Welcome to a new decade – or is that not until next year?   Who knows?  Certainly not me, but what I do know is that the Alan Barnes gig in December more than lived up to expectations.   Steve Chadwick, leader of the supporting quartet, became unavailable at a late stage and sent in a dep in the form of 21 year old trumpeter Reuben James.    Reuben actually stuck to flugelhorn all evening, and amazed all present by producing some mature and scintillating playing, seemingly not overawed by being in the company of four seasoned professionals.   A star in the making, and Kendal Jazz Club can be proud of giving him such a showcase in the early stages of his career.

Alan Barnes was of course unfazed by this young upstart (although I know he was impressed), and turned in a great performance on clarinets (including the bass variety) and saxophone.

This month (January) features a different sort of quartet:just about the only similarity is the internal empathy between the players – an outstanding feature of Hotcha!   Their repertoire is based on the gypsy jazz of Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, but expect dashes of classical and even soul music to add variety.   Those who have heard the group at the Roundhouse will know that we are in for an evening of quiet, relaxed but spell-binding music on the 13th.

First, thanks to everyone for the excellent turnout in very dodgy weather conditions for our January gig by Hotcha! (the exclamation mark, by the way, is an integral part of the group’s name, and not my natural enthusiasm spilling over into print).   These talented NW musicians, led by guitarist Jon Moore, gave us a fascinating pot-pourri of material, with some very unlikely composers – Wayne Shorter, anyone? – having their tunes shoehorned into the Reinhardt/Grappelli mode.   More importantly, they played their socks off, each one of the four listening to the others, and produced a result where the sum was greater than the individual parts.   In such an integrated group it’s perhaps invidious to pick out an individual, but, having said that, violinist Heath Lavery would get my vote as most improved local jazz musician.

Now to our next presentation on 10 February – the High Society Jazz Band, formed by bassman Brian Gordon about 3 years ago to bring together some of the very best of the local musicians playing in the traditional-to-swing category.   Despite that intention, he seems to have wound up with myself on clarinet, so I must obviously declare an interest and perhaps even a little bias.    Trying to remain objective, what can I tell you?    The band draws much of its repertoire from the acknowledged masters of classic jazz – King Oliver, the Hot Five and Seven, the New Orleans Bootblacks/Wanderers, Bechet - but also flits about from Erskine Hawkins to the Temperance Seven to Bob Crosby, while maintaining a high entertainment ratio, thanks to the three and a half vocalists within the band.   The star vocalist, however, is Jan Stirling, a classy Morecambe-based chanteuse making her first visit to the Club.   I think you’ll have fun.

Bruce promised us a fun evening: the High Society Jazz Band duly obliged-and then some.

Some Classically-inclined jazz buffs will remind you: 'It's an art to conceal art.' And behind all the laid-back badinage, some serious music making was afoot. From Bruce, of course, and Pete Boswell's cornet with rhythm continuo courtesy bassist, Brian Gordon (leader), Neil Anderton (keyboard), David Bateman (guitar etc) and Ralph Wilson (drums) - each of whom contributed telling cameos.

Until the Mormon Tabernacle Choir passes sufficient muster to merit an invitation, it's unlikely that a KJC camp meeting will again be blessed with so many-and varied- vocal stylists. From Dave's knowing insouciance and Ralph's bravura tones to Neil's sybaritic raffishness. All this in the regretted absence of the Band's regular- and ear-caressing -vocalist:Jan Stirling.

But, enter 'stage left', Sue Parish with a feisty, two-for-the-price-of-one tribute to the state of Georgia and a timely trailer for her March gig...

Ben Goodman

March 10 marks the return of Lancaster-based singer Sue Parish, no stranger to our Club but someone who brings an expanded repertoire and increased polish on every visit.   Apart from guest appearances with Tom Kincaid last June and the High Society JB last month, Sue has not had an opportunity to display all her vocal wares here since June 2008, so lovers of good jazz singing should make a date in their diaries.   On this occasion her accompanists are Andrzej Baranek on keyboard and Hugh Lawrence on drums, part of the band which backed Alan Barnes in December - and here's an opportunity for me to make an abject apology for, in a previous blog, calling the flugelhorn player in that band Reuben James.   His real name is Reuben Fowler - oops!   Completing Sue's quartet is bassist Frank Grime (last here in June), and I confidently forecast that, with that line-up,  there'll be a lot of cooking going on behind Sue without any help from TV chefs or even Wilf's Café.   And I'm already looking forward to finding out which obscure gems Sue is going to dig up to put alongside the great standards which she specialises in.