more gigs

Tomorrow, 31st May, I'll be MDing the John Ongom Big Band, playing at the White Hart, 1 Mile End Road. Featuring singers Gabrielle Ghray and Barry Vegas. Starts about 7:45pm, free entry!

Thursday, 4th June, I'll be sitting in with Eileen Hunter at the 606 Club.

Forthcoming gigs and things

Sunday 29th March, John Ongom Big Band at the White Hart (isn't Google Street View marvellous?), 1 Mile End Road. Featuring singers Gabrielle Ghray and Barry Vegas. Starts 7:30pm, entrance free!

Monday 30th March, Dan Spanner's Big Band at the Cross Kings - starts 8:30pm. (Don't know much more about this one.)

Wednesday 1st April, Dance with The London Swingfonia at Jitterbugs - click for more details. Featuring singer Harry Martin.

Saturday 4th April, John Ongom Big Band at the Heathcote Arms, 344 Grove Green Road, Leytonstone. Featuring Mark Jennet on vocals, starts 8pm, free entrance!

Also, the new series of Primeval starts this Saturday on ITV - though the first episode which I contributed music to is the second one, to be shown (presumably) 4th April. Oh crap that means I won't be able to watch it cos of the JOBB gig (above) :(

trombone fun

Went to the Chicken Shed last night to hear the inaugural gig The Bone Supremacy (what a great name!) It's a group made up of five trombones plus rhythm section. Great sound they had, like being wrapped in a warm blanket, but with a punch when required. Great improvising too - I particularly enjoyed Ian Bateman's solos.

So all this was very inspirational for my own efforts on trombone. Had my first practice this morning - actually feels pretty promising, embouchure-wise and sound-wise. Played my way through a few pages of Tune a Day - but without any great style! Just need to do it a lot to get used to the feel of the different notes. Funny how quickly you get used to a big mouthpiece so that when I went back to trumpet - the instrument I've been playing for decades - it feels strange!

yes i'm still alive

Sorry for lack of posting (as if anyone cares). Been a bit busy for months and months on a big TV project. I understand that I will get an 'Additional Music' credit on this one which is very exciting for me! Though it will probably be on screen for about 0.2 of a second. Don't want to jump the gun in talking about the show so I'll remain enigmatic for now.

At the moment I'm keeping fairly busy (but not too much to be honest!) MDing the big band, teaching a bit, and just practicing quite a lot.

Also, my big plan is to learn trombone! Our big band is always short of bones, so often I play 1st or 2nd on trumpet - then it occurred to me that if I could sort out the embouchure (perhaps no small task) then I could play valve trombone! Only problem is that there's virtually no second hand market for valve trombones, and I'm reluctant to fork out lots of money on a new one and then perhaps find that I can't get to grips with it. So the current plan is to borrow a slide trombone from my lovely, talented and beautiful friend, hopefully develop a reasonable sound on it, then get a valve bone. Having said that, I'm told by another lovely, talented and beautiful friend that slides are much sexier, so perhaps I'll stick with that. Anyway I've gone out and bought Tune A Day for trombone and hopefully will have the instrument in my hands tomorrow! Oh my poor neighbours.

Today I'm off to First Class Brass in Luton to retrieve my lovely Eclipse trumpet which I asked Leigh to do a couple tweaks to. Also he's been sorting out my Yamaha flugel which had seized up due to lack of use - oops. Must play more in future!!