Darlington Jazz Festival @ The Forum Music Centre. April 21 (& 22)

(Review by Russell).
The first Darlington Jazz Festival was a tribute to the late Alf Hind. I didn’t know Mr.Hind but having heard fulsome tributes to the man it is clear that he was and is held in the highest regard by all who knew him. Musician and educator, he taught brass in schools throughout Darlington, directed the Darlington Youth Big Band for many years and took students to the Royal Albert Hall to perform at the School Proms with the likes of Sir John Dankworth and Ronnie Scott and found time to tour America with his young charges. The festival was about Hind, his family (present at the Forum), former pupils, colleagues and friends. 

A former pupil helped put together this event: Shaune Eland, himself a musician and educator, wondered if a weekend event would work. He needn’t have worried as it was/is a total sell-out! Saturday, the first day of two, ran for twelve hours. Two spaces - main hall and bar – offered big bands in the larger space and small group sessions in the informal setting of the bar.

The big bands – Durham County Youth Big Band, the Bush Big Band, Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form Big Band, Little Big Band and the Darlington Big Band - spanned the generations from those scarcely in their teens to those some sixty years and more further down the musical road. 

The elder statesmen, with one or two young bloods, formed the ranks of the Bush Big Band and the Darlington Big Band. The material was, for the most part, classic big band charts – Basie and Kenton to Goodwin and Monk. Highlights were many not least the Darlington Big Band’s scorching work-out on the John La Barbera arrangement for the Buddy Rich Big Band of Monk’s Straight No Chaser. Richie Emmerson has taken on the task of running the band knowing he has a legacy to maintain and on this hearing the future looks bright. Future stars will undoubtedly emerge from the youth ensembles. Durham Music Service has established an amazing production line of talented, developing youngsters. It is a case of hard work all round. Tutors of the calibre of Shaune Eland, Steve McGarvie, Ian Robinson, Chris Hibbard and others have the magic formula; professional expertise, boundless enthusiasm and the ability to transmit their love of the music to the musicians of tomorrow. One of those younger musicians – guitarist Joe Williamson - played a set in the bar backed by a seasoned trio. It was great to hear him out front, going for it. 

The bar sessions (including a session by the Sound Wave Choir) concluded with a late night set by the Jazz Tones. The quintet, led by trumpeter Shaune Eland, warmed up with a couple of numbers. Eland and his frontline tenor partner were keen to step aside and grab a well-earned beer. Jam sessions can be hit or miss affairs. This one was a hit. In fact it hit the bullseye. Matt Roberts (flugelhorn) – one of the Durham County Youth Big Band alumni – studied at Leeds College of Music and Trinity College of Music and now in, his early twenties, here he was, back on home ground tearing the place apart on a couple of Monk numbers. Alongside him, trading blows, was another alumni member, Alex Baker (sister Amy on bass, tutor Steve McGarvie on keyboards and the excellent Steven Fletcher on drums). You know how it is…a thousand gigs, they’re all good, some very good. This was great and then some! Trumpeter Jonny Dunn had worked throughout the day doing the door, doing this, doing that (typical festival work!) and late night, beer in hand, he just happened to have his horn close by. Well, he got up, joined in the Monk fest and this was as close to jazz paradise as you can get. Roberts, Baker and Dunn – three fantastic musicians, products of the County Durham jazz scene, the Alf Hind legacy.

Russell.