There are jazz gigs, and then there are nights that feel like stepping into another era entirely. That was the atmosphere surrounding drummer Matt Skelton and his acclaimed Blackhawk Quintet when they rolled into Lowestoft’s long-running Milestones Jazz Club at the Hotel Hatfield.
The performance — part tribute, part revival, part blazing contemporary statement — paid homage to legendary West Coast jazz drummer Shelly Manne and the immortal At the Black Hawk recordings captured in San Francisco in September 1959. Skelton’s project has steadily become one of the UK jazz scene’s most talked-about live acts, celebrated for reimagining the spirit of those sessions without slipping into mere imitation.
Image credit: William P. Gottlieb / Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain
Backed by a formidable line-up featuring trumpeter Tom Dennis, saxophonist Mark Crooks, pianist Leon Greening and bassist Simon Read, Skelton channelled the restless energy and hard-swinging sophistication that made Manne’s original quintet such a cornerstone of post-bop jazz. Reviewers described the group as “off-the-chart superb,” with fiery ensemble passages and telepathic interplay between Skelton and Greening drawing particular praise.
What makes this project especially compelling is that it doesn’t treat the music like a museum piece. Instead, Skelton’s Blackhawk Quintet approaches the repertoire with the same adventurous spirit that defined the original recordings. The set reportedly moved effortlessly from Tad Dameron burners to Victor Feldman compositions, balancing razor-sharp arrangements with exhilarating improvisation.
And the audience in Lowestoft clearly knew they were witnessing something special.
Milestones Jazz Club itself has become something of an East Anglian institution, surviving for three decades through sheer passion and dedication. In an age where independent jazz venues are increasingly rare, nights like this feel vital — proof that world-class jazz still thrives far beyond London’s major stages.
Skelton has spent years building a reputation as one of Britain’s finest jazz drummers, performing alongside internationally respected names including Kurt Elling, Scott Hamilton and Curtis Stigers. His Blackhawk project, however, feels deeply personal — a labour of love rooted in the explosive creativity of late-1950s jazz.
The result is more than nostalgia. It’s a reminder of how alive this music still sounds when played by musicians who truly understand its heartbeat.
For one night on the Suffolk coast, the spirit of San Francisco’s legendary Black Hawk club lived again. And judging by the standing ovation that closed the evening, Lowestoft absolutely loved every minute of it.