Durham Jazz Festival: Ronnie Scott’s All Stars Soho Songbook @ Durham Redhills Miners Hall October 23

© Richard Morris

Alex Garnett (tenor sax); James Pearson (piano); Sam Burgess (double bass); Chris Higginbottom (drums); Polly Gibbons (vocals) 

Like many of the concerts in the 2026 Durham Jazz Festival, the opening night - held within the glorious setting of a grade ll listed building - was a sell out

Although the show has been touring the UK for a number of years, I’d previously only seen Polly, Alex and James at an actual gig. Polly has forged a successful career on the international jazz circuit and been twice nominated as best jazz vocalist by the BBC and Jazz FM, Alex is a very impressive saxophone player and James is well on his way to becoming the iconic figure the show’s inspiration was

A couple of instrumentals for starters, including Dizzy Gillespie’s, Groovin’ High before Polly joined the band on stage - her vocal range and technique immediately apparent. This was particularly noticeable on Duke Ellington’s  I’m Just a Lucky So and So and I Let a Song go Out of my Heart. Both these songs were recorded by Sarah Vaughan who was Ronnie Scott’s favourite female vocalist. 

Press release: New Glasgow Jazz Club

Saturday 7th November| Glasgow Art Club | Doors 7.00pm | Music 7.30pm

Members: £15 / Non-Members & guests of members: £20

A new chapter for live jazz in Glasgow continues with Glasgow Speakeasy, an intimate new monthly jazz club created by musician, composer and Del Amitri keyboard player Andy Alston. The theme for this night is '7 Deadly Sins', and features singer-songwriter Xan Tyler. 

Album review: Arnie Somogyi & Mark Edwards - The Ellington Piano Project: Eastbourne 1973 Reimagined. Echoes from Duke's Last Recording (Rubicon Jazz)

Arnie Somogyi (bass, comp., arranger); Gideon Tazelaar (tenor sax); Mark Edwards (piano, B3, banjo, accordion, tuned perc., comp., arranger); Matthew Holmes (drums) + Sara Oschlag (vocals tks 6, 9, ); Ashley  Slater (trombone tks 5, 9, 10. trumpet tks 5, 11); Jon Newey (perc. tks 5, 10)

It's almost two years since I reviewed Arnie and Gideon at Blaydon Jazz Club (LINK). On that occasion they were with local boys Joe Steels on guitar and John Hirst on drums. It was a splendid gig organised by the Dutch Arts Council and the Dutch tenor saxist well-deserved his country's support.

During the course of my review I made reference to an Ellington project that Arnie was involved in and, lo and behold, here it is.

Martin Taylor @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead - Oct. 18

Martin Taylor (guitar)

A rare (first?) appearance for Martin Taylor at Gateshead's Glasshouse (formerly Sage Gateshead). The stalls in Sage Two (one of the Tyneside venue's more intimate spaces) were well-populated. On the stroke of eight, unannounced, the award-winning, globetrotting Taylor walked out onto the stage. 

Suited and booted, a smiling Taylor set about playing some jazz guitar. Looking around the room, members of the local branch of the six-stringers union were conspicuous by their absence. Perhaps they had gigs of their own. 

Durham Jazz Festival: Jo Harrop – ‘Love Now, Pay Later’ Hometown Album Launch @ St Chad’s College, Durham – October 24

© Colin Muirhead

 Jo Harrop (vocals); Paul Edis (piano); Jamie McCredie (guitars); Andy Champion (electric bass); Peter Adam Hill (drums)

Day two of the Durham Jazz Festival got off to an auspicious start with the return to the north east of vocalist Jo Harrop. Now based in London, Jo was showcasing her new album Love Now, Pay Later, recorded in L.A. and produced by Chris Seefried. The north east connection carried through to Jo’s band, with Jamie and Paul having also grown up in the area and Andy still based here (no pun intended).

The venue was the light and airy atrium inside St Chad’s College; a lovely location, although it was difficult to see all the musicians from the back of the room.  And, like many of the concerts at the festival, the event was sold out, with standing room only around the edges of the quad.

Martin Taylor @ Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle - Oct. 17

Martin Taylor (guitar)

A big birthday but a few days away, Martin Taylor attracted a capacity audience to the rather grand venue of Bowes Museum. Situated a short walk from the centre of Barnard Castle, for the out-of-towner, sign posted or not, the country house was impossible to miss, no appointment at Specsavers required.

The space in which guitarist Martin Taylor would perform was, back in the day, perhaps a drawing room, the kind of place servants would bow and scrape. No such deference this evening, Taylor perhaps the one person on the premises dressed in a suit and tie. A master of fingerstyle guitar, a Fibonacci endorsee (similarly Nigel Price and Bireli Lagrene), Taylor would perform two spell-binding sets of solo guitar playing.

Sunday Night @ the Globe: Sara Oschlag w. Arnie Somomgyi Trio - Oct. 25

© Sylvia

Sara Oschlag (vocals); Richard Wetherall (keys); Arnie Somogyi (bass); John Hirst (drums)

After hearing Sara at the Lit & Phil's sold-out gig on Friday lunchtime I couldn't wait to hear her again - two days and change seemed a lifetime away. 

The rain, the storm and the uncertainty of the rail network precluded my intended trips to the highly successful Durham Jazz Festival so I subjected my self to watching soccer on Sky with wins for Boro, Toon and a windswept draw for the Mackems.

At last the wait was over and I arrived at the Globe. The downstairs bar was wall to wall crammed with folks 'drinking for England'. I correctly surmised they were heading for the nearby Arena where some pop/rock band or other were appearing. I stood perplexed and wondered if I'd put the clocks back by a day rather than an hour until some one informed me that the jazz gig was, this particular Sunday, being held upstairs. Methinks a meeter/greeter would have been useful!

Preview: Tonight @ the Globe - Sara Oschlag w. Arnie Somogyi Trio

There is a treat in store for you tonight at the Globe. If you saw Sara Oschlag at the Lit & Phil on Friday lunchtime  or the Ship Isis on Friday evening you will know what I'm talking about. I heard/saw her at the Lit & Phil and it was out of this world. I can't wait to repeat the experience tonight.

Sara's also at Hexham this afternoon as we speak - do both if you can but, come hell and highwater (which might be the case!) but don't miss out or you'll live a life of regret! Lance

Jazz is where you find it...

A couple of new (to me) sites that are worth checking out.

The Jimmy Deuchar Archives. As the name implies this F/b site is dedicated to the memory of the late, great Scottish trumpet player Jimmy Deuchar who many of us remember either live or on record from his work with Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes and the Kenny Clarke, Francy Boland Big Band to mention but some. Lots of info here for us boppers to absorb.

Jazzland, the longest running jazz club in Austria, was brought to my attention yesterday by Mike Farmer who'd flown over by a circuitous route to Vienna to hear Greg Abate. There's a host of interesting items including photos of the many greates who have played. Looking at the names I guess a lot of them crossed the North Sea to play UK gigs including Newcastle's Corner House.

Just goes to show that the adage seek and ye shall find applies very much to jazz in all its many forms. Lance

Late Night Chicago Radio with Denny Farrell (Oct. 22-29)

Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster: Tangerine.

Dave Brubeck: That Old Feeling.

Peggy Lee: Fever.

Clark Terry: For all we Know.

Diana Krall: Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You?.

Bill Evans: My Romance.

Fats Waller & Peggy Dade: Georgia on my Mind.

Kay Starr: He's Funny That Way.

Oscar Peterson: Night Train.

Jack Teagarden: We Called it Music.

Joe Venuti & Zoot Sims: The Girl.

LISTEN 24/7.