The Club Croco Tour - Hexham, Newcastle Jazz Co-op, Yamaha Music School, Blyth & Blaydon Jazz Club - Oct. 19 & 20

Adrian Cox Trio: Adrian Cox (clarinet, vocals); Alex 'Honey' Boulton (guitar, vocals); Alex Gilson (double bass, vocals)

The Adrian Cox Trio arrived in the region - that's the north east of England - to perform six concerts in four days. Each one, without exception, would prove to be nothing short of sensational. The first two concerts (Newcastle Arts Centre and Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club) reviewed earlier, played to near capacity audiences. The other four concert venues were in for a treat.

Queen's Hall, Hexham hosts a monthly Sunday afternoon concert series, broadly modern to contemporary jazz. Adrian Cox playing New Orleans jazz would be something a little different to the usual fayre. From a scorching New Orleans Stomp to J'attendrai to Home, Cox (clarinet), Honey Boulton (guitar) and double bass maestro Alex Gilson charmed the birds from the trees in  the Sele (directly opposite Queen's Hall). The trio made such an impression the audience took to its feet, quite an ovation. 

And on to Sunday evening on Railway Street, Newcastle. Much the same as Hexham, Newcastle Jazz Co-op is noted for its (many excellent) contemporary offerings. Cox and co were about to demolish any preconceived ideas of 'trad jazz'. The number that does it every time is New Orleans Stomp. Taken at tempo 'de tear arse' (K. Nichols), Cox, Boulton and Gilson adopted a 'scorched earth' policy, no one and nothing would be left standing. During the interval one punter confided: I got into jazz via Coltrane, this evening has been an education. Another, a musician steeped in the music, was impressed.  

Monday: Blyth. Yamaha Music School on Seaforth Street goes from strength to strength - courses galore, weekly concerts and more. This lunchtime, the Adrian Cox Trio would be entertaining another wholly different audience. Allocated but forty five minutes, the mercurial Cox hit the ground running. Engaging his audience, an informative communicator, Cox flew the flag for the Crescent City and its musical legacy. Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin, King Oliver, Omer Simeon and more, Cox sketched out the history of the music. Three quarters of an hour later the Club Croco merchandise stall was doing brisk business. It tells a story...

Monday evening. This one couldn't fail. The Black Bull, Blaydon, home to Blaydon Jazz Club. Advance tickets, last minute enquiries (I don't have a ticket. Will I be able to get in?), it had the makings of a special night. New Orleans Stomp (whoosh!), Parisian bassist Alex Gilson singing J'attendrai, a sizzling Rehearsin' for a Nervous Breakdown, Adrian Cox, Honey Boulton (pictured talking guitars with Blaydon Jazz Club's Roly Veitch) and Alex Gilson certainly enjoyed their time 'up north'. A return visit would be  most welcome. Russell