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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.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Toby Boalch Sextet @ The Bridge Hotel. June 16

Toby Boalch (keyboards), Chris Maddock (alto saxophone), John Fleming (tenor saxophone), Richard Foote (trombone), Nick Jurd (double bass) & Jonathan Silk (drums)
(Review by Russell).
Splinter at the Bridge is a ‘must get to’ gig. Every Sunday night in the upstairs room of the Bridge Hotel perched high above the Tyne there is a guarantee of excellence. This week’s guests - the Toby Boalch Sextet - were no exception. Hailing from Birmingham, the musicians must have been disappointed to see so few faces take their seats. Other bands have played to a similarly sparse turn-out in recent weeks. Tyneside’s jazz audience is large in number yet reluctant to make the effort to get to gigs.
The Sage Gateshead can certainly pull them in – a guarantee of excellence perhaps - whereas the smaller venues struggle to survive. Earlier this month Toyshop presented the music of Clifford Brown. It was an excellent gig with few people in attendance. This week’s gig drew the hardy few. The absent hordes missed a corker. Six young guns, graduates of Birmingham Conservatoire, played their socks off.
Led by Toby Boalch, the band played the music of the affable pianist. Stated influences on band members include Bob Brookmeyer and Booker Little. One thing is for certain, those legendary figures would have approved of the music heard at the Bridge. Bass and drums were right on the money (bassist Nick Jurd works regularly with Soweto Kinch, no less and Jonathan Silk, yet another wonderful drummer) and the frontline boasted three fine soloists taking it in turn to emerge from a shimmering canvas of vivid colours sketched in unison.
State of Play got things under way, making it clear these guys could play. Boalch led by example, followed by John Fleming, tenor. A blues - King’s Road Blues - introduced altoist Chris Maddock and Richard Foote (trombone); assured alto, terrific trombone. A ballad showcased the work of Chris Maddock and a marvellous first set drew to a close with Contradiction featuring powerful solos from Fleming and Foote.
Dusk. Trains skirted round Castle Keep, northbound, southbound. The beers tip-top. The Bridge is the best room in town to hear jazz - visiting musicians like it too. Altoist Chris Maddock maintained the high level of performance as the second set began with Mighty Mike. A highlight of the evening - Checkered Past - coalesced around a bass/drums/trombone section (Ray Anderson came to mind) with fizzing kit work from Silk, rooted bass playing from Jurd and some serious improvisation from Richard Foote (trombone). Glimmer cooled it before Boalch thanked those present for being ‘such an attentive, listening audience.’ The sextet swung it out with November Song. An excellent set from an excellent sextet, the Toby Boalch Sextet.             
Russell.                    





1 comment :

Robert Laing said...

I couldn't have put it better

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