For an evening, the Hadleigh Jazz Club members' thoughts were diverted from people's suffering at home and abroad by 'Jazz at the Movies - A Swinging Christmas Show' arriving in the town hall at the conclusion of its month-long tour.

Joanna Eden and the Chris Ingham Quartet promised a 'stocking full of holiday classics and curiosities in a delightfully jazzy blend of the sublime, sentimental and plain silly' which more than lived up to being 'the perfectly swinging way to begin the festivities.'

Fronted by acclaimed vocalist Joanna, Jazz Club favourites Chris Ingham (piano/MC), Mark Crooks (saxophone/clarinet), Joe Pettitt (bass) and George Double (drums) provided a night to remember by giving their all to lift the seasonal spirits.

Deck The Halls provided a sparkling instrumental opener, followed by the swinging Happy Holiday and Let It Snow, and a jumping Cool Yule, all sung by Joanna. In addition to being a talented singer, she is also a noted composer. Her catchily excellent song Kindness Of A Friend elicited a notable solo performance from her and some inspired duetting with Mark's sax. 

With Mark temporarily occupying the piano stool, it allowed  Chris to join Joanna and George to give a funny harmonising reprise of Snow from the film White Christmas, originally sung by Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen – absolutely splendid.

For me, a change from the many other American showbiz songs was appreciated. All sung by Joanna, compositions by English singer-songwriters delivered a change of tone and a thoughtful variation. The contrasts provided by Chris Rea's nostalgic Driving Home For Christmas, Greg Lake's bittersweet I Believe In Father Christmas, and the Darkness's parodying Don't Let The Bells End were very well received.

With George in his home town, he didn't need any encouragement to emerge from behind his drumkit to give full voice behind the mic. Loaded with innuendo, and with Joanna tickling the triangle, Chris manfully allowed himself to be the butt of the joke for The Bell That Couldn't Jingle. A rousing We Need A Little Christmas completed George's comedy spot - and his fans loved all of it.

Some numbers are staples of the show - I mean, how could we have not wanted to sing along with the sentimentality of White Christmas and the fun of So Many Santas?

However, surprising introductions were added to the repertoire, the standouts being the pairing from the 1965 TV show 'A Charlie Brown Christmas', both composed by jazz musician Vince Guaraldi. Firstly, the beautiful lyrical jazz waltz Skating played with a hint of Dave Brubeck tempo; followed by the waltz-time Christmastime Is Here sung ethereally by Joanna.

Joanna always delights, and on this occasion we had the bonus of seeing her in a sassy Santa outfit – very fetching!

In addition to his pianoforte mastery, Chris entertained with his anecdotes, drollery, cynicism, musical erudition, and CD salesmanship, even managing to sell one to me.

John Wilson Orchestra star reedsman Mark Crooks delivered another swinging sax and clarinet accompanist and solo masterclass. He's a great favourite of mine.

The hard-working and talented bassist Joe Pettitt is the Len Phillips Swing Orchestra's bandleader, and has played with the likes of Burt Bacharach and Curtis Stigers. His experience shines out and we are pleased that he is now a regular at the Club.  

HJC promoter George Double hardly needs more words of praise from me, but I would like to give voice to the opinion of many that Hadleigh is lucky to have him in its midst.

I have always immensely enjoyed the annual Christmas jazz shows, but last Saturday's performance elevated it to another level – a five-star show. After a decade of honing the show, it is now a hugely impressive act which deserves all the plaudits it receives. A fabulous evening, Guys.

As demand is always high for HJC tickets, it is best to receive advance information about shows by asking to be added to the Club's mailing list. Contact promotor George at either [email protected]; on 07941 360890,  or via his website www.georgedouble.com  

With best wishes for a Jazzy New Year.