HAVING Craig Charles spinning discs on a bill that also includes Smoove and Turrell, is a mouth watering prospect for any fan of funk and soul.

Well that’s what Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre has in the musical mix for Friday, January 25.

Craig needs little introduction. The former Coronation Street and Red Dwarf star is pretty much a household name, single-handedly responsible for getting the nation’s population dancing around the kitchen - and elsewhere - during his Saturday night BBC 6Music funk and soul show.

The story of Smoove and Turrell began in the post millennium north east with a group of working class lads and a shared passion for soul.

Smoove had met keyboard player Mike Porter through the local music scene in Newcastle and recruited him for his Smoove Live project for the label Acid Jazz. Around Mike’s house one day they overheard a neighbour singing sublime melodies in his garage with friends which turned out to be none other than a young John Turrell practising in a band called The Stevies. After a couple of further sessions ‘scouting’ him they finally knocked on the door and had a chat and hit it off straight away.

A man of many facets, John was a skilled carpenter, working and teaching the trade to apprentices at a local college as well as his musical endeavours. After the trio performed several gigs together with various other guest musicians it was agreed they would create some new material and so they started to write and arrange a clutch of tracks that Smoove would record and produce.

Their first track was the now classic I Can’t Give You Up recorded at Mike Porter’s house as his Hammond organ was well wedged in his utility room and couldn’t be moved.

The first few tracks were received with a rapturous response and their newfound northern soul style demanded that a Smoove and Turrell live band was formed so they swiftly filled out their ranks with a crack team of like-minded Geordie musicians. Now as a full soul band they were creatively allowed to really stretch their legs both live and in the studio and their debut, Antique Soul was released in 2009 on Jalapeno Records.

And here’s the thing, it was fellow soul brother, Craig Charles who was their first radio champion giving them plenty of airplay on his BBC 6Music Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show, which kick-starting their assault on national radio eventually landing Radio 2 record of the week twice and a playlist on 6 Music.

Their second album was Eccentric Audio, then Broken Toys and recording number four Crown Posada was released in 2016, with the whole band involved in the writing process. An album which infused their northern soul and funk style with early electronica influences, rock, pop, disco and jazz while still maintaining the signature S and T sound.

Their stunning fifth release Mount Pleasant is true to their style and draws on subject matters which are aimed to make us stop and think, with politically charged songs balanced fittingly with uplifting stompers.

Brewery box office 01539-725133.