Jeff Barnhart's Hot Five @ Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club - September 16

Jeff Barnhart (piano, vocals); Phil Lucas (trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals); John Hallam (tenor sax, clarinet); Ed Harrison (double bass); Graham Smith (drums) + Neville Dickie (piano), Anne Barnhart (flute)

Twenty four hours earlier the man from Mystic, Connecticut, Jeff Barnhart entertained a full house up the road in Newcastle with a spellbinding solo piano performance. This afternoon at St Augustine's Parish Centre our virtuoso pianist linked up once more with his Hot Five to present two swinging sets for Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club's loyal following. Barnhart's Tyneside engagement offered up a surprise or two and Darlington's jazz fans weren't about to be denied a similar experience.

A rip-roaring, opening China Boy set a high bar and during the afternoon Barnhart and co did their level best to maintain the highest of standards. It's common practice for Barnhart to sing a few numbers, this afternoon the workload would be shared with trumpeter Phil Lucas. The solo spotlight would rove the stage, picking out Barnhart, then Lucas, John Hallam (tenor sax, then clarinet), Ed Harrison's impressive string bass playing and, up from the south west of England, swinging drummer Graham Smith. 

Midway through the first set Barnhart sprung the first surprise of the day. As yesterday at the Lit and Phil, our American ragtime piano virtuoso invited stride piano master, Neville Dickie, to join the party. Durham-born Dickie addressed the audience, saying the solo piano piece he had chosen to play was, and is, regarded as a 'test piece' for pianists the world over. Cue Carolina Shout. At its conclusion, the applause spoke volumes. A beaming Barnhart suggested they should play a four-hander and so we heard Shine. Remarkable dexterity, perfect timing, our pianists shuffling on and off the piano stool, smiling all the while, bravo! A barnstorming Sweet Georgia Brown, featuring a fine Ed Harrison bass solo, closed out a superb first set. 

Jeff Barnhart travelled from his Connecticut with a suitcase full of CDs. The Darlington regulars didn't take much persuading to make an interval purchase. The phrase 'going like hotcakes' sprung to mind. Glasses recharged, coffee refills, dud raffle tickets binned, the second set was about to begin.

The Barnharts took to the stage. Yes, the duo of Jeff and Anne Barnhart opened the second set, Jeff at the piano, Anne flute in hand, playing Gasoline Rag. Mrs B stepped down as the full band returned to the stage to tear into Lady Be Good (Hallam featured on clarinet). An up tempo Bye Bye Blues followed by Wild Cat Blues (a feature for Mr B), a Barnhart-Hallam duet on Burgundy Street Blues vying for top honours, these guys were clearly capable of playing anything that took their fancy!

To conclude a marvellous afternoon's entertainment Jeff Barnhart's Hot Five went out on Honeysuckle Rose and a rousing It Don't Mean a Thing. Jeff Barnhart will return next year and the year after and the... Russell