'Floor-filling jazz' as James Taylor Quartet announces gig at Sunderland's Fire Station

Led by Hammond organ guru James Taylor, the quartet are said to set the standard for “the coolest sounds in funky acid jazz”. They play the High Street West venue on Friday, June 16.

As well as performing with his band, James has collaborated with acts including U2, Manic Street Preachers, The Pogues and Tom Jones.

The band was formed in 1985 following the break-up of James’s former band, The Prisoners.

The band consists of James on the Hammond organ; Mark Cox on guitar; Andrew McKinney on bass and Pat Illingworth on drums. Vocalist Yvonne Yanney is a regular for recordings and live performances.

While promoting their first two albums, Mission Impossible and The Money Spyder, JTQ developed a reputation for their live performances.

For their next album in 1988, Wait a Minute, JTQ recorded their signature tune, The Theme From Starsky and Hutch.

The James Taylor Quartet’s single Love the Life reached the Top 40 and the accompanying album Supernatural Feeling reached the Top 30 in the UK albums chart.

Their most recent album, Man in the Hot Seat, was released in 2022. It is a critical hit and features music inspired by film composers such as John Barry and Lalo Schifrin.

Tamsin Austin, venue director for The Fire Station, said: “JTQ are hugely popular and regarded as the finest purveyors of acid jazz, and their live shows are legendary. The band has been filling venues for more than three decades and we’re looking forward to a magical night.

“James plays the Hammond with a punk attitude and in a way it wasn’t built for. But the results are amazing and he’s one of the great British instrumentalists of the past 40 years.

“Expect floor filling, funky rhythms and classics such as Green Onions and Time is Right, as well as JTQ’s debut single Blow Up.”

The gig will include a warm-up set from DJ Smoove and for further information or to book tickets, which start at £17, go to www.thefirestation.org.uk.