Jazz at the Lit and Phil – March-July 2018

All concerts are 1-2pm

March 16^th – James Harrison Trio - £5 admission

James Harrison is a recent graduate of the prestigious BMus course from Sage, Gateshead. He has quickly established himself as a recognised figure on the North East jazz scene regularly working with a host of different bands including the Lindsay Hannon Plus, Mick Donnelly's Musicians' Unlimited and giving regular solo performances. His trio will perform a mixture of standards alongside pieces you wouldn't perhaps expect to be played in a jazzy fashion!

www.jamesharrisonmusician.com

April 6^th – James Birkett and Bradley Johnston Duo - £5 admission

From Eddie Lang, through Django Reinhardt, to Pat Metheny and beyond, the guitar continues to have a universal appeal. James and Bradley present a programme of music by some of the most influential players of the last hundred years – taking the audience on a musical journey which moves from early jazz and blues, through swing and bebop, to cool and contemporary jazz.

May 4^th – Alan Barnes and Paul Edis - £8 admission

Alan Barnes is one of the most in demand performers on the British Jazz Scene. A virtuoso performer on saxophone, Clarinet and Flute he has toured the world as a soloist and performed alongside a list of luminaries including Humphrey Lyttleton, BBC Big Band, Van Morrison, Jamie Cullum, Charlie Watts, Bryan Ferry and Paloma Faith. For this concert he teams up with ‘brilliant young pianist’ (Alyn Shipton, Guardian) Paul Edis who has recently been described as a ‘new voice in jazz’ (Andy Hamilton, Jazz Journal)

June 22^nd – Ushaw Ensemble £5 admission – this gig is supported by JazzNorth

The Ushaw Ensemble perform music that combines a mix of jazz, folk and contemporary classical influences exploring longer form jazz. Pianist and composer Paul Edis was originally commissioned to write a piece to celebrate the life of St. Cuthbert by Ushaw College and Durham Cathedral. Following this the band was selected by JazzNorth for their Northern Line touring scheme and has performed at venues across the north.

July 14^th – Virtuoso Jazz Trio  - £5

‘The Virtuoso Jazz Trio’s repertoire is firmly rooted in the very best of the Great American Songbook. Their interaction with each other and the audience is a key factor in the shaping of the music, making each performance unique and very memorable. George MacDonald (clarinet), James Birkett (guitar) and Tony Abell (bass).