Sting: When The Last Ship Sails. BBC1 Sunday December 22.

Sting (vcls/ gtr/bs/narration); Jimmy Nail (vcl); Jo Lawry (vcl); Kathryn Tickell (vln/North-pipes); Peter Tickell (vln/man); Julian Sutton (melodion); Ira Coleman (bs); Joe Bonadio (dms); Dominic Miller (gtrs); The Wilson Family (vcls); Rob Mathes (MD/pno/gtr/vcl).

(Review by Lance).

This was good! It wasn't jazz - it wasn't intended to be. It was folksy and, musically, better suited for review by Ann Alex rather than myself. However, as AA probably never worked in a shipyard and I spent my early wage-earning years loosely connected to the then ginormous industry, perhaps she will excuse me for pulling rank!

Filmed in a small New York theatre - yes, not the New York near Whitley Bay but in the Big Apple itself - the show featured songs from Wallsend-born Sting's forthcoming play, When The Last Ship Sails. Now, irrespective of whether you have been deafened by a caulker or got a flash (eye damage not sexual) from a welder it doesn't matter. The music overrides these things and indeed brings them to the understanding of the layman.

The songs are good and well performed by Sting and fellow Geordie Jimmy Nail along with the lovely Jo Lawry, the equally lovely Kathryn Tickell and a cast of fellow male north-easteners.

I'm saying it isn't jazz but, somehow, even when Sting talks you think jazz - he has a cadence to his voice that he didn't get from living in Wallsend. Or maybe he did. I recall gigs at the Memorial Hall in Wallsend by Johnny Dankworth and Mick Mulligan as well as a few local jazz bands. These gigs were whilst Sting was still a toddlin' Gordon but perhaps they left something in the air that hung around and settled on the then Master Sumner and inspired him to become the worldwide phenomenon that he eventually did.

I can't wait to see the actual play but, in the meantime, the show's got a few iplayer days left. Perfect Xmas day viewing!

Lance.