THOUGH the busy jazz scene in Darlington is under threat, there does seem to be a more reasonable sprinkling of jazz elsewhere, writes Peter Bevan.

To begin in Darlington, the Opus 4 Jazz Club at the Traveller’s Rest in Cockerton has switched back to Thursday evenings and the season continues with guitarist Paul Donnelly’s Dance for the King Jazz Quartet on February 10, followed by Jazz Tones Quintet on March 10 and the Sue Ferris Quintet on April 14; details on 01325-382676.

At the Arts Centre, the Jazz Nights continue tonight with the award-winning tenor saxophonist Josephine Davies and her Quintet, the Stan Tracey Trio on February 4, the Osian Roberts/Steve Fishwick Quintet on March 4, and tenor player Robert Fowler’s Quartet on April 1.

The Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club resumes on February 5 with the Young Red Onion Jazz Band, then the Millennium Eagle Jazz Band on March 5, Spats Langham and Martin Litton on April 9 and Jeff Barnhart and John Hallam on April 30, all starting at 12.30pm; box office for both series is 01325-486555.

Nice to see jazz back at Middlesbrough Theatre, with the Big Chris Barber Band on Wednesday February 23; box office is 01642-815181.

It’s pleasing to see that Bishop Auckland Town Hall has included two jazz events in its new programme ,with the new line up of Djangologie on February 9 and the Zoë Gilby Quintet on March 10; box office 01388-602610.

It is also a pleasure to see that Musicon will present the first jazz festival in Durham City from March 4-6. It opens with Alan Barnes, Sandi Russell and the John Horler Trio on the Friday. Saturday is local bands day, with workshops and showcases leading to an evening performance by the Paul Edis Trio with saxophonist Vasilis Xenopoulos. On the Sunday (4pm), guitarist John Etheridge will give one of his solo recitals; box office 0191- 384-7641, durham.ac.uk/ musicon.concerts.

Gateshead Old Town Hall offers Disassembler, featuring Annie Whitehead, Mark Lockheart and Winston Clifford, on March 17, and the new Neon Quartet with Stan Sulzman, Kit Downes, Jim Hart and Tim Giles on April 28, as part of the extensive Jazz North-East programme – fuller details on jazznortheast.

com.

The Sage, Gateshead has a double bill of Portico Quartet and Penguin Café on February 20, but the main efforts are saved for the seventh Gateshead International Jazz Festival at the end of March (25-27). The headliners this year include a double bill of Joe Lovano with Us Five + Mike Stern (replacing the previously advertised Kurt Elling), Cleo Laine, Martin Taylor, Debbie Harry with the Jazz Passengers and the Northern Sinfonia, Soweto Kinch, the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra with Evan Parker and Lol Coxhill and a tribute to Buck Clayton; for full details, visit thesage gateshead.org.

One of the more intriguing shows is at Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal with jazz quartet Home of the Brave in Cowboys and Improvisation which mixes the history of the great western cowboy tracks with the story of jazz; details on jellymouldjazz.net, box office 01748-825252.

From jazz and cowboys we go to jazz and curry at Howards Restaurant in Stokesley. This monthly fixture started in 2009 and continues with the Gill Matthews’ Band on February 13, Dr Brown and the Groove Cats on March 6 and After Eight on April 3. Advance booking is required, on 01642-713391, howardseatery.

co.uk.

In Saltburn, at Emmanuel Church Hall, following the success of last year’s weekend jazz workshop, a second one is being presented from February 25-27. Suitable for singers and instrumentalists of all ages, students will experience playing and singing with a live band and learn about stage presentation, microphone technique and improvisation.

For more details or to enrol, call Jenny Bray on 01377-255721 or email brayleach@yahoo.com.

Meanwhile, Saltburn Community Theatre and Hall will present the Dave Donahoe band – the postponed Christmas Jazz Party – on March 19; tickets on 01287-624622.

As usual, if we’ve missed anyone out, do please get in touch and we will try to remedy the situation in a future edition.