Reporter: Tony Sheldon
Date online: 12/06/2008

Coming to Rochdale to end 2007, New Orleans Heat left everyone in festive mood. With musicians from South Wales, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, et al, this band is top drawer and top drawer is what we got.

Led by pianist Barry Grummett we were entertained royally with vocals by drummer Dion Cochrane with “Linger Awhile” and the driving sax of John Scantlebury, trombonist Alan Birkinhead giving his vocal interpretation of “Louisian-a-ay” and the gravely voiced cornetist Gwyn Lewis moving from the spiritual “Lily Of The Valley” to blasting out “Easy Rider” with Scantlebury’s bluesy clarinet and a duo of Tony Peatman’s banjo and Harry Slater’s double bass.

Suitably imbibed, Lewis asked “If You Were A Tulip” – not a pretty sight – and Cochrane told us of his “Careless Love” rhythm driven by sax and drums with Grummmett’s boogie piano “Algiers Strutt” had the toes tapping, before Lewis with solo cornet and vocal gave us “I Can’t Believe That You're in Love With Me”.

“Savoy Blues” featured Birkenhead’s trombone in front line excellence and solos on clarinet and piano softly found the Sunday mood “In The Upper Garden”. The set finished with Scantlebury’s superb clarinet with piano and rhythm in “St Philip Street Breakdown”.

The quality never fails, but a soft jazzy rendition of carol “Away In A Manger” did nothing for me – sorry! Birkenhead’s vocal “Running Wild” brought out the full cornet power of Lewis with driving piano, whilst the popular “Breeze” was ‘gently’ sung by Lewis followed with more crescendo in “Royal Telephone Line”.

“Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night” confirmed the time of year and the band played out at full throttle with Lewis’ vocal on “Rebecca, Rebecca” with all the accompanying mayhem.

The New Orleans Heat
The Flying Horse Hotel
Sunday 16th December 2007