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Ella & Ellington, Strictly Smokin', full house. It's becoming a common occurrence, Strictly Smokin' Big Band playing to capacity audiences.

As the house lights dimmed, the near full house heard the strains of Avenue C. The recorded music gave way to the SSBB's rhythm section seam

FRIDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2023 HALL 2, SAGE GATESGEAD It doesn't get much better than this. Top singer (actually two top singers) and a big...

Friday 23rd December 2022 HOOCHIE COOCHIE The band moved, the dancers moved and one of the non-dancers was moved to remark that he...

Friday 16th & Saturday 17th December 2022 GOSFORTH CIVIC THEATRE If it's the week before Christmas there's is only one place to be and...

SUNDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2022 HOOCHIE COOCHIE This was, to quote from Larry Hart's lyric in Thou Swell, "a sweet lollapalooza" or as Cole...

I said it began with a BANG and I wasn't just referring to the power of the brass on Buddy's Big Swing Face! I was bemused as I tried to...

SATURDAY 18th JUNE 2022 A new venue for the SSBB in this, the band's twentieth anniversary year.* The word 'industrial' springs to mind...

SATURDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2022 HALL 2, SAGE GATESGEAD I'd heard Pete Long's Ellington/Strayhorn inspired suite based around Gustav Holst's...

Friday 13th August Newcastle Jazz Festival at Newcastle Civic Centre This promised much and delivered even more! Alice Grace singing Ella...

Saturday 20th April 2020 Gosforth Civic Theatre This was quite an occasion, indeed a unique one, not to mention a historic one! A Great...

FRIDAY 13TH (!) MARCH I’d maybe have been to The Odeon and heard Duke or Basie, the City Hall where I heard just about everybody else or,...

SATURDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2020 HALL 2, SAGE GATESHEAD Some cats can some cats can’t. Mike Lovatt can! Mike Lovatt can do what? Mike Lovatt...

SUNDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2019 HOOCHIE COOCHIE I’ve stopped using plaudits like ‘Gig of the Month’, ‘Gig of the Year’ etc. There are just too...

Saturday 23rd February 2019 Hall 2, Sage Gateshead Michael Lamb and the SSBB think big when they book a guest artist. Over the last few...

Sunday 16th September 2018 Hoochie Coochie When Hoochie's head honcho Warren says that Polly Gibbons is in the top ten acts he's heard...

Saturday 26th August 2018 Ushaw Jazz Festival It wouldn't be Ushaw without Punch (A.K.A Alan Barnes). The much-travelled sax/clarinet ace...

Saturday 18th February 2018 Alphabetti Theatre The Alphabetti Theatre was sardine-can full - standing room only. They couldn't have had a...

Sunday 15h October 2017 Hoochie Coochie The Strictly Smokin’ Big Band at Hoochie Coochie is a guarantee of top quality entertainment. Add...

Saturday 18th September 2017 The Globe | Jazz.Coop This was a near-perfect Jazz Coop gig. How could it not be with the UK's number one...