The Up North Southern Roundup

(Report by Russell).

Bebop Spoken Here’s roving reporter Tony Eales has been out and about Down South. If there’s a gig, Our Man Eales is sure to be there. Last week’s Empty Shop welcomed Alan Glen. The veteran master pianist wowed the crowd with his expansive modern jazz piano playing in the company of bassist John Pope and drummer Paul Wight. The next concert at 35c Framwellgate Bridge in Durham features the Peter Gilligan Trio (May 5).

The following day (Friday 8) Eales took in the Graham Hardy-Paul Edis lunchtime gig at the Gala Theatre, Durham. The Studio space all but sold out for the occasion – lunchtime jazz clearly a preference for some – to hear timeless numbers and a few of originals. Boot St Blues (comp. Hardy), Parisian Thoroughfare, Black and Tan Fantasy, All the Things You Are, a JS Bach two part invention – just a selection of the tunes heard at the Gala. On May 20 (1:00pm) you can hear the Lindsay Hannon Plus.

Yesterday was Big Band Sunday for Eales. His regular lunchtime appointment at the Park Inn, Hartlepool with Musicians Unlimited didn’t disappoint. Mick Donnelly begged leave of absence and the dependable Peter Morgan picked-up the MD baton. Vocal duties were shared by the veteran GAS book interpreter Mr Bob Caswell and Young Pretender to his crown Mr Paul Skerritt.

Eales was impressed by trumpeter Bill Watson’s solo on I Remember Clifford at the early Sunday evening meeting of Darlington Jazz Club at St Augustine’s (Larchfield Street) as the Darlington Big Band drew a fair few enthusiasts less than a fortnight before the start of this year’s Darlington Jazz Festival.

Tony Eales heads north this week for the Gateshead International Jazz Festival. You can’t miss him – he’ll have a handful of leaflets promoting gigs in Darlington, Durham, Wigan, Scarborough, Los Angeles and he’ll be enthusing about a new out of this world big band session he’s just heard about on Mars.             

Russell.