Vieux Carré Hot Four @ The White Swan, Ovingham - August 11

David Gray (trumpet, trombone, vocals); John Faragher (clarinet, vocals); Brian Bennett (banjo); Phil Rutherford (tuba) + John Broddle (vocals)

A Vieux Carré away day. Bandleader Brian Bennett hired a coach, filled it with supporters and off they went up the Tyne Valley to Ovingham. Your correspondent arrived by choo choo from Hexham, made a beeline for the bar and opted for a pint of Theakston's XB. Seats were at a premium, no doubt the White Swan's publican was delighted with the turn out.

It was to be an afternoon of three sets. It was to be an afternoon of song, vocals all, not one instrumental number in the set list. The vocals were shared by David Gray and John Faragher, contrasting in style, Gray not (yet) yer typical Dixieland singer, Faragher more like what you might expect to hear on a session like this. The senior man - Faragher - opened the show with the spiritual Move the Body Over. Gray followed with Georgia on my Mind, one of several requests during the afternoon. 

David Gray, in demand across the board, is really getting into the idiom, good for him. And on this session 'Showtime' played more, much more, trumpet than his more familiar horn, trombone. Our man is getting there. Faragher, of course, has 'been there, done that', and driving down the A1 from his north Northumberland home to a place like Ovingham was nothing new to him.

MC Brian Bennett kept things moving along with his engine room pal for the afternoon, none other than Phil Rutherford. We could hear but not see Rutherford playing tuba due to a less than ideal seat off to one side of the alcove in which the Hot Four were positioned. If there's a Vieux Carré gig, it's likely John Broddle will be in the house. Here at the White Swan it wasn't any different. Our crooner - did Mr Broddle ever sing with a big band? - is always good value and on this summer's afternoon we we treated to If I Had You and Margie.

A Friday afternoon in a Tyne Valley village pub, all seats taken, pints being pulled, the kitchen and bar staff working their socks off, you can't knock it. Hats off to the Vieux Carré Hot Four. Russell