A Swingin' Affair: Paul Skerritt w. Danny Miller Big Band @ the Westovian Theatre, South Shields - Oct. 8

(© Russell)

This wasn't merely a concert, this was a show worthy of Vegas in its heyday - all that was missing was a chorus line of long-legged lovelies. However, the voice and the band made up for it and we did have some terpsichorean action during the encore (New York, New York) following the standing ovation after the good times had well and truly rolled. 

Skerritt was in good voice engaging with the audience as well as some fun repartee with his fellow frontman bandleader Miller - ad lib or rehearsed? Who cared?.

(© Russell)

The show had been some years in the making, the pandemic having put the finalisation on hold. Fortunately, it all eventually came together. Miller brought the core of his personnel over from Liverpool, added a few big hitters from Tyne and Tees to provide a swinging big band accompaniment. He also chipped in with some, maybe all, of the arrangements.

A choice selection of gassers mixed with a few more contemporary items such as Van Halen's Jump, Stevie Wonder's You Are the Sunshine of my Life, Could This be the Magic?, Here, There and Everywhere, Such a Night, Come by me, Sweet Caroline all given a big band swing treatment.

Paradoxically, for me my favourite number of the night was just voice, piano and muted trumpet on the Sinatra classic (first featured by Fred Astaire in a movie) Johnny Mercer's One For my Baby. Skerritt captured the angst of a broken love affair just as Sinatra did. Stockdale had the Bill Miller intro off to perfection with Lamb's interjections just right although he could have had a tad more volume.

(© Russell)

Talking of tads, or rather Tadd Dameron, the big band opened the show with Dameron's Lady Bird with solos by Parnaby and Shotton telling us the evening was going to be a swinger and it was!

A class singer, a punchy big band and a receptive audience - magic! Lance

Paul Skerritt (vocals); Danny Miller Big Band: Danny Miller (MD); Phil Shotton, Arthur Phillips (alto sax); Dan Thorne, Karoline Brennan (tenor sax); Sarah Dutch (bari sax); Tom Hill, Michael Lamb, John Naylor, Naomi Todd (trumpet); Kieran Parnaby, Jack Rowlands, Oli Websdell,  Adam Dutch (trombone); Arnar Stefansson (guitar); Dean Stockdale (keys); Keith Peberdy (bass guitar); John Bradford (drums)

Other numbers: How'd You Do?; It's Only a Paper Moon; So Happy Together; Night and Day; Still Alive;  It Had to be You; I've Got the World on a String; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; Strike Up the Band; Hello Young Lovers; Lady is a Tramp; On the Street Where You Live; Let the Good Times Roll.