Jazz breaking news: As Django Bates Hits Fifty He Lives and Learns (Apparently)

They can be all-out parties, or someone might appear as if by magic with a cake as the lights dim to reveal the audience in relief raggedly singing along, slightly self-consciously. Some of them even take place with good reason several months after the event. But this wasn’t one of those gigs, as yesterday Django Bates actually turned 50 and marked it last night as only he knows how.

From the off with highly resonating boinging sounds from his keyboards, he was only too keen to celebrate this happy coincidence and give this particular birthday his best shot. Joined by his longstanding band Human Chain featuring the vocals of Swedish singer Josefine Lindstrand and the saxophone initially of the Norwegian Marius Neset, the gig caught light with ‘Quiet Nights’ and then moved into another dimension when for a cameo Django's brothers Roland Bates on trombone and the extravagantly long haired Dylan Bates, joined effectively on violin.

There was a bit of musical chairs later to allow Django to make a few witty announcements and switch to E flat horn with Lindstrand and Roland Bates taking over at the keyboards (the organ accompaniment to Django’s thank-you speech displayed the art of deadpan wonderfully well). Iain Ballamy made a surprise welcome appearance which added a distinctive, visceral dimension to the ensemble sound, while Josefine Lindstrand was a key part of the show throughout, with an impressive range and subtlety when the band driven by Mike Mondesir and Martin France got the bit between their teeth.

‘New York, New York’ was the way the band let off a bit of steam, but it was great to hear music from the little known early-Third Policeman period at the end and ‘You Live and Learn (apparently)’ also still has legs. Django might not be your typical fiftysomething; he’ll never quite act his age, but the audience clearly would not have wanted it any other way.

– Stephen Graham