LOVERS of ragtime and 1920s and 1930s music are in for a treat tomorrow at Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club when Mike Lovell and his Six in a Bar bandmates perform a gig.

Dressing to impress, they play and sing music by greats such as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Clarence Williams, Fats Waller, Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington.

Leader, trombonist and singer Mike Lovell has appeared in famous venues such as the 100 Club in Oxford Street and Ronnie Scott’s.

Willy Entwistle, who carved out his name with the Temperance Seven, will be on reeds, violin and flageolet; Phil Lucas plays trumpet and flugelhorn; Colin Turner will be on bass saxophone and the mighty double b-flat tuba; Chris Howes will delight on banjo, guitar and vocals; and Pete Eddowes plays washboard and his grandly named "things".

Looking ahead to next month, on Saturday, July 7, the club will welcome multi-talented Spats Langham and his Hot Fingers band with guest star Miss Emily Campbell. Hot Fingers celebrates the golden age of music, visiting the jazz of 1920s' New York through to the early days of sophisticated 1930s' Swing, and Spats and the band are leading experts in this style of music.

Spats visited Darlington last year and the club had so many requests for another appearance he was booked again.

Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club meets at St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Larchfield Street, at 12.30pm on the first Saturday of the month. Entry is £10, under-15s free.

For information visit darlingtonjazz.co.uk or contact Ray Sams at ray@darlingtonjazz.co.uk or 07860 368022.