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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.

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.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Calling Signals & Raymond MacDonald/David Stackenas @ The Bridge Hotel. December 10th.

Raymond MacDonald (alto & soprano saxophones, whistling) & David Stackenas (guitars). Guitarist David Stackenas had a teaching/performance engagement at Newcastle University during the week and he stayed on to play a short set with Raymond MacDonald in the upstairs room of the Bridge Hotel. Stackenas plays acoustic guitars, often prepared, sometimes table - top. He has a prodigious technique combined with a robust approach (with or without a plectrum) which, at times, threatens the very survival of the instrument.
His style and technique have, to this listener's ears, certain elements of the country blues picker. MacDonald (recently on Tyneside to participate in the annual On the Outside Festival) listened to Stackenas, searching for an opening. His sound palette ranges from the reflective to all -out blowing, full of gutteral gestures and spittle (the Scot's occasional whistling served as a marked contrast to that which had gone before).
A good set. Calling Signals: Frode Gjerstad (clarinets & alto saxophone), Jon Corbett (trumpet, valve trombone & conch shell), Nick Stephens (double bass) & Paal Nilssen - Love (drums) A long - established quartet, albeit with one or two changes in personnel, Calling Signals come with quite some pedigree in the world of free jazz/improv. Norwegians Frode Gjerstad and Paal Nilssen-Love have helped establish a 'free' scene in their homeland and over the years have played with a 'who's who' of the music.
British double bassist Nick Stephens worked with legendary drummer, the late John Stevens, as indeed did Gjerstad. Stephen's compatriot Jon Corbett cut a figure resembling that of a trad trumpeter down at the Dog & Duck; north east readers will be able to picture Peter Wright (of the Vieux Carre) other readers will know of National Treasure Digby Fairweather - well Corbett sounded nothing like either of them!
Corbett's best work was in tandem with Nilssen-Love; the trumpeter firing volley after volley of notes as Nilssen-Love played with absolute authority behind the kit.
Tynesiders have been fortunate this year to hear, variously, drummers Paul Lovens, Mark Saunders, Gunter Sommer and now the outstanding Paal Nilssen-Love. Nick Stephens demonstrated his credentials in this exalted company and Gjerstad was particularly effective on alto, his clarinet playing was less inventive although this allowed Nilssen-Love space to fill with sticks and brushes, hitting an additional battery of things both metal and wood.
After the gig MacDonald said how much he had enjoyed playing the room. The Bridge beer offering on the night was exceptional; Big Lamp, a great micro brewery, supplied a seasonal beer called Embers (5.5 abv), it was quite simply, perfect.
Russell.

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