House of the Black Gardenia @ The Cumberland, Newcastle - June 5

(Picture by Russell)

Elise Rana (vocals, washboard); Pete Tanton (trumpet); David Gray (trombone); Keith Robinson (tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet, flute); Katja Roberts (violin); Elliott Rush (piano); Michael Littlefield (guitar, banjo, vocals); Neil Hopper (bass, sousaphone); Kit Haigh (drums, guitar, vocals).

Jazz on a summer's day? Great idea, maybe shoot a movie! I see, they've already done that? Then let's do another one.

Here's the synopsis: We get a band playing hot, bluesy, pre-war swing in a pub garden where the ale is flowing faster than the waters of the nearby Tyne and sometimes tastes better.

The above scenario was, of course, inspired by the fact that the Black Gardenia, House of, were back in town and, if such a film was ever made (and there was a very professional looking geezer with camera and tripod going around shooting pics...), this early evening session would certainly fit the bill.

Although we'd heard it all before, familiarity didn't breed contempt and why should it? You buy a record and, if it sounded different the next time you played it you would go and demand your money back!

That didn't enter the equation today as, with a couple of ringers in the form of Pete Tanton, depping for his fellow trumpet man in the SSBB Michael Lamb, and keyboardist Rush's comping provided further impetus for the soloists, there were differences.

I'm not going to allocate points like the sportswriters do after a match. How can you equate Robbo's solos on four different horns with Tanton's emotive outpourings or Dave Gray's trombone blasts? Littlefield playing and singing the blues, Katya slugging it out with the heavies, Elise Rana, formerly known as Bobbi Charleston, Tyneside's own Red Hot(point) Mama, on washboard singing like she was auditioning for the roll of Ruth Etting in Love me or Leave me. These were all moments to cherish.

A great band, catch them again at The Globe on July 4.

Earlier, Rob Heron and Tom Cronin opened with a duo set that set the mood with a country (not country & western) folksy feel that deserved better attention from the audience - one person was even reading a book! If that book was good enough to top this then it was surely a Pulitzer Prize winner. Lance

The Mooche; Russian Caravan; Deadman Calypso; Graveyard Shift; Baby Don't Tear my Clothes; Handy Man Blues; Blue Drag; Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho; One in a Million; Ain't it Hard?; Viper Man; I Can Take it no Longer (there may have been others).