2022: a year of great jazz to come!

Future stars, established names, venues large and small, the year ahead holds great promise across the BSH region. The jazz year began bright and early on New Year's Day with the Vieux Carré Hot 4 at Spanish City and Brian Bennett's men will be there again today (Sunday, 12 noon) to kick-off their 2022 weekly residency. A week today (Jan 9) there is an opportunity to catch the new kids on the block as the Sam Toulson Quartet calls in at Jazz Co-op HQ (The Globe, Railway St, Newcastle). BSH heard alto saxophonist Sam and the Ho brothers - Edgar, piano, Oscar, bass - at the back end of last year sitting in at a Black Swan jam session. Toulson's gig is highly recommended! And on Jan 21 pianist John Law presents his Renaissance project in the imposing setting of Durham Cathedral.

February: it's non-stop jazz! Highlights...a Tenement Jazz Band double header (Sat 5) at Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club (12:30pm) & Prohibition Bar, Newcastle (8:00pm), NYJO playing the music of Amy Winehouse visits Sunderland's Fire Station (Thursday 10), Alan Barnes returns to Darlington's Opus 4 Jazz Club (Friday 11), Gosforth Civic Theatre presents Byron Wallen (Friday 18) and rounding off the month, there's a big one...Michael Lamb's magnificent Strictly Smokin' Big Band will be playing the music of Duke Ellington alongside special guest Pete Long at Sage Gateshead (Sat 26). Top tip, it's almost sold out, book here.

And to March: it's non-stop jazz! A favourite event of this, or any, year takes place over the weekend of Fri 4 - Sun 6. The Great North Big Band Jazz Festival is a feast of big band jazz and it never fails to impress. It's competitive, no question abut it, but it's all about supporting the many bands who travel a distance (some closer to home than others!) to take part in a marvellous occasion. From the youngest musicians (some not yet in their teens) to senior, established outfits, the event at Park View Community Centre in Chester le Street is unmissable! Mid-month, three concerts on successive evenings look like the pick of the rest - Ronnie Scott's All Stars appear at Middlesbrough Town Hall (Thursday 17), the Binker Golding Quartet can be heard at Sage Gateshead (Fri 18) and on Saturday 19 Will Todd's Passion Music featuring Voices of Hope and members of the Strictly Smokin' Big Band will be performed in All Saints, Church, Newcastle. 

That's the first quarter of 2022, there is much more to come.
Russell