Early Bird Band & Gala Big Band @ St. Cuthbert's Crook - July 15.

Early Bird Band: Paul Edis (flute/alto MD); Ben Lawrence (trumpet); Francis D Tulip (guitar); Dr. Phil (piano); Dan Lawrence (bass); Matthew Mackellar (drums).

(Review by Steve T/Photos courtesy of Allison Fenton).

This must have been the toughest choice in North East Jazz since I became an observer, with potentially brilliant nights at the Globe, Hoochie and in Darlo, so I was fortunate the decision was made for me.

The Early Birds played an almost identical set to the one at the other St Cuthbert's in Shadforth last week, with added Blue Bossa, but Crook found the hard-core Early Birds, the ones who turn up every time, possibly the best I've ever heard them.

Ben found himself bereft of any support in the horns department with just Paul - just Paul! - but rose to the challenge magnificently, playing probably the best I've ever heard him, and quoting Clifford Brown's Joy Spring along the way.

Brother Dan, with the guitarists now standing, has to wear shoes but seems even more into it than ever. Dr Phil now sounding like he's been with the band from the start, totally unselfish, giving Francis as much space as he needs and adding some blues and some Monk.

Francis, at one point playing through a flanger, just to illustrate he can do Metheny as well as Benson and McLaughlin, playing his own compositions like they're - well - his own compositions. And surely Whiplash Mackellar has now taken his place amongst the array of outstanding drummers we're blessed with in the North East.

Paul, still on a flute kick, is getting more ambitious with his flurries and soloing during Hubbard’s Little Sunflower, which seems to have become a band favourite, descending once again into A Love Supreme, some in the band and the hall singing along.  

As this version of the Early Birds prepares to disband there was euphoria amongst the parents and a newfound willingness to dare to admit how good they've become, but perhaps tinged with a little, resigned, sadness that a chapter in the band’s history is about to close .  

The setup, with a couple of dozen musicians in this tiny hall, resembled Earth, Wind and Fire - the most successful black band ever - crammed into Glasgow’s 02 Academy a couple of weeks back. Crook gives me the added attraction of home advantage and a couple of bottles of Workie Ticket during the interval, while Lord Edis and his team worked their magic like seasoned supergroup roadies.

Gala Big Band: Paul Edis (alto/ MD); Dave, Liz, Anthony, Jonathan, Tom (trumpets); Bob, Francesca, Steve, Peter, Lindsay saxes); Chris, Gareth, Thomas, Steve (trombones); Francis D. Tulip (guitar); Ben Lawrence (piano); Owen (bass); Alex (drums);  Alan (percussion); Johnny (vocal).

Voilà, and another band he's transformed beyond recognition over a similar time frame. This is a community band of local (to Durham) people of a wide variety of ages and mixed ability who come together every other Tuesday to play potentially anything in a big band stylee. As, when he plays solo piano, Paul recognises you've got to keep it interesting and has a real knack for picking stuff to carry the casual listener and the Jazz cognoscenti and all points between.

Something from Basie featuring one of the stars of the band, trumpeter Liz, followed by Bare Necessities featuring another, Ben Lawrence now debuting on piano.

Before the first of two Glenn Miller tracks, Paul acknowledged that some people have a problem with him and, while I'm probably one of them, I also recognise they're 'tunes' that people know and are the Beatles or Adele for an older generation.

Then Paul took the lead on Summertime himself, perhaps in recognition that it deserves something a little more 'serious.'

Just in case the casual listener still didn't feel catered for he brought on singer Johnny (not from the Godfather) for the first of two SinAtra classics, I've Got You Under My Skin followed later by Come Fly with Me.

Tom Jones once said 'what Frank wants Frank gets' and he wanted Nelson Riddle and a big band of world class musicians. Somebody once said to me Skin should be the yardstick for every big band performance and, if so, this group of enthusiastic amateurs did not do half bad at all, with Chris taking on the famous trombone attack like a trouper.

Incidentally, a box set of his Capital years has gone from a silly price at one end of the scale to a silly price at the other; twelve CDs for about as many quid and, for anybody who takes notice of the mass media obsession with the Beatles and/or Adele, this is the real Holy Grail of pop music. But if twelve CDs of SinAtra seems excessive, Songs for Swinging Lovers (featuring Skin) is the masterpiece.

Back to the gig and, would you believe Phil Collins? Against all Odds further illustrated the open-mindedness of the band, their leader and audience and is new to me and clearly a work in progress.

The set ended with perennial Lord Paul original Mikey’s Samba (named after a Micra - what else?) which gave the longest and best solo of the set to FDT, a barrage of drums and percussion behind him, courtesy Alex and Alan respectively, during his swansong as a permanent member of the band.   

Event organiser and mother to Lady Kate, Anne Timothy (The Timothys being another Edis favourite) thanked everybody, but particularly her son-in-law for everything he's done for St Cuthberts and North East Jazz. And so say all of us.

Steve T.