IT IS encouraging to see many of our best local musicians in programmes for local jazz clubs together with the occasional visiting guest, writes Peter Bevan.

The Opus 4 Jazz Club, for example, brings Dean Stockdale and David Newton as a piano duo on February 19.

Newton, one of the finest pianists in the UK, was a regular visitor to Darlington Arts Centre but it’s been five years since his last appearance there so this is a particularly welcome date.

It’s also good to see saxophonist Will Howard returning with own quartet on March 18 and guitarist Paul Donnelly’s Quartet on April 15.

All performances are on Friday nights in the Travellers' Rest, Cockerton; doors open at 8pm for an 8.30pm start. Details are available on the new website, jazzindarlington.com or from 01325 382676.

Darlington Jazz Club is settling into a new routine with performances scheduled for the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Smaller combos appear at the Quakerhouse in Mechanics Yard, Darlington, with big bands at other venues. Performances begin at 6pm with doors open at 5.30pm.

The Dougie Pugh Quartet is billed tomorrow, drummer Abbie Finn’s Leeds College-based quartet Equinox on February 14 and pianist Rick Laughlin’s jazz funk four -piece Infusion on February 28.

March 13 sees a welcome return visit by pianist Paul Edis and Friends, including trumpeter Johnny Dunn and, still to be confirmed a date by Jazztones on March 27 (Easter Sunday). Darlington Big Band appears on April 10 at a venue to be decided.

The jazz club is on Facebook but it’s not always up to date. Plans for Darlington Jazz Festival from April 21-24 are well advanced but not yet publicly available.

Slightly confusingly, the Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club website is simply darlingtonjazz.co.uk, but it is a model other clubs and music societies might follow with dates listed for the rest of the year and photos of past and future bands.

Formed in 1996, it meets at noon on the first Saturday in the month with music from 12.30-3pm. Now at St Augustine’s Parish Centre in Larchfield Street, there’s free parking and a bar and you can take your own lunch.

The programme kicks off with the Savannah Jazz band on February 6, The Red Stripe Band on March 5, Brian Carrick’s Algiers Stompers on April 2, Jeff Barnhart and John Hallam on May 7 and the New Century Ragtime Orchestra on June 4.

I’m pleased to see Bishop Auckland Town Hall will present Mick Shoulder’s Swing Manouche on Wednesday, February 10, with Parisian-based violinist Daniel John Martin as guest; details at bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk, box office 03000 269524.

The Gala Theatre in Durham’s jazz programme is largely confined to the popular lunchtime series in the upper studio which continues on February 12 with Graeme Wilson’s Quartet, guitarists James Birkett and Bradley Johnstone on March 4 and trumpeter Graham Hardy and pianist Paul Edis on April 8.

The Gala Big Band plays in the theatre on Thursday, April 28, in the evening; details at galadurham.co.uk, box office 03000 266600.

Matt Anderson’s Wildflower Sextet with trumpeter Laura Jurd appear next Friday at Ushaw College in Durham. Visit Ushaw.org or call 01913 346423.

Listings at Gateshead International Jazz Festival (April 15-17 April) appeared in our December 18 issue, but since then Roberto Fonseca, pianist from the Buena Vista Social Club, has been added for a trio performance (Saturday at 10.30pm) and there’s a Jazz for Toddlers session (ages two-five) led by clarinettist Arum Ghosh and percussionist Nao Masuda (Saturday at 11am).

As usual, apologies for any omissions but full details of these plus the Newcastle jazz clubs and many more appear regularly in the jazz blog, bebop spoken here, which I strongly recommend.