Tonight is the first night of a new jazz jam session taking place at Shaftesbury Tavern, 534 Hornsey Road, N19 3QN. The house band is Joe Bickerstaff and the other Jazzaholics, so it's sure to sound great as well as being very welcoming!
(Oh dear I let my blog slide into disuse again. Will try to keep it going in future...!)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Happy Everyday!
I recently scored some music for Happy Everyday!, which is running at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town until Saturday 12th June. It's a comedy by acclaimed Estonian playwright, Jaan Tätte. Come along! Tickets..Here's a short sample of my music..
(Player doesn't appear above? Click here instead.)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
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.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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) :(
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) :(
Saturday, March 07, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, March 06, 2009
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!!
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!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wine, Women and Westminster
Obviously I'm completely failing to update this regularly.. seems I'm either not at all busy and there's nothing much to write about, or I'm horribly horribly busy and I've got no time at all to write anything.
I'm glad to say that it's been a case of the latter recently, as I've been working hard on the next series of ITV's Primeval. I've got more of that work coming up soon, but right now I'm doing the music copying for a new Marple film. Add to that gigs here and there and it's a pretty busy time at the moment.
Anyway, just wanted to give a quick plug for my Dad's new book, Wine, Women and Westminster. It's a collection of funny stories from my Dad's 40 year career as a political journalist in Westminster, and travelling the globe with Thatcher and Major. He's going to be on Loose Ends with Clive Anderson on Radio 4 tomorrow evening at 6:15 talking about it.
I'm glad to say that it's been a case of the latter recently, as I've been working hard on the next series of ITV's Primeval. I've got more of that work coming up soon, but right now I'm doing the music copying for a new Marple film. Add to that gigs here and there and it's a pretty busy time at the moment.
Anyway, just wanted to give a quick plug for my Dad's new book, Wine, Women and Westminster. It's a collection of funny stories from my Dad's 40 year career as a political journalist in Westminster, and travelling the globe with Thatcher and Major. He's going to be on Loose Ends with Clive Anderson on Radio 4 tomorrow evening at 6:15 talking about it.
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