John Ongom big band

I've recently taken over as musical director of the John Ongom big band, and we've got a gig coming up at the White Hart, 1 Mile End Road, London, E1 4TP (map). It's on Sunday 4th March, probably starting around 7:30. I'm not looking forward to doing the talking bits, but there we are. If anyone sees this and comes along, please don't heckle me.

I'd also like to give a plug for my chum, jazz singer Eileen Hunter, who is playing at the 606 Club on this Thursday, 1st March. Alas, I won't be able to make it myself. :(

Primeval coming this Saturday

Look out for Primeval, which will be broadcast this coming Saturday, 10th February at 7:45pm on ITV1.

Quite excited about this, as I worked with composer Dominik Scherrer on this series last Summer, doing orchestration, programming and playing trumpet.

ITV have also got their Primeval micro-site up and running here (it's pretty heavy on bandwidth though).

Trip to Rome

Just got back from a short visit to Rome with my Roman friend, Pierluca.

I was only there for three nights, so Luca suggested we make an early start on the sightseeing. So as soon as we got chucked out of the bar on the first night, he and his cousins took me on an early-hours tour, during which we saw the Forum, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. I'm afraid the photos I took during this tour are particularly fuzzy - I think because of the low level of light (and I only have my phone camera). Or perhaps it's got something to do with all the beer I drank earlier.

Unfortunately, I think perhaps I peaked too soon as the next day I didn't get out sightseeing again till about 4 in the afternoon. I decided to go on one of those tourist bus tours. The first half was fine, but then darkness fell and it got pretty freezing, but I doggedly persevered with it for the full two hours.

On Wednesday, Luca and I managed to get out and about incredibly early but alas, found that our intended destination, the Sistine Chapel, had closed at midday. But we looked around St Peter's, and went to the very top (the highest point in Rome, I think).

During the rest of the afternoon we visited Trastevere, the Pantheon again, and saw Area Sacra Argentina and admired some of the 350 feral cats who live amongst the Roman ruins there (if you click on the photo on the left, you'll see a couple of them). We went on to the Tridente, the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo.

I've uploaded all my photos here (please excuse my crappy photography).