at this Tyneside Irish Festival/Jumpin' Hot Club event, the audience soon filled up the cabaret style set up and when the lady came on for the final set they gobbled up every word from her - blarney and all.

Just a Friend of Mine, a song about a ménage-a-trois, not only had an amusing lyric sung very effectively but also some great piano from Watts, a young man to watch out for. Guitarist Lawson who'd earlier played a solo support slot augmented the duo  for a song "written", said Mary, "By my first ex-husband!". Forgotten the title - it could have been Lost Without the Double Cross.
Heartbreak Hotel, just piano and voice, brought forth a delicacy that eluded Elvis all those years ago. Once again Watts knew what's what. Ancient Rain and a poignant rendition of Love Will Tear Us Apart were more cutting edge examples of Coughlan's craft - she gets to the nitty gritty of a sung and makes it her own.
We weren't letting her go that easy and they returned for I'd Rather Go Blind wrapping things up perfectly. Not surprisingly, a lot of CDs were sold afterwards.
The evening had begun with a solo set from the former lead singer of '70s punk band  Penetration, Pauline Murray (left), who, 35 years on, didn't look a day older than she did then!
I suspect this was her first solo gig yet she handled it well. Accompanying herself on acoustic guitar Murray's voice retains a punk edge to it and her program of "dark" songs, mainly in a minor key, set the mood for an evening of delightful depression (my phrase). There were few happy songs from any of the three artists yet these songs of inner torment made this audience very happy!
Jamie Lawson had more of a country feel to his voice and the amplified guitar a smoother sound. I particularly liked It's Cold in Ohio (but warm next to you.). It was a good set that whetted our appetites for the "Main Event". In the top photo Jamie is directly behind Coughlan with Watts bringing up the rear.
Lance.

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