Tough Task For TASQ at East Rainton.

Russell Henderson (ten/alt), Adam Hastings (gtr), Sam Vickery (bs), Dan Hayman (dms).

TASQ are an imaginative jazz/funk unit that can really get the adrenalin going - those professors down at Leeds, like their counterparts in Newcastle, have certainly got the curriculum finely tuned and all four are worthy of a Summa Cum Laude badge as Eddie Condon, or was it Bud Freeman? might have said.

Russell Henderson, as ever, impressed me on both alto and tenor. Adam also had his moments tonight although, by his standards, he seemed slightly subdued - perhaps it was the venue.

Don't get me wrong - The Highfield is an excellent venue but it isn't an out and out jazz joint. In other words, without a majority of card carrying jazzers in the audience, a more varied approach may be worth considering.

That said, for this card-carrier, TASQ's original compositions were indeed original - not least the one inspired by the "Super Mario" game; it almost got me into Nintendo!

"Bouncing With Bud" and Kenny Burrell's "Chitlin Con Carne" were, I think, the only non-original pieces - both got a good groove.

Lance.