Rendezvous Jazz @ The Porthole.

Maureen Hall (vocals), Barry Soulsby (clarinet & vocals), Roy Gibson (keyboards) & Jim McKeown (drums) + Teresa Armstrong (vcl), Doris Fenn (bjo). The Porthole, next to North Shields Ferry Landing, hosts a relaxed session every Friday afternoon featuring vocalist Maureen Hall and her band of merry men. Today's offering was no exception. Tunes ranged from popular songs of the time, a novelty number or two through to, of course, some jazz.

It Had to Be You, It's a Sin to Tell a Lie and I Can't Give You Anything But Love were just some of the numbers in the first set. A particular highlight, given the composer's recent death, was George Shearing's Lullaby of Birdland.

The second set began with evergreen Teresa Armstrong singing Misty and That Old Feeling accompanied by Roy Gibson and Jim McKeown.

Banjo player Doris Fenn sat in as numbers were rattled off in style - Buena Sera, Buttom Up Your Overcoat and a weaving together of Bourbon Street and Bill Bailey with Hall and Soulsby alternating the lyrics and changing keys back and forth with ease.

Rendezvous Jazz' next date is on Saturday 26th February in St.Andrew's Church in Monkseaton (tickets are selling fast). Russell