Ashington Latest

The nationally acclaimed trumpet player Bob Ludlam is this month’s guest with the Maine Street Jazzmen at Ashington Jazz Club.

This Bolton-on-Dearne (Rotherham) based trumpet maestro's musical grounding began at the age of nine. He has played in the North Derbyshire Youth Orchestra and with various brass bands. While still a schoolboy he formed his first jazz band 'The Florence Stompers'. Bob is influenced by the work of James Shepherd’s Versatile Brass through to Louis Armstrong, Clark Terry, Kenny Ball, Bobby Hackett and Arturo Sandoval.

Bob is returning to the club by popular request following his memorable first appearance last January. Nowadays, he performs all over the North of England with his own bands or as a guest artiste with the likes of the Maine Street Jazzmen.

This popular Tyneside based traditional jazz band has played on regular occasions at Ashington Jazz Club for over fifteen years. The band is made up of experienced local musicians led by Herbie Hudson on trombone, harmonica & vocals, with Derek Fleck on clarinet & sax. Malcolm Armstrong (for many years music lecturer at Ashington Tech.) is on the keyboard along with Ian Hetherington on the drums and Alan Rudd on double bass. Alan’s wife Olive will join the line up for several vocals. They have weekly gigs in the afternoons at The Porthole in North Shields, Rosie Malone’s in South Shields and the Lambton Arms in Gateshead.

The concert is on September 2nd at the Elephant pub in Ashington starting at 8:30 pm. and is part funded by a previous grant from Wansbeck Council.

John Taylor.