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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.

Wednesday, March 07, 2018

Jazz Café Jam - March 6, 2018.

 (Review by Lance).
Two weeks back, the fortnightly Jazz Café jam session was overrun with alto sax players. Last night, it was the guitarists who had the run of the green with Giles Strong fronting the house band and laying down the benchmark for those to follow. However, the evening's Oscar, going by the clapometer went to 'Wonder Woman' Nifemi Osiyemi who gave outstanding renditions of Alright, Okay, You Win and It Don't Mean a Thing. Ms. Osiyemi, I think, closed the evening but, unfortunately, we missed it as the Metro beckoned. The sting in the tail (tale) here is that beckoning Metros don't always deliver but vanish like a will o' the wisp into thin air but more of that later.
To get back to our singer, such was the impact that this medical student had made me think that she should be headlining a gig at the Caff. Now that Dave Clarke's no longer booking the acts, whoever is should sign her up for a Friday evening upstairs or downstairs or, failing that, come in the Jazz Coop, any evening upstairs or downstairs!
The student population present made your reviewer feel very old but, by the same token, delighted by the number of outstanding young musicians up and blowing - possibly more than I've known in many years of jazz listening.
At least four of them were part of the Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra who took out their frustration at the weather-induced cancellation of last week's Big Band Festival at Chester-le-Street by showing just what the standard of that event is.
Suzukawa, a medical student from Tokyo, successfully operated on You'd be so Nice to Come Home to. Shades of Bird and Pepper. All of Me followed. Great tone of which we'd hear more as the evening progressed.
George Sykes hooked up his tenor, Josie Bennington plugged in her flute and Minnie Fraser took the vocal on Take the A Train. Minnie shortchanged us with only one number. However, if you want more you can catch her at Gosforth Civic Theatre on Thursday (March 8).
George and Julie stayed on stage for A Night in Tunisia and Someday My Prince Will Come before Grainger called half-time. There's never a bass-player in the room when you want one. Next time there'll be three.
After the break, it was all-change with Mohammed on drums, Barrett on guitar and another black-shirted NUJO musician, Marcus Tham on piano and Suzukawa returning on alto.
Bernie's Tune, Anthropology and So Nice (Summer Samba). The latter tune featured a long solo by Tham who plays two-fisted piano, a throwback to Harlem rent parties - the home of all the great pianists.
Osiyemi, we've mentioned. What could follow that?
I-Sister, that's what. They did their own thing and did it well. Marvin Gaye's What's Going On? being one of their numbers.
Back to the NUJO boys with Davies on trumpet and impressive guitarist Cuxson, they gave us Bye Bye Blackbird, Four and Autumn Leaves.
Needless to say, amidst all this youthful talent, Grainger, Strong and Walker stood tall. A house trio for all seasons (sessions).
The grand finale with Osiyemi was something we didn't want to miss but nor did we want to miss the Metro...
Guess what? The train didn't show and it was 20 minutes before it  did show its unapologetic carriages.
Nexus? Nixus!
Photos.
Lance
Giles Strong (guitar); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums) + Yuichiro Suzukawa (alto); George Sykes (tenor); Josie Bennington (flute); Minnie Fraser (vocal); Hazem Mohammed (drums); Keith Barrett (guitar); Marcus Tham (piano); Nifemi Osiyemi (vocal); Joe Davies (trumpet); I-Sister (vocal quartet); James Cuxson (guitar).
I-SisterAndrea Ellis (aka Hannah Jones), Lisa Delarney (guitar & vocals), Penny Callow (double bass) & Jerry Drake (drums).


1 comment :

Russell said...

Another cracking session. Great to hear debutants Yuichiro on alto and Marcus on piano. Left handed guitarist James can play and the review rightly mentions Minnie’s cameo performance. Finally, the Main Man, Paul Grainger worked non-stop. Calling all bass players…the next jam session is on Tuesday 20 March. Why not come along and give the man a break?!

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