Spats Langham's Hot Fingers with Emily Campbell @ Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club - July 2

Spats Langham (guitar, banjo, ukulele, vocals); Danny Blyth (guitar, mandolin, clarinet, bass clarinet, harmonica, vocals); Malcolm Sked (double bass, tuba); Emily Campbell (vocals)

Almost four years to the day, Spats Langham's Hot Fingers returned to St Augustine's Parish Centre to play to an expectant full house. Mr Langham is a popular chap in Darlington, attracting fans from all parts...Darlington, Norton, Tyneside and Florida. Yes, this Saturday lunchtime concert was introduced by the Hot Fingers' leader as: A truly International Gathering. And with our American friend in the audience it was fitting that much of the material performed over two sets originated on the other side of the Atlantic. 

Popular songs of the day (essentially from the twenties/thirties), jazz, blues and more entertained an on-side crowd. Vo-Do-Do-De-o Blues opened the show, quickly followed by Patrol Wagon Blues, Langham (variously guitar, banjo and vocals) and co hit the ground running. Jelly Roll Morton's My Home is in a Southern Town featured Langham on banjo, on the final chorus turning to his band mates to cue them in on an effective stop chorus.

Oscar Alemán's Melancholia as an instrumental (Langham setting it up with a thumbnail sketch of the Argentinian composer's influence on jazz guitar, not least his friend Django Reinhardt) went down well with the Larchfield Road audience. From popular song and jazz to the blues as Langham, a big Leadbelly fan, recalled meeting Ken Colyer as a young boy. Colyer the revivalist, on learning of Langham's interest said simply: Leadbelly is the truth! And off went Colyer, last seen heading to the bar. And so Langham sang, accompanied by Danny Blyth's harmonica, In the Pines.

It was time to introduce the 'Cotswold Canary'. Langham welcomed to the stage Emily Campbell to sing the first of several numbers, When I Get Low, I Get High. The Ella connection (Chick Webb) continued with an early career Fitzgerald number, Have Another Guess, between times singing a spirited St Louis Blues. 

The second set opened with Emily Campbell, gong in hand, recreating a song recorded by Louis Armstrong, Shanghai Shuffle. If anyone doubted the multi-talented Hot Fingers, this number and many others in the set surely dispelled any lingering doubts. The talents, Messrs Danny Blyth (clarinet, bass clarinet, guitar, mandolin and a blues vocal number) and the one-and-only Malcolm Sked playing bull fiddle and tuba. Blyth's vocals were heard in duet with Langham, singing Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee's Cornbread, Peas and Black Molasses. Excellent! 

Emily Campbell returned to the stage to sing a fox trot tempo (the original tempo, said Langham) The Man I Love, the spiritual His Eye is on the Sparrow and a double helping of Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie. The one song title which escaped your reviewer turned out to be a major highlight of the afternoon. Langham recalled hearing Boulou Ferré in Paris and being knocked out by the Frenchman's amazing guitar playing. Well, Langham's Hot Fingers certainly lived up to the name with a stonkingly good, hotter than hot take on whatever the tune was! Bravo! It had been a marvellous afternoon's entertainment. Next month (Saturday 6 August) at St Augustine's it's the Savannah Jazz Band. 

                                  

Set list: Vo-Do-Do-De-o Blues; Patrol Wagon Blues; My Home is in a Southern Town; My Sweet Virginia; Melancholia; In the Pines; When I Get Low, I Get High; St Louis Blues; Have Another Guess; I Hate Myself for Being So Mean to You; Where the Blue of the Night; It All Belongs to Me; Little White Lies; Crazy Blues; Shanghai Shuffle; South American Joe; Shake That Thing; Hittin' the Bottle; Night Owl; A High Hat, a Piccolo and a Cane; Cornbread, Peas and Black Molasses; Devil's Gonna Get You; The Man I Love; His Eye is on the Sparrow; ?; Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man; Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean.  Russell