Rendezvous Jazz @ The Piper, Cullercoats. December 5th.

Maureen Hall (vocals), Mac Smith (piano), Barry Soulsby (clarinet & vocals), Iain MacAulay (trombone, bagpipes & vocals), Alan Smith (trumpet & flugelhorn), John Robinson (double bass) & Jim McKeown (drums) + second set Liz Bacon (clarinet), Doris Fenn (banjo). Saturday night was Christmas party night at the Piper. I arrived in Cullercoats just in time for rain clouds over the North Sea to chase me up Farringdon Road. Cullercoats in winter is an inhospitable place to be so the promise of a pint, a buffet and some jazz made the trip worthwhile. Seats all but taken, however, I managed to get seated at the back of the room near the bar and within striking distance of the buffet table. 'At the Jazz Band Ball' got things under way with guest trumpeter Alan Smith playing strong lead in a cracking frontline of Smith, Soulsby & MacAulay. 'Careless Love', usually one for Maureen to sing, was, on this occasion, taken by MacAulay with nice muted trumpet from Smith. A first set highlight was 'Swing that Music'. The tune was given a great workout with telling contributions from the three-strong frontline (Smith playing flugel), anchor man John Robinson and Jimmy McKeown swinging it mightily (with brushes too!). So good was the number it had this listener thinking of Buck Clayton with Humph's band! The interval buffet was a feast to feed the five thousand. All present did their best to see it off yet it seemed little impression was made on the food mountain (doggy bags were available). The raffle offered no fewer than sixteen prizes. The odds looked good, All numbers drawn , I went home empty-handed. The second set introduced clarinetist Liz Bacon and the redoubtable Doris Fenn on banjo. Bacon and Soulsby paired well on 'Bourbon Street Parade', MacAulay sang, in 12 bar format, 'Life is Rosey', band leader Maureen Hall sang huskily all night (she sounded good!) and Barry Soulsby did comic justice to Christmas Day in the Work House (aka 'St. James' Infirmary'). There was a hat parade (Doris Fenn led the merry dance) and the finale was down to Scot Iain MacAulay and his pipes - 'Saints' and 'Jingle Bells' sending us on our merry way. January's first Sautrday in the month gig at the Piper will be on the second Saturday (January 9th, 8.30.p.m.,£2.00. at the door). Maureen and 'the boys' can next be heard well before then,indeed your next opportunity is tomorrow night (Tuesday 8th) at Hyem (formerly Echo Bar) on Chillingham Road in Heaton. Admission is free. Hyem Jazz Club is a new venture - it would be nice to see it well supported. Russell