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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, July 11, 2016

The Reunion @ Blaydon Jazz Club. July 10

Colin Aitchison (trumpet & vocals), Franco Valussi (clarinet & tenor saxophone), Steve Andrews (tenor saxophone & clarinet), Roly Veitch (guitar) & Roy Cansdale (bass guitar) + Red Pellini (tenor saxophone), Jim McBriarty (clarinet) & Neville Sarony (vocals)
(Review by Russell/Photos courtesy of Jeannie)
The scenic Tyne Valley railway butts up against the back door of the Black Bull. Picture the Edwardian scene…pub-goers standing on the terrace, faces peering through wrought iron railings, necks craning to catch first sight of the Flying Scotsman. You could say an everyday occurrence, except this is 2016. Blaydon Jazz Club’s monthly gig was about to begin in the lounge of the Black Bull but not before a battery of iPhone snappers got that all-important shot. Here she comes! The iconic engine hurtled past hauling its carriages - carriages full of steam train buffs who, no doubt, paid a pretty penny for the privilege - to Newcastle Central. In this era of the instant image, the results of the assembled snappers were, for the most part, unlikely to feature on the front cover of Steam Train Weekly.
The Flying Scotsman way down the line, thoughts turned to jazz…Hong Kong style jazz. Colin Aitchison was in town and as usual he brought with him Franco Valussi. An Italian living in Hong Kong, Valussi is a fabulous clarinet player. Previous visits won him praise from all quarters. Those in the know knew they couldn’t miss this one. Ex-pat Aitchison, a jazz man to his core, leads a stompin’ session at Ned Kelly’s in Kowloon. It’s anyone’s guess how many great players sit-in (let’s book a flight to Hong Kong and check it out!), Valussi we knew about but we didn’t know about Red Pellini or Neville Sarony. We were about to find out…
Lady be Good, Tea for Two with Aitchison leading with the verse, an apposite Slow Boat (to you know where), Aitchison and Valussi crooning it on Jeepers Creepers with Italian tenor player Red Pellini in on the fun, this was the stuff! ‘Red’ (now there’s a proper jazz name) produced such a big sound it came as something of a shock to the system, making Earl Bostic appear timid in comparison! Signor Pellini has worked with Bob Wilber – in other words, he can play. Local lad, long-since Cumbrian resident, Steve Andrews played tenor every bit as well as our Italian guest and made sure he got in the one-liners, such as, when looking quizzically at his tenor: It was in tune when I bought it!
The Rolls Royce rhythm section, seated at the back, purred. Messrs Roly Veitch, guitar, and Roy Cansdale, bass guitar, didn’t miss a beat, nor any of the jokes, chuckling away as Aitchison and Andrews entertained out front. The band permutations were many; a tenor trio, later a three-clarinet front line of Valussi, Andrews and Jim McBriarty. Yes, Maine Street mainstay McBriarty, earlier in the day to be heard outside Tynemouth Priory, made the trip to Blaydon. A class act is McBriarty. A rousing Exactly Like You concluded the first set, with, as Colin Aitchison observed, the Blaydon Black Bull Big Band. All hands on deck including vocalist Mr Neville Sarony, surely the debonair one at Ned Kelly’s.   
The Black Bull was busy. When word gets around that the Reunion Band is back in town the goggle box gets switched-off and a b-line is made to Bridge Street, Blaydon. A Flying Scotsman, Black Sheep Bitter, a raffle, a chat and before you know it’s the second set.
In a Mellotone, Fats promising to write that letter courtesy of Neville Sarony, described by Aichison as Ned Kelly’s ‘QC - Quality Controller’ and a stinging critique of Donald Trump thanks to Sarony’s updated lyrics to It Had to be You. A two-tenor highlight on Apex Blues threatened to steal the show with Andrews and Pellini going for it, as did the clarinet duo Valussi and McBriarty with Aitchison first growling then plungering.
Bill Bailey took us up to closing time. The full band, vocals, snapping jazz fingers, great playing. More! More! It should be noted (this ain’t fair) Franco Valussi, clarinet virtuoso also played some great tenor. Why don’t these musos settle for being good at one thing? So, an encore was won. Ain’t Misbehavin’. Ain’t kiddin’, this was one great session. Next month at Blaydon Jazz Club (August 21) a jazz piano trio worth travelling many a mile to hear, the Dean Stockdale Trio will be playing Oscar, Stockdale originals and more with a top class bass and drums pairing – Mick Shoulder and Adam Sinclair. Eight o’clock, see you there.
Photos.                      
Russell.

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