Riviera Quartet @ The Empty Shop, Durham - October 6.

Pete Tanton (trumpet/flugel). Mark Williams (guitar), John Pope (bass), Russ Morgan (drums).

(Review by Steve T).

We've all been there, do you go for the full set and risk a small bottle of the weakest stuff they've got, or do you put all your eggs in one set and try to lash as much ale down as you can in the allotted time before Mrs T. gets you and number two son home safely?

This was the first Jazz session at ES after a protracted summer recess - Durham students are the last back nationally - and, besides half a dozen oldies including Tony Eales, Mrs T and me, it was hanging from the rafters chocker, holding people in the bar just in case a space became available - not bloody likely!

Actually, I picked the latter option so facilitated the place for some lucky couple, no doubt grateful for my altruism.

Missed the very start as I was stuck behind MW at the bar so didn't catch the title but the second piece was You Don't Smile Anymore, dedicated to the returning students but there were plenty of smiles on the night from gloriously multi-cultural Durham.

If Ushaw Jazz Festival is now Durham's best-kept secret, ES still has the 'coolest' regular Jazz night in the region, and this must be one of the 'coolest' Jazz bands, leaving me wondering why we hear so little from them, or at least from their trumpet player. Maybe, like Led Zeppelin, it's all part of the plan. If so, as with Led Zeppelin, it's working.

The Cat’s Reply, followed by Turf War which found bits of chatting amongst some newbies but, no worry, Messr Eales will no doubt get to them. The band were on form with, good natured banter between band members and the audience, Mark asking Peter if a ringtone that went off was his trumpet, but he claimed it's all the internet; isn't everything. 

A Mark Williams original to end the set - Booze Blues, appropriately enough as my lift home became imminent - found them almost in bebop territory, guitar and muted trumpet in sync before Marks best solo of the set, getting pretty rocky for him and seeming to trace black music’s transition from Jazz to a rock and roll sound which could have almost been Chuck Berry or Bo Diddley.

The rhythm section took it down for the trumpet solo followed by bass, Russ joining in for some fun and frolics between bass and drums, Pope slapping the wood on his bass inviting Russ to slip to toms – ‘nuff said - before Mark came back in, trumpet following him, un-muted for the first time.

I'd have loved to stay but had made my choice for the greater good. However, the most important lesson of the evening was, get their early.

Steve T.