BIG in Hawick and now becoming big in Durham, a jazz trio is helping visitors to wind down at the weekend at the city's recently-opened theatre complex.

Jazz Girl have taken up a weekly residency playing in the glass-fronted caf bar at the Gala Theatre, in the multi-million pound Millennium City development on Claypath.

Their regular Saturday sessions are billed as Lazy Jazz Afternoons.

The Tyneside threesome are helping visitors to relax with a drink or a bite to eat in stylish surroundings to the backing of some of the classic standards, given a distinctive jazz treatment.

Jazz Girl have grown reputation on the regional music circuit and at jazz festivals round the country.

Founder member, double-bassist Paul "Fish" Armstrong said: "You get to see some of the same faces when we're playing.

"For some reason, we seem to go down particularly well at a festival in Hawick in the Borders."

Fish teamed up with guitarist Nick Pride several years ago, and for the past two years the band has been fronted by Claire Johnson, a self-taught occasional session singer.

Jazz Girl are at the Gala every Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. They are also at Revolutions near the Central Station in Newcastle, on Sundays from 2pm to 5pm, and on the last Friday of the month at jazz nights at Maxine's restaurant in Darlington's New Grange Hotel.

Information is available online at: www.jazzgirl.co.uk