WHAT’S ON: Saturday Steve Grossman/Damon Brown Quintet, Darlington Arts Centre, 01325-486555, and Clare Teal, Gala Theatre, Durham, 0191-332-4041

CD REVIEWS: Martin Taylor’s Spirit of Django/Last train to Hauteville (The Guitar Label P3MCD023) Guitarist Martin Taylor has marked the centenary of Django Reinhardt’s birth by reforming his popular group, Spirit of Django.

Accordionist Jack Emblow and rhythm guitarist John Goldie return with new recruits Alison Burns and Alan Barnes. Much of the music has been newly written by Martin while living in France and there’s a lovely easy-going lilt to the playing. Available from Wednesday on theguitarlabel.com.

Stan Tracey Octet/The Later Works (ReSteamed Records RSJ109) This double CD contains the Hong Kong Suite from 1997 and the Amandla Suite commissioned by trade union NALGO on its merger with COHSE and NUPE, and premiered in Newcastle in 1993. Both were performed at the recent Sage Jazz Festival by this band with the brass of Guy Barker and Mark Nightingale set against saxophonists Sammy Mayne, Simon Allen and Mornington Lockett with Andrew Cleyndert, Clark Tracey and Stan underpinning it all. Great stuff, and nice to have it on record at last.