Praise for jazz quartet

FOUR Eaglescliffe College students have teamed up to form one of the most promising jazz acts in the North-East. Cherie Gears, Michael Wolfindale, Joel Harding and Tim Hillsdon have been performing together as the Cherie Gears jazz quartet for a year, aiming to bring music to a younger audience. Cherie's amazing voice, along with the band's excellent musicianship, stem from years spent playing in a school and college soul band, which recently saw them perform to a 7,000 capacity crowd at the Royal Albert Hall. Each member has studied music through school and college, with a view to continuing together at the same university. The band has only played a handful of gigs together, but from the reactions they have received they are very eager to play more. Michael says: "We can play a variety of styles from jazz, soul and funk, so it is easy for us to react to the audience and what they want." Recently the band had the chance to play to a different crowd at the Atlantic bar fashion show in Darlington sponsored by local clothes shop Leggs. The shop owners heard a demo of the quartet through Cherie's sister, who was helping to organise the show. Cherie said: "That was probably the best gig we have played together, it was great to play to a much younger audience and a lot of it was our own material."