Zoe sang Time after Time and then introduced the band "...Mark Williams on guitar, Andy Champion on bass and Richard Brown on the Tyne Bridge!"
Yes, just as it had done at The Sage Jazz Festival where one of Nick Pride's 'Pimps' had been delayed by an attempted suicide, the Tyne Bridge was closed once again following 'an incident'. This meant that the Quartet were drummerless for most of the first set.
Not that this fazed our girl who promptly went into Some Cats Know. Sung brilliantly, of course, but perhaps a little early in the set for a song whose lyric needs to be digested at a time when the diners were, in my case, digesting Salt and Pepper Squid with Lime and Chilli. To follow, Zoe did A Song For You, Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me - the latter perhaps a request from Richard who was still marooned on the Tyne Bridge - West Coast Blues and Peel Me A Grape.
I followed up with Crane Row Farm Pork Steak in Red Wine Sauce with Fine Beans and Paris Browns. I was beginning to wonder if Richard had actually decided to visit the 'Paris Browns' when - lo and behold - he arrived!
Once Richard was set up we had Tom Waits' Down In The Hole, May I Come In and my favourite from her current repertoire - The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines. Another favourite of mine was the Fig and Pistachio Tart with Mascapone and vanilla.
Other second set gems included I'm Always Drunk In San Fransisco, Darn That Dream, You Turned The Tables On Me and Secret Love.
The perfect evening you might think - Good food, good music, a jug of wine (or rather Black Sheep Bitter) - what could spoil things?
A trio of - I hesitate to call them ladies - who managed to conduct their inane conversations at a volume more associated with mobile phone users on The Metro. I hope one of them displays a little more decorum during the service of the wedding she's going to attend in Bristol (remind me of the date dahling so I don't stray into the exclusion zone) than she did in the Cherry Tree!
As Zoe sang - Some Cats Don't Know!
Fortunately, this is not a regular occurrence at this venue - described elsewhere as The jewel in Newcastle's crown.
Lance.
PS: I should also mention that when he did make it Richard Brown was superb as indeed were Andy and Mark throughout.
PPS: Next week it's the debut at the Cherry Tree of ace violinist Elaine Binney and the Jazz Rascals.
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