Adrian Cox Trio @ Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club - October 18

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

Adrian Cox last appeared at St Augustine's all of six years ago. This long overdue return visit attracted a large crowd with all seats occupied half an hour before the down beat. The first four numbers in this afternoon's set list mirrored the trio's set list twenty four hours earlier up the road in Newcastle, with New Orleans Stomp all but blowing the roof off the Larchfield Street venue. Those in the audience hearing Adrian Cox for the first time - and everyone else - were all but blown away. 

Makin' Runs, the title track from Cox's 2014 EP, introduced material other than on the trio's current album, Club Croco. Similarly, Rosetta (Cox clarinet and vocals). The arrangements honed to a tee, the performance one of spontaneity, we were listening to three master musicians at work - Cox in his element, Honey Boulton's magical guitar playing, double bassist Alex Gilson playing acoustically. Très bon! 

Album review: Louis Stewart, Brian Dunning - Alone Together (Livia Records)

Louis Stewart (guitar); Brian Dunning (flute)

Originally released on LP in 1979 and on CD in 1999, this remastered version comes with two previously unreleased studio tracks that were uncovered during the re-mix process.

Recorded live at Dublin's Peacock Theatre this is a worthy addition to Stewart's ever growing legacy. With every album that is rediscovered the legend grows and the global recognition he received was no more than he deserved. 

He recorded in many different formats with legends such as Benny Goodman, J.J. Johnson, George Shearing, Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes to mention but a few. However, as typified by this album he was particularly at home in a duo setting with musicians of similar standing e.g. guitarists Jim Hall or Martin Taylor.

TJ Johnson @ Jamboree, London - Oct 15

TJ Johnson (piano, vocals); Eleazar Ruiz Spreafico (double bass); Wesley Gibbens (drums*)

There's only one way to spend a Wednesday afternoon in King's Cross and that's to head over to Jamboree on St Chad's Place, just off Gray's Inn Road, all of two minutes' walk from King's Cross Railway Station. Three o'clock sharp, pianist and vocalist TJ Johnson holds court, some weeks performing solo, sometimes in a duo. 

Adrian Cox Trio @ the Lit & Phil @ the Black Swan - Oct. 17

© Mike Tilley

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

The temporary shift from the Lit & Phil to the Black Swan should have been standing room only. However, thanks to a Metro problem (nothing new there) there were a few empty seats in the sold out venue. 

Nevertheless, those who did overcome adversity no doubt considered it well worth the effort. For me, having reviewed the trio's most recent release CLUB CROCO, I knew this was going to be a calming antidote to last night's Mercury Prize shindig.

The queue for albums afterwards (vinyl and CD) was possibly the longest I've ever witnessed at a jazz gig - the vinyl was all gone within minutes - which speaks volumes.

Northumbrian Blues: The Lost World of Big Pete Deuchar (1933–60) by Colin Harper

MORE.

Emma Fisk's Hot Club du Nord @ St Matthew’s Church, Leyburn - Oct 16

Emma Fisk (violin); Dr. James Birkett, David Harris (guitars); Bruce Rollo (bass)

Into Wensleydale for the opening night of the fifth Leyburn Jazz  Festival, and Emma Fisk’s ever popular Hot Club de Nord. All the festival gigs are in St Matthews Church, which is turned into a lovely venue with suitable lighting, and range of refreshments. It was a full house for the band’s third appearance at the festival.

Emma told us she would be keeping the chat to a minimum due to a sore throat and tight time schedule (Nicola Farnon was on half an hour later), but still kept us entertained between songs, and it certainly didn’t seem to affect her violin playing. The whole band were in top form, keeping feet tapping in the uptempo gypsy swing numbers, but also scattering in some sensitively played ballads.

2025 APPJG Awards @ World Heart Beat, London - Oct. 14

This year's All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group Awards relocated from Holborn to Nine Elms.* Located somewhere between Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station, nestling in a sprawling, new build metropolis of high rise office blocks and unaffordable apartments, World Heart Beat took some finding.

A purpose built arts/performance space, WHB welcomed musicians, promoters, bloggers, 'movers-and-shakers' and, of course, the obligatory politician or two. Oddly, very few chairs were available to sit on, four or five up against the back wall, four or five down one side of the room. All occupied, the rest (100+) would stand for the duration, most unable to see a thing. 

The Exu @ Newcastle University – Oct. 16

James Mainwaring (saxophones); Dave Kane (bass); Emil Karlsen (drums

Good crowd of about 150 people for this lunchtime concert . Of course it’s free, and it will only be for 45 minutes, so that makes it a low risk endeavour. Nothing to lose. There’s a group of about 15 youngsters from the Newcastle School for Boys sat behind me. Maybe they’re the naughty ones and if they don’t improve their behaviour it will be wall to wall Derek Bailey and Peter Brötzmann until they mend their ways. Brings the average age of the audience down, as well.

Mike Hall Quartet @ the Moor Club, Stockport - Oct. 12

© Jeff Pritchard

Mike Hall (tenor sax); Andrzej  Baranek (keyboards); Bim Williams (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums)

What I like about Mike Hall is that he always puts on an interesting selection of tunes,  and tonight was no exception. We heard some Strayhorn, a great Lee Morgan ballad, some Jerome Kern and a favourite of mine - Gone With the Wind. Nothing to do with the film of the same name as Mike pointed out.

Another tune that I liked was Ghost of a Chance which made me think of a 78 record I may still own by  the great Charlie Ventura, a name you do not hear much about these days. 

Stockport Jazz.

This week Stockport Jazz welcomes the Frank Griffith Quartet to the Moor Club. The quartet comprises Frank Griffith (sax/clarinet) with Richard Wetherall  (piano), Dave Lynane (bass) and Eryl Roberts (drums). 

For more information on Frank’s wide ranging career in both the USA and UK see : Bio | Frank Griffith

Sunday 19th October 2025

8-10pm, doors open at 7.30pm

£5 entry on the door, all welcome

The Moor Club, 35 Heaton Moor Road, Stockport SK4 4PB  (next to the Elizabethan PH)

See the Stockport Jazz Facebook page for further information, photos and updates.