Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 2026)

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

18585 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 449 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 31) 103

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

From This Moment On

June

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ 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.

Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £17.00. Trio from Texas, USA.
Thu 04: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues excellence!
Thu 04: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05-Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne. Screenings TBC.
Fri 05: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: House of the Black Gardenia: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). House of the Black Gardenia evening performance. Day 1/3.
Fri 05: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band + IKS Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.00. Big band double bill. IKS Big Band (Germany).
Fri 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00

Sat 06: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00.
Sat 06: IKS Big Band: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). IKS Big Band evening performance. Day 2/3.
Sat 06: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Northumbrian Revival, West Benridge Farm, nr. Morpeth NE61 3RZ. 7:30-9:30pm. £21.47 (£2.77. child). 82nd D-Day anniversary event.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 06: FILM: The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 9:30pm. £7.00., £5.00. Dir. Guillaume Maupin & Pablo Guarise.

Sun 07: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Steve Walker (trumpet).
Sun 07: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Trio: Joe Steels, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Eddie Gripper Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Magpies of Swing: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). Magpies of Swing afternoon performance. Day 3/3.
Sun 07: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 7:00pm. £12.50. Trio from Texas, USA.
Sun 07: Salty Dog @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm. £5.00. Performance in the Studio venue.
Sun 07: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Riding Mill Village Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 07: Swing Manouche @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Feat. Steve McGarvie (clarinet).

Mon 08: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 08: Dave Bristow Quintet @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00., £11.00., £5.50. Bristow (piano); Christian Altehülshorst (trumpet); Félix Hardouin (alto sax); Gabriel Pierre (double bass); Guillaume Prévost (drums).

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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