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Bebop Spoken There

Orrin Evans: “Now, getting a teaching spot is the new record deal”. (DownBeat, November, 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

17523 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 797 of them this year alone and, so far, 35 this month (Nov. 10).

From This Moment On ...

November

Mon 18: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle 5:15pm. Film documenting political machinations in 1960s’ Congo. Dir. Johan Grimonprez. Soundtrack features Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie & many others.

Tue 19: Christine Tassan et Les Imposteures @ Bowes & Gilmonby Parish Hall, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. £14.00.; £7.00. child.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 19: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle 7:30pm. Film documenting political machinations in 1960s’ Congo. Dir. Johan Grimonprez. Soundtrack features Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie & many others.
Tue 19: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Billingham Catholic Club. 7:30pm. £5.00. from 07757 062798 or at the door.

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Christine Tassan et Les Imposteures @ Howick Village Hall, nr. Alnwick. 7:30pm. £12.00.; £6.00. child.
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 20: Hot Club of Heaton @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘third Wednesday in the month’ session.

Thu 21: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. ‘Autumn into Winter Titles (music & songs that go with the change of the seasons)’.
Thu 21: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle 5:00pm. Film documenting political machinations in 1960s’ Congo. Dir. Johan Grimonprez. Soundtrack features Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie & many others.
Thu 21: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra @ Newcastle Cathedral. 7:30pm. £25.00., £20.00., £14.00. ‘Swing Into Xmas with the Down for the Count Swing Orchestra’.
Thu 21: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 21: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesborough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Neil Brodie (trumpet); Donna Hewitt (sax); Josh Bentham (sax); Garry Hadfield (keys); Ron Smith (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums).

Fri 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The White Swan, Ovingham. 12:30-3:30pm. Line-up: Chris Perrin (clarinet, tenor sax); Phil Rutherford (sousaphone); David Gray (trombone, trumpet, vocals); Brian Bennett (banjo). To book a table tel: 01661 833188.
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: East Coast Swing Band @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:30pm.
Fri 22: Dilutey Juice @ Independent, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf.
Fri 22: Archipelago @ Poprecs, High St. West, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. Multi-bill, Archipelago on stage 8:00pm. A Boundaries Festival event.
Fri 22: Groovetrain @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. £15.00. + bf. 8:45pm (7:30pm doors).

Sat 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 11:00-1:00pm. £6.00. at the door, £4.00. advance. Tel: 0191 691 7090. A Spanish City ‘Xmas Market’ event in the Champagne Bar.
Sat 23: Washboard Resonators @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. £12.00.
Sat 23: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ Westovian Theatre, South Shields. 7:30pm.

Sun 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Spanish City, Whitley Bay. 11:00-1:00pm. £6.00. at the door, £4.00. advance. Tel: 0191 691 7090. A Spanish City ‘Xmas Market’ event in the Champagne Bar.
Sun 24: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Skerritt (solo) performing with backing tapes.
Sun 24: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 24: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Washboard Resonators @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. £8.00.
Sun 24: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 24: Groovetrain @ Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle. £15.00. + bf. 5:15pm (4:00pm doors). SOLD OUT!
Sun 24: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 24: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe. 8:00pm.
Sun 24: Lighthouse Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 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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