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Bebop Spoken There

Simon Spillett: “ Bebop and hard bop came naturally to him [Tubby Hayes]". Morning Star, March 28, 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

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.
Fri 29: True Colours @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 9:00pm. Blues, jazz & swing.

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.

Thu 04: FILM: Soul @ Forum Cinema, Hexham. 2:00pm. Jazz-themed film animation.
Thu 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Funky Drummer @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 04: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

GIJF Day Three: Fragments Of Splinter With Wilson & Williams and Roby Glod Trio

Mark Williams (guitar); Graeme Wilson (tenor sax).
(Review by Ann Alex/Photos courtesy of Ken Drew.)
This concert was a collaboration between Jazz North East and the regular Splinter sessions which take place at Newcastle’s Bridge Hotel. Graeme Wilson explained that the set was meant to ‘use up’ tunes they’d both had ‘hanging around’, a laid back description of a fine set of playing.  If this is their spare tunes, the regular tunes must be remarkable!
A mellow bell-like guitar and weaving tenor sax began the set, followed by the sax leading a more angular tune, the instruments playing off each other by turns.  Wilson’s tunes were entitled Creeping Thyme and All The People which were followed by Williams’s  Almost and Why Not?.  Williams is master of his guitar, it growled and rumbled, then became jaggedly percussive and whined. It was as if the guitar and sax were having a row, yet the guitar can be mellow and tender when told to be so. Wilson’s Back To Square One was a strong sax tune, song words could be written to it.  The music continued with riffs and tunes set against riffs; call and response, the instruments sometimes chasing each other, until the final big sound of the last tune, yet ending with a simple fade out of sound.  Such effective stuff!
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The Roby Glod Trio: Roby Glod (alto/soprano saxes); Andy Champion (double bass);
 Mark Sanders (drums)
Roby Glod had been brought over from Luxembourg especially for this gig by Jazz North East, so this was the first time that the drummer and bassist had worked with him.  I was glad that I’d learned something of the ideas behind free form jazz at the Pink Lane Coop workshop on the Saturday so I knew more about what was going on.  The set was totally improvised, the musicians start from scratch, and engage in a musical conversation, team working with each other, but also sometimes taking the piece in another direction when the time seems right, and ending the piece when appropriate. This means also that the sound and lighting technicians become part of the set as they have to react to the music onstage. Once the audience knows the ethos, we can sit back and accept what happens. And watch carefully too, because this set proved to be highly visual, as the musicians played sometimes unconventionally.
It began with a breathy sax, sparse drums and good bass, then built to a fast climax with wild bashes on the drums, a swop from alto to soprano sax, going down to something slow and eerie, with devilish red stage lights and the drummer stroking the sides of the cymbals with the sticks, then scraping drums, and a tune played on the bass strings with a drumstick.  Then something akin to standard jazz, then quiet and a natural ending to the first piece.
The second piece had sparse soprano sax and bass chords, bell sounds from the drums, then alto sax, a much shorter piece. The lighting technicians had the last word, as they put the musicians into silhouette to end the set, which I found both effective and amusing.
It was good to be part of this, one of the many newer directions that jazz is taking.
Ann Alex     

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