Lewis Watson Quartet + Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble @ Laurel's, Whitley Bay - May 9

Lewis Watson (tenor sax); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

A first visit to Laurel's in Whitley Bay. A former social club on Whitley Road, its discreet entrance leads visitors up a steep fight of stairs to a first floor bar (with pool table!). The decor, best described as 'funky', the place has a DIY feel to it. Dimly lit, the seating 'funky', a pint of Camden's Ice Breaker Pale Ale the pick (at an eye-watering £5.95 a pint), best of all, the sound system was Bird and Dizzy all the way.

Sometime later we took another flight of stairs (no lift) to the performance space. Seating on three sides, overhead theatre spotlights, Laurel's is a funky place, that's for sure. We, 'we' being the capacity audience, were in Whitley Bay to listen to Lewis Watson. The tenor saxophonist's quartet - Mark Williams, Andy Champion, John Bradford - opened, as always, with a searing take on Wayne Shorter's Yes or No. Listening to Lewis and co., the thought occurred...Small's, Smoke, the Blue Note, the Village Vanguard or any of the Big Apple's many jazz venues could/should book the Lewis Watson Quartet.

Song for Keith, No Light, No Tunnel, these are but two of the numbers occupying Lewis' 2023/24 set list. The musicianship - Lewis, Mark, Andy and John - of the highest order, over the course of two sets, if anyone was in doubt, this evening's performance should banish such thoughts for ever more. Prayer to Be concluded the evening. Here's a thought...if Lewis Watson did get himself a gig in NYC, he'd knock it out of the ballpark. 

Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble: Lewis Watson (MD, tenor sax); Lara Hopper (trumpet); Erin (guitar); Thomas (keyboards); Neil Hopper (double bass); Finlay (drums)

Earlier, Lewis Watson led a Wallsend based youth ensemble - Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble - in a short set of modern jazz standards. Trumpeter Lara (rapidly becoming a Black Swan jam session regular) and bassist Neil (Neil helping out Lewis on a regular basis), guitarist Erin*, pianist Thomas and drummer Finlay made a great job of it, playing Dear Old Stockholm (Dear Old Stockton, quipped MC Lewis), Hank's Groove, I Remember Clifford (a feature for Lara), Blue Bossa and Chick Corea's 500 Miles High. An excellent half hour or so.    

* Full marks to Erin. Shortly after the Langdale Youth Jazz Ensemble's set, Erin made a sharp exit due to the fact the following morning she was due to sit a GCSE exam! Russell