Alligator Gumbo

Alligator Gumbo play the York Theatre Royal on Saturday 17 October, in the Studio. They're a seven-piece band from Leeds, and they've been playing together for over ten years. Their thing is jazz from the heyday of the New Orleans swing era, especially the roaring twenties, and they play it in the traditional style. The set is built around songs made famous by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Jelly Roll Morton and Billie Holiday.

On stage, the sound is raw, fast-paced and largely improvised, with simultaneous melodies and solos running over foot-stomping rhythms. It's the kind of jazz that doesn't sit still — toe-tapping tunes mixed with raucous singalongs. They've played plenty of international jazz festivals and clubs across the country, and they've built a following on the British jazz scene along the way.

The line-up for the night is James Paylor on double bass and vocals, Mike Rudland Simpson on guitar and vocals, Chris Lloyd on piano, Greg Surmacz on clarinet and saxophone, Chris Williamson on trumpet, Tim Hurst on trombone, and Jose Williamson on drums and washboard. That washboard is a proper New Orleans touch, and with seven of them on stage, there's a lot of sound coming from one band.

The show is part of The Old Paint Shop season at the York Theatre Royal, which transforms the Studio into a cabaret club with unreserved seating. That means you just turn up and take whatever seat is free, rather than booking a specific spot in advance. Alligator Gumbo play on Saturday 17 October, in the Studio at York Theatre Royal.