Ferryhill Masonic Hall is hosting The Customs House Big Band for regular free jazz sessions on the first Tuesday of every month.
The band was formed in the late 1990s at The Customs House, South Shields as a community project.
It has developed into a fully independent seventeen piece Big Band, but retains the name of the Customs House in recognition of it’s founding sponsorship.
The band is made up of professional and semi-professional musicians drawn from across the North East.
The style of music is that of the big band genre and ranges through the music of Glen Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Gordon Goodwin and others, from the 1940’s to the present day, from swing and BeBop through to modern big band jazz.
In fact, there is always something for everyone in the varied presentations that are the band’s performances.
The band is led by Peter Morgan and often features the vocal expertise of Ruth Lambert, an award-winning singer from the North East.
Frequent public performances have attracted a regular following of people who enjoy the easy going, foot-tapping music that the band presents in the relaxed atmosphere of Jazz At The Masons.
The standard section lineup of trumpets, trombones, saxophones and rhythm continues to be popular and the virtuosity of the players makes this band well worth its reputation as one of the dynamic musical ensembles of the area.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
