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Bebop Spoken There

Spasmo Brown: “Jazz is an ice cream sandwich! It's the Fourth of July! It's a girl with a waterbed!”. (Syncopated Times, July, 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

17421 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 695 of them this year alone and, so far, 100 this month (Sept. 30).

From This Moment On ...

October

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 09: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:00-7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. A ‘second Wednesday in the month’ jam session.
Wed 09: Shunya, Dudù Kouate & Seb Rochford @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (7:30pm doors). £21.00.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Collaborations - it happened all the time’.
Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices w. the Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.
Thu 10: Side Cafe Orkestar @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 10: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. With guests Donna Hewitt (sax); Bill Watson (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). Free.

Fri 11: Dulcie May Moreno @ The Old Library, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: The Jazz Quartet + Stratosphonic @ Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £15.00. A Rotary Club of Hexham event. The Jazz Quartet (Jude Murphy & co), Stratosphonic (blues/rock).
Fri 11: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Market Place, Corbridge NE45 5AW. 7:30pm. Free.
Fri 11: Crooners @ Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Sat 12: Milne-Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Michael Woods @ Victoria Tunnel, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00. (£10.00. adv.). Country blues guitar & vocals.
Sat 12: Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £13.28, £11.16, £9.04. A two-track recording launch gig.
Sat 12: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Stuart Turner @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Rockabilly, rhythm & blues etc. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 12: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 8:00pm. Free. New trio: Paula Whitty, Richard Herdman, Jude Murphy.

Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Emma Wilson @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 13: Catfish Keith @ The Cluny. 7:00pm. Country blues.
Sun 13: Cath Stephens & Paul Grainger @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Stephens & Grainger, one third of a triple bill.
Sun 13: Dulcie May Moreno Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

Monday, October 09, 2017

End of an Era

I'm saddened to report that the popular Jesmond Jazzerie and restaurant The Cherry Tree, is to close. They are accepting reservations and providing normal service until Saturday the 14th of October 2017.  Their agents Knight Frank are presently inviting applications from parties interested in acquiring the property and it is understood that they have received interest from several parties. Anyone interested should contact Rebecca Maddison at Knight Frank tel. 0191 594 5006.
Owner, Peter Wardle, issued the following statement: "My staff and I have managed the restaurant for nearly eight years. There have been many, many great times and it has been our privilege to serve patrons from Newcastle, the North East and from around the world. Among the highlights has been hosting parties celebrating weddings, christenings, birthdays, 21st's, and various business meetings. One of the most unusual was a party for a couple celebrating paying off their mortgage! I am sure many families will have very happy memories of their gatherings at the restaurant."
Peter goes on to say:"A unique feature of the restaurant was presenting live music - traditionally solo artists at weekends and bands on Wednesday evenings. There have been many wonderful evenings with packed houses entertained by very talented musicians and vocalists. We have engaged performers from around the UK and more distant parts including New York and Washington DC."
(This I can attest to having witnessed some amazing performances in a unique atmosphere.)
Finally, Peter gave a personal thank you to all the customers who have supported him through the years and expressed the hope that The Cherry Tree would open again fairly soon. 
(A hope I wholeheartedly go along with.)
He concluded with: My very best wishes to you all, stay well, stay safe.
Peter Wardle
Thank you, Peter, for your kind hospitality and the wonderful food and the jazz we both love.
Lance

5 comments :

Liz said...

how sad to see this close. It was always my hope to have joined in at one of those evenings, as Lance described the food and ambience so well. It seemed that the music & dining out experience were a winning combination.

Bill Harper said...

so sad to hear but can understand Peters problem-
he was always a supporter of jazz & a very generous host. Thank you for your marvellous efforts & all the very best from Bill & Anne Harper

Lance said...

Yes, Peter put his money where his mouth is...

Lance said...

Re above comment - no pun intended!

JC said...

Having lived in Jesmond for many years we were well used to the inverse relationship between the quantity of restaurants and their quality: from the expensively average to the pretty mediocre and enough pizza joints to pave the road from Newcastle to Rome twice over with margheritas and marinaras. Therefore we couldn’t believe our luck when Peter Wardle opened The Cherry Tree restaurant just around the corner with an incredible initial offer of two courses of excellent food for £10 and free jazz. And it quickly became clear that Peter was a committed jazz fan so this wasn’t just a restaurant with jazz, this was a jazz club. He engaged all the best local musicians and singers, often in a variety of different creative combinations. In fact it was almost the ‘regular’ haunt of the North-East saxophone great, the elusive Lewis Watson, who I saw there at least three times. Later, as it became established, there were fine jazz artists from across the country and even further afield. One of the great things about the jazz nights at The Cherry Tree was that it managed to cater for both jazz fans and regular diners, so that on most occasions both could enjoy their evenings in peaceful harmony.
Having tried eating in numerous jazz clubs in different countries over the years, Ronnie Scott’s joke about his own club’s food when recommending it to his audiences was that “50,000 flies can’t be wrong!” and in our experience this often turned out not to be so far off the mark. However the Cherry Tree was the exception, always providing excellent food at reasonable prices to go with the music.
So much appreciation to Peter Wardle for providing such a great combination of food and music and, of course, a big shout out to the chefs and staff who helped to make the place work so well, particularly the delightful Lavinia from Trieste who always gave us a great welcome.
We’re sad that the Cherry Tree is gone but is was great while it lasted!
JC

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