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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.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Paul Edis and Graeme Wilson @ Jazz Lounge, Ushaw College, Durham, August 26















Paul Edis (piano), Graeme Wilson (saxophone).
(Review by Steve T/Photos courtesy of John Cogan)
I recently said people like the idea of (oddball soul singer) Swamp Dogg, Sun Ra, Captain Beefheart and Tom Waites as much as the music and Thelonious Monk may just be the ultimate example of this.
I've been listening to Monk for years but still don't get it, though I have no plans to give up. I even asked local legend Dennis, something of an authority on Coleman Hawkins, thinking I might be able to use that as a route in.
I missed Edis and Wilson’s legendary Caff performance, or should I say I was forbidden to go, so this was a big deal for me. At the interval, Russell, who is a Monk man, said it was the easiest review ever - perfect - though it won't surprise him to find out I disagree; but only a little.
Green Chimneys opened things up, a piece I only know because number one son played it recently at the Caff and the Globe. It's from the album Underground, so there's another way in. As if to illustrate the difficulty in Monk’s music, I felt they missed it and weren't together for the first few bars. I almost thought they would stop and start again, but these are top notch musicians and it's to their credit they quickly got it together. Of course it's entirely possible that they played the intro perfectly and that it's just Monk.
From there on in it was pretty much perfect: Four in One, We See, Monks Mood, Balou Boulevard (I think), Horning In, San Francisco Holiday, Jacky-ing and Light Blue from the first Monk album Graeme heard, a live album re-released 1st Sep, so another route in. Trinkle Tinkle, Ugly Beauty, Nutty and Epistrophe finished set one.
The impending gig in the glorious theatre and a trip to the refectory and bar meant I dipped in and out of the second set, enough to see it was a triumph.
My views on Monk haven't changed so I still think he's not as great as his mythology, though number one wife is a fan - who'd have thought it? I'm sufficiently fascinated by him to enjoy his music live and to keep dipping into his extensive back catalogue, and I totally get why musicians want to play him; the challenge of playing difficult stuff and the boredom of playing music which abides by all the rules. Several years ago, Lord Paul told me he was playing some Monk and I suggested he'd be playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order, as all the older people became hysterical. Andre Previn could have learned a lot from Monk.
Steve T.

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