Not a Good Rehearsal

Nothing much to report at last nights band rehearsal. We were preparing for another week end concert and due to the close proximity of our last few we are playing the same stuff. No time to learn something new. So, I think we felt a bit flat last night. Also we did not get into anything. We just practised the pick ups and finishes and so I found it difficult to get settled. It seemed that all we did was select the sheet music play a few bars and then on to the next.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

On Saturday (24th) I spent the day wandering around Dorking in Surrey on a self devised Ralph Vaughn Williams discovery tour. Unfortunately there was little to see. There is a statue outside the Dorking Halls but it seemed out of the way due to its location at one end of the high street. There is also a plaque in the porch of St Martin’s church where RVW conducted many a concert. But that was about it. I did find a leaflet that gave other connected locations such as the White Horse hotel (concerts) and the Oddfellows building (rehearsals) but the museum had nothing neither did any of the local book shops. I was told to try the library but it was closed. We did drive to Leith Hill Place to see his old house but it was difficult to see from the road and is not open for visitors. His other address known as ‘White Gates’ off Woodcott road has now been demolished. I did think I was going to see more but maybe the people of Dorking do not view him with any tourist potential. I did manage to get a couple of Naxos CD’s of his music and spent the afternoon listening to such gems as The Lark Ascending and Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis. As I lay on my hotel bed listening to this wonderful English music I could only feel a little sad that we are not celebrating one of our composers more in the very town that he lived. But should we? Maybe if there were rows of RVW tea shops and souvenir emporiums I would complain about the commercialism. Perhaps we should just be satisfied with his musical legacy and not crave worthless memorabilia and biographies by the score.

Peter King

Last nights star guest at Googlies was alto saxophonist, Peter King. This man's jazz is on a different planet. His playing is complex, intriguing and mesmerising. I was transfixed just watching his fingers move around the sax. His improvisation is just fantastic and to witness this quality of jazz so close up is an experience I will cherish forever.

During the last set, King and the house band played Wayne Shorters Footprints. Each part of the line up played extremely well and their soloing were high class. But I have to mention Colin Peters on piano whose improvisation was above the top draw. He appeared to be in a trance as he slowly lingered on each single note, letting the sound hang in the air. The tension he created made my spine tingle and he just kept the momentum going by slowly increasing the tempo. Improvisation is about tension and release, building the listeners emotions up and then letting them down. Colin Peters did not release the tension until the very last chord. He kept us up in mid air extending our apprehension and suspense until the last possible note. In the end I felt drained.

Wednesday Night Rehearsal

An important nights rehearsal for the concert on Saturday. We went through the whole programme and practised all the bits we were having trouble with. Most of these trouble areas were changes of tempo and pick ups after cut offs. It is obviously important for us to start together and at the correct dynamic after a silent pause. Although I am not involved with the concert it was good practise for me and I always look forward to playing.

Songs That Make You Tingle

Heard one this morning on my car radio. Terry Wogan’s opening record on his breakfast radio show was I’m a believer, by The Monkees. I could not help singing along and simulating playing the organ bit at the end of the lines. This morning my car dashboard suddenly became a Hammond Organ.

It brought back happy memories of watching the TV show with my brother. We had quite a few of the singles and no doubt if I asked him, my trivia minded brother could name the ‘b’ sides to each one. He is very sad!

Harlow Town Xmas Lights Switch On

On Saturday morning I played with the Harlow Concert Band at the Harlow Town Centre. This gig, if you can call it such, was as part of an event for the Mayor to turn on the Christmas lights. It was very cold and we all had tuning problems due to the low temperatures. Still, I figured that if we were all flat then no body would notice. We played a couple of carols, a suite of ABBA songs and 'Is this the way to Amarillo'. It was good fun being part of this local event. There were other acts on during the day such as a steel band, fancy dress and hip-hop pop, what ever that is.

Ten-17 FM were also in attendance and took this picture for their web site. I am the grinning idiot at the back.

Googlies Jazz Club

Last night two old boys of the British jazz scene ,Campbell Burnap and Mike Cotton appeared at Googlies Jazz Club, Enfield. The temperature outside may have been close to freezing but the atmosphere inside the club was warm and cosy. Burnap’s deep soft voice echoes the warm tone he produces on his trombone. His jazz was laid back and unhurried whilst his jokes between tunes had a cosy familiarity about them, yes they were old. Mike Cotton’s trumpet playing was bright and appeared effortless, unlike some players who look like they are about to burst when playing. Both were supported superbly by the resident house band The Colin Peters Quartet which included Michael Cole (Double Bass), Bill Yeomans (reeds) and Sid Thompson (drums).

Sid in fact was deputising for regular drummer and club president John Jarvis. John has recently had a hip operation and has been out of action for a while. It was nice to see him in the audience last night and judging by the ferocity of his foot and finger tapping he can’t wait to be back on the skins.

The music was of the usual high standard with lots of standards mixed in with less familiar numbers. As well as the front men soloing on their respective horns we were treated to Burnap’s singing. His rendition of Sweet Lorraine was beautifully done and enjoyed by the large audience. So too was the final blues number, Kansas City , sung by Mike Cotton who showed his virtuosity by playing the harmonica in a fashion that any New Orleans blues man would be proud of. A great night!

Rehearsal Night

Last night I attended the usual Wednesday night rehearsal of the Harlow Concert Band. This was a bit different in so much that we were led for most of the evening by the conductor of the City of Peterborough Concert Band, Mr Henry Clydesdale. He came down to take the rehearsal with a view to practise the music we are to play together in a forthcoming joint concert. I unfortunately won’t be able to do the concert but it was good to play anyway.

My highlight of the evening was playing ‘The Blue and the Gray’. This is a medley of songs from the American Civil War. It includes such well known numbers as Aura lee, The Yellow Rose of Texas and John Brown’s Body. There were a couple more but my Limey ears could recognise the melodies but not the titles. A special moment I thought was when the Bassoon and the Piccolo played together. Both players are very accomplished and gave a very fine performance. It should be a good concert.

On Saturday we play in the Harlow Town square at the ceremony of turning on the Christmas lights. It seems a little early to be playing carols but hopefully it will put everyone in the festive spirit. I just hope it is not too cold or worse still, raining. I am not keen to play outside.

Harlow Playhouse Concert

Last night I played Tenor sax for the Harlow Concert Band in a Remembrance Day service at the Harlow Playhouse, Essex. It was a great night and a big thrill for me to play on this stage. I remember seeing Status Quo play there in the early 1970’s and so last night brought back many memories of that evening. Our programme of music did not include any 12 bar blues or rock and roll but we did play some good music which was appreciated by a nearly packed house.

Because of the occasion we did play a lot of military style tunes. Soldiers in the Park, Steadfast and True and the New Colonial March kept the audience tapping their feet in a 2/4. We also gave them something to sing along with, with songs such as Keep Smiling Through and Land of Hope and Glory (with reprise). Mike Pearce, our conductor, as a liking for the theme music to the TV series Band of Brothers. It is a beautiful tune and I hope he thinks we gave it justice.

For my part, I enjoyed playing As Time Goes By. My fellow tenor saxophonist played the solo part but it is also a nice piece to play the accompanying harmonies to. It has a good swing feel to it which is fun to play on the sax.

Frank Hardcastle (my father)

Although I am middle aged I have recently started to learn how to play clarinet and saxophone. This is because of the major regret in my life. Not learning when I was a kid. I had all the chances I needed, but ignored them. There were far more interesting things to concentrate on such as the 1966 World Cup, Georgie Best and the Beatles. But now I have realised how stupid I was and am putting it right.

The chances I refer to above are because of my Father. He was a semi-professional jazz musician for most of his life. He played, and still does, piano, clarinet, saxophone and flute. He can also arrange and compose music. When I was a kid I would hear him practise every day and the sound of music would fill the house. I am sure now that this unwittingly soaked into my head, only to come out later in life. Back then I had no idea what I was being exposed to.

So, this blog starts with a very brief description of my musical heritage, the story of Frank Hardcastle and how he shaped my love of music.

He started playing piano when he was young. He had the usual lessons and spent many hours picking out tunes on the family piano. I am guessing here, but I suppose being exposed to the music played on radio during the 1940's he was bound to develope and ear for dance band and jazz music. In any case he ended up with a saxophone and taught himself how to play it. By the fifties he was in the Royal Air Force at St Athan, Wales doing his national service. Whilst there he became involved in playing in military and dance bands.

Looking back he told me that this was the time when he learnt most about how to be a musician by following tempo and synchronising with the other members of the band. By the time he came out of the RAF he was ready to face the world of a part time dance band player. These were the times I remember so well. I still have the mental image of him in his dress suit smelling of cheap aftershave and carrying his old battered saxophone case out of the door on his way to some gig.

This was his main form of musical income for many years. But he also had a day job working in a factory which, he hated. I can well remember him complaining about the music he had to listen to on the radio in the workshop. He hated listening to pop music and the continual playing of the 'Hit Parade' drove him mad. I think a particular record that gave him a great deal of angst was Mary Hopkin's 'Those were the day's'. He said it was repeated so much that he didn't think he could stand it any longer.

Ironically it was pop music that proved to be the help he needed. An old friend from his RAF days was a man called Norman Smith. What dad did not know was that Norman had entered the music business as a recording engineer for EMI and became the chief engineer for the Beatles. He eventually launched his own singing career under the name Hurricane Smith and had a hit single with 'Don't Let it Die'. Norman wished to follow this success with a second single where he wanted to include a jazzy alto saxophone solo. He contacted dad and invited him to play. As a result the single 'Oh babe waht would you say' was born. It was very successful, not only in the Uk but also in Europe and the US. This led dad to give up the factory and work full time touring with Hurricane Smith. He literally gave up his day job.

For my brother and I this was a fantastic time. I loved telling my mates at school that dad was to be on Top of the Pops. We once visited the studios at Abbey Road and later saw Slade and Alvin Stardust live at Granada TV studios Manchester.

Franks professional career took many turns. He did a bit of session work with EMI playing on recordings made by such pop icions as Lena Zavoroni, The Pretty Things and Beranrd Manning. In 1975 He played on a record by Johnny Wakelin about Muhammed Ali called 'Black Superman'. He continued to work with Hurricane Smith on a couple more singles and was Musical Director on the 'Don't Let it Die' album.

Over the years he aslo played with some big bands including Herb Miller (Glenns brother) and Ray Shields. Eventually he went back to jazz , etching out a living with various combos playing in pubs and clubs around the country. He has now retired and living in rural Norfolk.

So, thanks dad. I may not have taken to music when I should have, but it is never too late to start. I get an enormous amount of pleasure from playing my saxophone and clarinet and feel that it is because of the influence you have given me over the last 40 odd years.