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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.

Sunday, February 03, 2013

Nick Svarc Trio @ The Bridge, Newcastle

Nick Svarc (gtr); Martin Longhawn (org); Steve Hanley (dms).
(Review by Lance).
This was a high powered gig that hit the deck running with some fancy stick work from Hanley. This wasn't your usual Organ Trio band. No funky grooves (at least not initially), instead, floating ephemeral sounds that, before our very eyes/ears, built up into a groove merchant thrash and from Newcastle we were transported by the magic of sound to Harlem, or was it Detroit? or maybe the South Side of Chicago?
These three push all the buttons, tick all the boxes. You want funk? you got it? You want Jazz? It's right there. Maybe you want to go a little towards the outside? They'll take you there and bring you back in one piece.
Svarc, joined at the hip to a Gibson 335,  produced some amazing sounds and ran through the changes like the morning after effects of a Chicken Madras. Yes contemporary they may be but the roots were there. Night in Tunisia still stands up to the test of time and I guess it always will as long as young guys like this have it in their repertoire.
Not surprisingly, given that they had a Scofield tune in their set, Svarc is obviously one of the great man's leading disciples
Steve Hanley is not only an exciting drummer but he also composed several of the compositions. What is the world coming to? Drummers who are also musicians? One day we may even have politicians who appoint Arts Ministers who realise that jazz too is an art..One of Steve's numbers - don't ask me - there weren't many announcements but this one, a funky opus that crept up on me, brought to mind Mohammed Ali because it "Floated like a butterfly - at first and then, by Round 12, it stung like a bee - and in case you think this is a crit - it was a honey bee!
On the Nord CI Langham produced some near Hammond sounds - close your eyes and you may or may not detect the difference. 
It was a great gig and well worth waiting to catch the later 27 bus.
Lance.

2 comments :

Val Clemens said...

great article Lance, they sound very talented, and I especially like what you said about appointing art ministers..... and how ironic you mentioned Ali, my son sent me a film on Twitter of Ali when he came to visit South Shields, then my son added to this by saying the ex boxer is nearing the end of his life very sad..... best wishes to you.

Lance said...

Val, Ali was perhaps the last great boxer, To me he was a jazzman doing with his fists and his body what a jazzer does with the sax or the trumpet or whatever - dealing with it!

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