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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, March 14, 2017

Lack of Afro @ Hoochie Coochie – March 10.

(Review/photos courtesy of 137 Imaging - Victoria Ling*)
It was a funked up Friday inside the now proclaimed ‘church of soul’ by which I mean, Newcastle’s Hoochie Coochie as Lack of Afro - the full band - took to the stage.  Opening with Roderigo and the crowd being a little on the shy side, it was vocalist Elliott Cole that urged them closer so they were right by the stage and that is where they stayed for the rest of the night. Adam Gibbons, Lack of Afro himself, was up front going from bass to bongos to tambourine.  With these two frontmen, it was so hard to keep up with the energy that you actually just lost yourself amongst it. Then add a keyboardist, a drummer, a saxophonist and a trumpeter to this vibe and turn the volume up to another 10! Seriously, I am not sure what more you can ask for and this was just the start.
It was the penultimate night of Lack of Afro’s Hey Baby tour; the album was released towards the end of last year.  That album also features female singers such as Joss Stone and Juliette Ashby but neither were in town this night and Elliott Cole added his touch to Take You Home and All My Love respectively, which in turn brought the Hoochie Coochie house down.  Cole is mesmerizing. Not only taking to the guitar and giving us his fine soulful vocal talents but he more or less ad-libbed his way through the set when not talking or singing.  It’s been a while that a vocalist has taken me this way. I mentioned the word church earlier. Witnessing Cole’s performance was a state of euphoria.
Every member on that stage was grooving. There was not one audience member that sat down. Everybody was feeding off each other. It even made way for a few little additions of Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5 in song.  If you had your eyes closed they actually could have been there. Other highlights included the band introductions and added solos.  Many a times this happens and the audience rightly reciprocates but with a Lack of Afro band the audience truly meant it and with added vigor.  If we could not thank Mr. Gibbons enough for giving us the Lack of Afro sound, he then goes above and beyond showcasing more of his multi-instrumentalist skills and jumps onto the saxophone and then a bit of double drumming with Harry Chestnut, who in turn takes up his place on the bass as Gibbons thrashes out those drums.  The crowd ‘loses it!’  It was definitely one of those gigs where the night could go on forever.  Unfortunately, it didn’t but we were treated to a great encore
Victoria L.
*See more photos of gig on Victoria Ling's Facebook page.

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