ST Augustine's Parish Centre is home to Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club however, for this one-off occasion Darlington Jazz Club, the town centre’s other jazz promoter, opted to utilise the Larchfield Street venue to present powerhouse trumpeter Bruce Adams working with the Al Wood Quartet.

Leeds-based multi-instrumentalist Wood put together a programme based upon the music of the influential American composer and band leader Gerry Mulligan. Adams, being familiar with the material didn’t require much in the way of rehearsal time and, as is typical of many jazz concerts, the musicians performed as though they were a regular working unit. Adams’ trademark fusillade of notes frequently won applause, indeed the youthful rhythm section – Martin Longhawn, piano, Garry Jackson, bass and drummer Tim Carter - couldn’t help but smile to themselves realising they were part of a memorable occasion.

Veteran Woods alternated between alto and baritone saxophones, the latter forever associated with American West Coast icon Mulligan, as Adams played trumpet and flugelhorn. Mulligan’s compositions were complemented by material from a number of other jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Mobley and Horace Silver.

Local young musicians are involved in all aspects of running Darlington Jazz Club. Front of house or back stage, they are responsible for ensuring essential jobs are done and are a shining example to many other volunteer-led jazz promotion bodies. Musicians such as Bruce Adams and Al Wood are well aware of this and they made time to chat to and encourage Darlington’s jazz musicians of the future.

Russell Corbett