With blizzard conditions making travelling difficult on a bitterly cold Suffolk night, the entertainment supplied by Fleece Jazz at the welcoming Stoke by Nayland Hotel Resort provided just the tonic (gin optional) to warm the audience members.

From the off, Simon Thorpe's Jivin' Miss Daisy band set the swinging tone of the Fleece show with a bold and brassy performance of Count Basie's Peter Pan, the first of many tunes from his orchestra's vast repertoire.

Simon is the band leader and bassist of the nine-piece combo whose line-up for the show was: Mark Crooks (alto saxophone & clarinet), Liz Fletcher (vocals), Alex Garnett (tenor saxophone & vocals), Colin Oxley (guitar), John Pearce (piano), Matt Skelton (drums), Malcolm Earl Smith (trombone & vocals) and Enrico Tomasso (trumpet). 

Simon Thorpe (Picture: Peter Fairman)

An up-tempo arrangement of Royal Garden Blues followed. Over 100 years old, because it is based on the earliest of riffs, the blues number is considered to be one of the most important compositions in jazz history. It also allowed band members to introduce themselves on their instruments.

Vivacious vocalist Liz introduced herself to the audience with several songs from the Great American Songbook. These included Harold Arlen's Get Happy, which Simon told us is his band's signature tune. Liz has a lovely personality and a sweet-sounding voice in keeping with the dance and swing band style of the era when each had its own singer.

A particular delight was Liz, Simon and Enrico's vocal harmonization on Cole Porter's You Do Something To Me, augmented by Mark's super sax solo. Also, a lovely surprise was the arrangement of Stairway To The Stars where Liz was sensitively accompanied by Colin on guitar, together with the piano, bass and drums of the rhythm section.

Liz Fletcher (Picture: Jayne Tann)

Such was the feast of wonderful 1920s, 30s and 40s standards offered from the pens of Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, The Gershwins, Rodgers & Hart, et al, I would have liked to have listed all of them, but there has to be a limit. 

Similarly, from such a talented line-up it is difficult to feature all the musicians. However, Ellington's calypso Limbo Jazz so elicited dazzling virtuoso trumpet playing from Enrico that it was a stand-out performance. As a youngster, hearing a Louis Armstrong record inspired Enrico to learn to play his chosen instrument. This led him to a successful career in which he has won so many British jazz awards.

Named after the heart-warming movie Driving Miss Daisy, Jivin' Miss Daisy was formed in 1999 and has been swinging ever since.  Simon told me that he had been "really looking forward to the return to Fleece Jazz, one of the best clubs in the South-East, with its long stellar jazz history and loyal supporters."

Not every jazz gig is as lively as this was. So, with so much dance music on offer for the fun night out, it surprised me that nobody strutted their stuff on the dance floor – not that anybody on my table chanced it. Next time, perhaps.

Enrico Tomasso (Picture: Peter Fairman)

Resident at Stoke by Nayland Hotel Resort, the club has been presenting jazz for the best part of 30 years, garnering renown for the quality of their shows and friendly atmosphere. It was my first time at the club, and I can see the reason for its reputation - I hope to revisit it soon.

Advance information about Fleece Jazz shows can be obtained by asking to be added to the club's mailing list. Log on to www.fleecejazz.org.uk then click 'email list' to subscribe.

Next up on Wednesday 22 March is the Oddgeir Berg Trio. Tickets are available from www.wegottickets.com/fleecejazz or by telephoning the booking office at 01787 210796.