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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.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Schmazz @ The Jazz Café - Troyka/Pulcinella

Troyka: Kit Downes (keyboards); Chris Montague (guitar); Josh Blackmore (drums)
Pulcinella: Ferdinand Doumerc (reeds); Florian Demonsant (accordion); Jean-Marc Serpin (double bass); Frédéric Cavallin (drums). 
(Review by Steve H.)
A packed to the rafters Jazz Café last night witnessed a mesmerising double bill from British trio Troyka and French quartet Pulchinella in a Schmazz/ Match and Fuse collaboration. Forget the Tour De France this was the Tour de Force.
The first set was led out by Troyka featuring  returning Geordie guitar hero Chris Montague. .
Montague explained that  since childhood  he has suffered  from  Ornitholobia (fear of birds) after an unfortunate encounter  with  a dead seagull on a beach . It was this fear that inspired several  of the tunes performed. The  band really hit a groove moving through all the gears with their high energy rocky, bluesy , electroniky brand of jazz. Kit Downes on keys  and Josh Blackmore on drums blended seamlessly with Montague on guitar and loops.  The set finished to rapturous applause and I was left wondering how the next band could possibly be anything other than an anti-climax?
How wrong I was the French band Pulcinella on paper have little in common with Troyka  but they soon proved to be their equals in terms of ability to both surprise and entertain . What followed was a joy as the musical styles of Jazz, folk, tango (to name but 3) were all fused together  in unique combinations with marvellous playing from all 4 musicians soaring sax solos from Doumerc, lyrical accordion playing  by Demonsant,  bass playing accompanied by some strange gurning dancing from Serpin . Not to be outshone drummer Cavallin injected  glockenspiel and  swanee whistle additions to the mix. The music ebbed and flowed it was like being  taken for a  breath taking trip on a Wurlitzer (sic).  At the end of the set the crowd rose to applaud the Gallic warriors .  C’est magnifique indeed..
But if that was not enough a septet was formed to conclude the night’s proceedings as both bands joined together to perform a Montague piece Oliver Reed  dedicated to one of the last great hell raisers.
As the enthralled audience filtered out of the building they were accompanied rather inappropriately by Weather Report’s  Birdbland (sic)  on the PA a pertinent reminder maybe  of just how far Jazz has moved on .    
Steve H.

1 comment :

Lance said...

Dead Seagulls? You're right Steve, jazz has certainly moved "on"!

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