Bill Harper Trio w. Anne DeVere @ The Cherry Tree.

Bill Harper (pno); Neil Harland (bs); Adam Sinclair (dms); Anne DeVere (vcl).
(Review by Lance.)

I would guess that everything Russell wrote about last night's gig at Blaydon applied to tonight's outing at the Cherry Tree. However, tonight wasn't just about reviewing a gig, it was meeting up with a couple of old acquaintances and being pleased to note that they had retained their old magic.

Bill Harper is still the master craftsman that he was when backing all those visiting Americans at the Corner House 25/30 years ago. As site regulars will know, Bill's committed his memories to these pages and he tells me there are more instalments to come. Anne, despite not being in the best of health, retains the magnetism that she once wove at the Mayfair and La Dolcé Vita.

I'm not going to list all the tunes - just some.

Bill played lovely versions of Stairway to the Stars, Makin' Whoopee and my favourite, How'd Ya Like to Love me? to mention but three.

Anne chipped in with James Taylor's Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, her own No Money No Love and Gravy Waltz. As Ron Ainsborough pointed out after the latter song, Anne was singing "Pretty Mama's in the kitchen" to the accompaniment of clattering plates in the restaurant kitchen - perfectly choreographed albeit not intentionally!

Talking kitchen, for starters, the Grilled red mullet, fregola and mint and red pepper coulis coincided with Bill's starter of Sometimes I'm Happy. My main course of Bistro rump, Café de Paris butter, onion rings, fries and garden salad was just right for Autumn Leaves whilst my dessert of  Glazed lemon tart and raspberry sorbet was as smooth as the Satin Doll that Anne closed the set with.

Praise was rightly paid to Neil and Adam who contributed unobtrusively but yet effectively to the gentle swing perpetuated throughout the evening

Lance.