Neon @ Gateshead Old Town Hall. April 28

Stan Sulzmann (soprano & tenor saxophones), Kit Downes (piano), Jim Hart (vibes) & Tim Giles (drums) This Gateshead performance was Neon's first in the north east. All four members of the quartet have played in other line-ups in the region and veteran saxophonist Stan Sulzmann remarked how he had recently performed at Gateshead's Sage and across the river in the upstairs room of the Bridge Hotel with Voice of the North Jazz Orchestra (he was keen to sing the praises of VOTN). This Town Hall gig was to illustrate another facet of his writing and playing in the company of three top class musicians of a younger generation. The two sets had the feel of a chamber jazz concert with a quiet, percussive approach from pianist Kit Downes, Guildhall graduate Jim Hart on vibes and the busy, inventive drumming of Tim Giles. Tunes were taken from the recently released CD Catch Me (Edition Records ED 1024). Jim Hart's writing was to the fore, none more so than on Passwords and The Last of the Leaves (the latter a reflective piece celebrating the joys of autumn and here we are in heatwave spring time!). Sulzmann played beautiful soprano on his own tune Nepanees and the one none original of the night was an excellent group effort on Monk's Bye-Ya. Russell