My Love of Music

Have you ever heard people say that when they listen to beautiful music, it can move them? Well, I can report that on Saturday 11th Oct music moved me to the core.

You see I was playing in a concert that brought together the City of Peterborough and Harlow Concert Bands. This is an annual get together held at alternate venues and this year it was Peterborough’s turn to play host. Because of the large amount of players (over 60) the stage at Orton Longueville School, where we sat, was a little crowded.

I was positioned, with my tenor saxophone, directly in front of the drummer. We were so close there was not even room for a piece of sheet music between the back of my chair and his drum kit. I did not think anything of this until the first time he put the pedal down on the bass drum. The vibrations were so intense they caused the portion of succulent roast beef I had eaten only an hour before to dance in my stomach. When he violently beat four beats to the bar on the tenor drum the bread and butter pudding that had earlier followed the beef, followed it again only this time jumping up and down in the double helping of custard. Another reminder of how that deadly sin ‘greed’ should be avoided at all cost.

During our rendition of that upbeat tune ‘All that jazz’ from the show Chicago, The air around my ears swirled like a tornado each time he hit the symbol immediately behind my head. But whilst blowing a high note, I happened to lean too far back in my chair and my head inadvertently went under the shivering circle of brass. Just at that precise moment, the now uncontrollable percussionist hit the bloody thing. As a result, instead of a beautiful piercing sound which fully enhanced the effect of the music, it sounded like someone hitting a dustbin lid with a piece of raw haddock.

So by the end of the evening I was exhausted. I had bruises on top of my head, I was in the early stages of chronic indigestion and my ears were developing a severe case of tinnitus.

I look forward to Christmas and some nice quiet carols.

The Papaya fruit is a yellow coloured fruit grown in Mexico. If cut open its core reveals a tightly packed cluster of seeds. So What! I here you say. Well the reason I mention this is because not only did the tune ‘Papaya’ feature in Harlow Concert Bands latest musical feast, but also because of the tight space with which we had to sit and play. It was so close that most of the band members felt like the seeds inside of the aforementioned fruit.

The venue was a very pretty 14th century church at Watton-on-Stone, Hertfordshire dedicated to St. Andrew and St. Mary. However, this is a place of worship and not designed to house 30 or so instrumentalists who require various amounts of space for their large lumps of brass and elbows. There was no stage. Why should there be? We just squeezed where we could into the area around the choir stalls. The brass section managed to find space towards the Alter, the saxophones sat under the pulpit and those that were left such as clarinets, oboes and flutes sat where they could fit in. Of course the conductor was alright. He had plenty of space around him to swing a cat, let alone a baton. I suppose that’s the privilege of being in charge.

Any way the music went down well and the audience was very appreciative. The highlight? It has to be our rendition of ‘Papaya’ and Paul Cutler who played the trombone solo so exquisitely. Because of where he stood I had the full benefit of his sound inches from my right ear. But it was by no means unpleasant. He produced a wonderful warm tone which seemed to fit the beguine/Cuban style of the composition. Close your eye and you could just imagine yourself sitting by the warm sea drinking a rum and coke.

And as a final thought. The church apparently was used by the Cromwell’s army to house Royalist prisoners during the Civil war. As I sat there squashed up against the choir stalls on one side and a fellow saxophone player the other, I wondered who else sat in that space over 400 years earlier. He probably have more room to move than I did.

The Royal British Legion provides financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served or are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants. They have social clubs up and down the country that provide a venue for social events and a place for members to meet.

Last night the Harlow Concert Band played at the Royal British Legion club, Harlow. Despite the fact that this was the same night that Chelsea was playing Liverpool in the semi-final of the Champions league there was a good crowd. There was a big screen showing the football in an adjoining room so those that were interested in the score could keep one eye on the match.

Mike Pearce, our conductor, chose film and show music as our theme and our repertoire included tunes from The Sound of Music, Paint your Wagon and the Big Country. Also included were Amparito Roca, The Radetzky March and Rod Stewart’s, Sailing (what does that Morse code rhythm mean?). I may be biased but I thought that we sounded very good. Everyone played very well and it was a great night. My highlight was when we played ‘Moonlight Serenade’. This tune just makes me tingle and to be able to play it whilst sitting in the middle of a concert band is just a fantastic feeling. I wish we could play more Glenn Miller music.

Chelsea eventually beat their opponents and all the blue shirted supporters went home happy. Judging by the demand for an encore and the standing ovation we got, our crowd went home just as happy. The Blues are off to Moscow now to play the Reds. We, on the other hand, will remain in Harlow and rehearse for our next concert. They play for Champions League gold, we play for ABBA Gold.

Saw this license plate during my sojourn to the

Big Apple.

This is the Brill Building at 1619 Broadway, Manhattan.

It's musical connection is with the music publishers that

had offices here during the 1940's. 50's and 60's.

Songs that were published here were played by 'Big Bands' such as

Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and the Dorsey Brothers.

This is the memorial to John Lennon. It is situated in Central Park, New York. Close to where he lived which can be seen above.

BB Kings blues bar and grill Times Square, NYC

It looks too touristy for me.

This is the North Square restaurant at

Washington Square, New York City.

On Sundays they have jazz playing in the lounge.

We saw the Roz Corral Trio with James Shipp on vibes

and Paul Gill on double bass.

Simon Spillett is a fast energetic bebop tenor sax playing of the highest order. He plays at the speed of Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel of his formula 1 car. But speed is not at the expense of his music. His notes do not blur and disappear into each other. His articulation is clear and precise. He is very good to listen to. His gig last night at Googlies Jazz Club was very enjoyable and made for a good comparison with the sax players of the last two weeks. Like Clatworthy, Spillett played lyrical phrases which were intriguing to hear. Like Barnes he interspersed his playing with comical chatter and jokes. But Spillett has his own jazz personality and any further comparison with others is futile. He has his own style. He plays quick and frantic with the upbeat tunes, calm and sensitive with the ballads.

During the night he confessed to his love and admiration for Tubby Hayes. Hayes was a young British jazz player who in the words of Spillett’ was the best tenor saxophonist this country has ever produced’. Spillett’s new album, ‘Sienna Red’ is collection of tunes composed or connected in some way with Tubby Hayes; indeed part of the line-up includes ex Hayes drummer Spike Wells.

So, this was another excellent night of top quality jazz in this wonderful warm friendly jazz club. I often feel privileged to be able to go here week after week and see the best of British jazz. Indeed Simon Spillett indicated last night that according to the bulk of British jazz artists, Googlies is fast becoming the gig to play. This is good news for us jazz loving punters. The more the word gets around the more great jazz we get to listen to. Bring it on!

I had not been to a Harlow band rehearsal for a couple of weeks and it was nice to get back. Although towards the end of the second half my mouth started to get tired and I consequently found it hard to blow. Thinking back I had realised that I had not played much over the last few weeks and this illustrates the need to practise. I remember when I was learning to play clarinet that if I did not play for been a few days my embouchure would suffer. A wise old man once told me that if you don’t practise for one day no one would notice, for two days you will notice, if you don’t practise for three days everyone will notice. I find that this is less important with the saxophone as there is less need to tighten the mouth on the higher notes. But last night proved to me that you have to keep playing to keep the mouth strong.

We had a good rehearsal taken by Paul Cutler as our regular MD was sick. We played a medley of Beatles songs and a Toccata for band which was interesting. We finished off with an old favourite of ours ‘Sleepy Lagoon’ written in 1930 by English composer Eric Coates and used for the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs.

Have just learnt of the sad news that Norman Smith died last week. I met him a few times during the time my father worked with him in the 70's and remember him to be a friendly man. He has always been a major part of my life due to the connection with my dad and 'Oh babe what would you say'.

There is a very nice obituary on timesonline.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3506322.ece?Submitted=true

Colin Peters, pianist and leader of the house quartet

at Googlies Jazz club.

Mike Cole, ex bass player of Mungo Jerry

now resident at Googlies Jazz club.

Bill Yeomans, house reed and flute player,

and drummer John Jarvis in background.

After the crash bang wallop music of Wednesday night it was good to get back to the comfort of Googlies Jazz Club. Top of the bill was saxophonist Alan Barnes. Barnes is not only a very good player he is also a funny and entertaining man. Well, that is to say he is only funny if you enjoy corny jokes. Last nights jokes were particularly corny. But as usual his jazz was wonderful. When Alan Barnes gets booked to play the only thing you have to ask yourself is what instrument he is going to play. Last night he chose alto and baritone saxophone. I have been told that he has been known to bring a bass clarinet. Last night he was very enjoyable on either but I think most people enjoyed listening to him play the ‘big one’. If fact at one stage he gave us the opportunity to choose and it was a landslide victory for the baritone. So, another good night of music and in comparison to Wednesday far more gentile and laid back and more importantly my ears aren’t bleeding.

" thats why they call it the blues"

Me and the band at the Half Moon, Bishops Stortford

Have you ever thought it would be a good idea to do something and then wished you had not even got out of bed that day? That is how I felt yesterday evening. I went along to a blues jam session at the Half Moon PH, Bishops Stortford. I originally meant to go and just listen with a view to deciding whether to play at a later date but after a little encouragement from others on the Breakfast Room Forum (http://www.breakfastroom.co.uk/) I thought, what the hell lets have a go. It turned out to be a bad decision.

When I got there I quickly realised that this was not what I had expected. You see I did not think it through properly. This was an electric blues club. People come here to play electric guitar and as loud as they can. They were experienced semi-professionals. Not amateurs like me who was looking to gain experience after a one week jazz course. I knew none of the songs, I knew none of the chord progressions and I was bricking it. By the time I was called up, nearly two hours into the night, my ears were bursting and my mind was a complete blank. I had prepared a little list of blues scales that I intended to refer to when I needed it but the sound coming out of my sax bore no resemblance to what the other guys were playing. Indeed most of the time I could not even hear the sound coming out of my sax. I stood next to a very loud drummer and in front of an enormous guitar amp. There were so many distractions I could not even remember my own name.

Should I have just abandoned the idea and not got up to play? I did consider it for a long while. The biggest problem I had was that I did not know enough about the style of blues being played. Because of all the guitars this was more blues/rock than shuffle. I stood on stage with Led Zeppelin and went down like a lead balloon. Any small number of jazz licks I had learnt were absolutely no use at all. The rhythm and blues I had played at the improvising course was no use at all. I was out of my depth.

So, would I go back? Not on your life. Was it worth it? Yes. I got a great deal of experience out of it. Not in playing terms but knowing what it is like to play on stage in that type of atmosphere. And anyway I am 53 years of age and for fifteen minutes I was in a rock band, which alone was worth the £3 entrance fee. I gave myself 10 out of 10 for courage but nil point for musical content. I got home and had a very large scotch before going to bed with my ears ringing like a church on a Sunday morning. I felt embarrassed about my performance but proud I did not chicken out.

Next Wednesday I will go back to my nice quiet concert band with pages of notes telling me what to play. I can’t wait.

Last night I saw The Carl Rosa production of Pirates of Penzance. We had seen the Mikado some weeks ago and enjoyed it very much. Pirates was also a good show with excellent costumes and sets but it lacked something. I am not sure what it was though. I thought the script lacked warmth places but that is down to Gilbert and Sullivan not the production company of this edition. The singing was good by the main cast and so was the characterisation, but still something just did not work.

I am sorry to say that I did not enjoy Jo Brand. For me this guest appearance did not work. She could not sing which may be forgivable on its own but she could not act either. She looked uncomfortable on stage and very awkward during her songs. Sorry Jo, a brave attempt but stay with what you know.

Ray's Jazz Cafe is on the First floor of Foyle's bookshop Charing Cross Road, London.

It's a great place to have coffee and browse the jazz, blues, roots Cd's. It also has jazz gigs periodically.

Last night Googlies jazz club saw a guest appearance by tenor saxophonist Benn Clatworthy. As a sax player myself I am always looking to learn from the technique of others, particularly the professionals. But there was nothing I saw last night that is going to help me with my playing. Clatworthy plays in his own strange but effective style. He holds his tenor low down in front of him so that he has the appearance of someone holding a heavy weight around his neck. He contorts his face in an expression of severe pain and even his exaggerated leg movements suggest he is in a great deal of discomfort.

But this is only the visual side of this wonderful jazzman. To my ears his music is just superb. I watched and listened all night in sheer fascination. He fills his solos with a myriad of harmonics squeaks and barks from every compass range of his instrument. From the highest note to the lowest he made sounds that were not only musical but also challenging to the aural senses. His use of extended cadenzas without the accompaniment of the house band at the end of many of the numbers was a major part of the night’s entertainment. They were packed full of emotion, tension and excitement. I felt exhausted just watching him.

The only down side of this was that I don’t feel that this type of jazz mixed well with the standard modern swing style of the house band. It is not that the Colin Peters Quartet are not good musicians. They are very good and I always enjoy listening to them. It’s just that their style did not blend well last night with Clatworthy’s more free method.

Still a great night though!

Situated in London's Denmark Street, this is a wonderful place to buy an acoustic guitar.

There are hundreds to choose from and the staff are very helpful.

The centre of London's music trade.

Macari's at 92-94 Charing Cross road, London.

A large new and secondhand musical instrument shop.

London's premier jazz venue in Frith Street

Last night we went to the Half Moon PH in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire. The pub hold a blues club every Wednesday entitled Bluesalive. Most weeks they hold a jam session which I intend to go along to very soon. However, last night they had a gig with a band called Funkydory. As can be seen from other entries to this blog, my preferred listening pleasure is jazz rather than funk but I do enjoy live music and am willing to give anything a try. I am so glad I did. From the outset I knew this was going to be a great night. The four band members were clearly competent musicians which made me sit up and study them very closely.

At the front was vocalist Lorna Reilly. The Funkydory web site (www.funckydory.com) describes her as being “blessed with the voice of an angel”. I don’t know whether angels ever sang this type of music but if they did the gods were no doubt tapping their feet. Lorna’s voice is extremely powerful. Her style of delivery is energetic. Both these attributes give a great presence to the band and ensure that the listener’s attention is on the band and nowhere else.

Lead guitarist is Jules Fothergill. This guy can play. Oh boy can he play. His rhythm was spot on and not too repetitive with each number. His solos were fantastic and I could not help thinking that he would be just as comfortable playing in a jazz band. With each song he varied his sounds and riffs so that we were never sure what was coming next. Music should have a little predictability but not too much. If you get the chance go see this man play.

On the bass was Ian “Lillian” Maurico. Maurico is a left handed player but could not be described in the derisory sense as a south paw. His support play was of the highest quality and kept the funky feel going throughout the night. I was particularly impressed when he and Fothergill played in unison it was a very good sound.

On the skins was a visiting drummer. Unfortunately I did not catch his name but he was great to watch and was clearly enjoying himself as deputy to regular Hayden Doyle. There were a couple of times when I noticed he went out of sync with the band but this can be expected with any substitute. He did give us a treat though when he played out a tremendous drum solo at the end of the evening. He included a lot of variation including playing the rims of his drums quite extensively.

Finally, the one lasting impression I got from this band was that they had fun. They played with smiles on their faces (something we don’t always see at the jazz club) and judging by the long encore did not want the gig to finish. The audience agreed.

The area around Westminster Abbey, London has a connection with English Baroque composer Henry Purcell. He was born on 10 September 1659 into a family of musicians. His father sang in the Chapel Royal and sang at the coronation of King Charles II. Most of Henry’s brothers were also employed as musicians at some point in their lives.

After his father’s death, Henry became a chorister. He attended Westminster school which is situated next to Westminster Abbey. Not much is known about his early life. He did compose as a young boy but the earliest manuscript that exists that was written by him is dated 1670. In 1676 he became organist for the abbey and continued to compose sacred music. He died at the aged of thirty six in 1695 and was buried next to the organ in Westminster Abbey.

On the corner of Victoria Street and Broadway, SW1 stands a monument to Purcell sculpted by Glyn Williams erected in 1994. Nearby are Westminster Abbey and school. Within the school is Dean’s Yard where Purcell is said to have died.

Just a selection of some of the shots I took at the Jazz course I attended at the Benslow Music Trust in Hitchen, Hertfordshire.

A mixed quartet check their tuning.

Viktor Obsust giving a lecture

A mixture of reeds and brass in this ensemble

Some students are getting ready to perform with Viktor Obsust supervising.

Last night was the first band rehearsal I have attended for three weeks, it was good to get back. I am still struggling a bit with my sight reading and playing tenor saxophone which I find can be difficult with some of the fast passages. However, I do feel that I am improving each week and certainly the intensive playing last week has helped. Because of the squeaking I experienced I have bought a new BG leather ligature and am trying a slightly stronger reed (3).

A major part of our rehearsal last night was with a medley of tunes from Paint Your Wagon. It did not look too difficult on the score but a few people found it hard to play. I think it was the odd change of time signature. At one point it went from 2/4 to 3/2 and then split common time. We intend to play this the year with a view to get the audience to sing along to the most famous of songs from the show, Wandering Star.

On Valentines night last Thursday I took my sweetheart to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to see Verdi's, La Traviata. Neither of us had seen grand opera before and found this to be a magnificent experience. The venue, the sets the singing everything was just magical. Our seats in the Upper Auditorium gave us good views and although we took a small pair of opera glasses we did not really need them. I thought we were going to struggle to get through the three and a half hours without suffering from numbus bumbus but there were two lengthy intervals so we were able to stand up and give our bottoms a rest. The seats were also comfortable which helped although they were a bit narrow, we will need to lose a few pounds before we go again. The only thing that spoilt the evening was when a fight broke out behind us during the performance. It would seem that someone was sitting in another persons seat. The world is going mad. Even here we can't get away from yobbish behaviour.

I got back yesterday from the Benslow Music Trust and had a fantastic week learning how to play jazz with Viktor Obsust. There were around twenty of us on the course with various kinds of instruments and levels of experience.

I was very impressed by Viktor’s approach to the subject. He told us that we should play the music that is within us. ‘Making the sound is first, and then comes the theory’ he said. This was very much the theme of the course. My first attempts at improvising sounded dreadful because I did not have the knowledge of what notes to play. I needed the tools to give me a better choice. That’s where learning chords came in. I did lots of work on chords beforehand but had not developed the skills required to use this knowledge whilst actually playing. Viktor coached us to just play and the right sounds would come. If we didn’t like the sound change the note until you did. It may only be a semitone away.

The course was structured in such a way as to allow as much time as possible for playing. At each session we were split into groups of five and given a book containing 557 standard tunes and sent away to a small rehearsal room to practice a couple of tunes. Once this had been done we then reconvened in the main hall and performed our choice of music o the other groups complete with a chorus or two each improvising. This is when I realised that whilst I had some ideas on phrases I had no idea what notes to play within them. I tried to just mess with the melody which is fine if the melody has plenty of notes per bar, but some were a bit simple and therefore I did not have many notes to choose from.

So I changed my strategy and just listened to the harmony and let the music flow. I can’t say it was good but I did feel a lot better and I felt that I was making better progress. The course did have a theoretical content. But it was more discussion than textbook work. We spoke about 3rds and 7ths and how they related to the sounds we wish to make. I must admit I found this all very inspiring and am determined to learn more about theory so that I can make a more informed decision on how to make interesting music.

But what of the man himself? Viktor Obsust is a classically trained pianist from a very strict eastern European background. He taught piano and double bass at the Bratislava State Conservatoire. He told me that he started to learn piano at a very early age but taking up the double bass was his act of rebellion. He is now runs workshops on jazz improvisation and world music. I found his teaching methods both fascinating and enjoyable. As one might expect his knowledge of harmonies and jazz chords is extensive and he passes on this knowledge with a smile on his face and a passion that is contagious. Added to which he has one of the most remarkable goatee beards I have ever seen.

If you want to improvise and want to learn in a fun and supportive atmosphere I would urge you to take this course.

Well now is the time. Tonight I am off for a three day jazz course. I have worked hard on my theory learning scales, modes and chords. I have listened to hours of jazz music and now is the time for me to have ago. My saxophones and I are off to the Benslow Music Trust. Viktor Obsust is the principal tutor who apparently is very good and very supportive. I am quite nervous but looking forward to it immensely. I just hope I know enough to join in and not find I am out of my depth.

Wish me luck!

Last night Googlies Jazz Club had their sixth birthday party. Lots of guests were invited whose presence gave a tremendous atmosphere to the evening. The party food was good but the icing on the cake was the entertainment provided.

There were no clowns here only seven superb musicians conjuring up a feast of jazz music. The hosts, as usual, were the Colin Peters Quartet who used the festivity to launch their new CD. Sales seemed to be good as most of the guests went home with one in their little post party goody bag. The quartet’s main job last night though was to support the very special guests Trudy Kerr, Steve Waterman and Derek Nash.

All birthday party’s have their characters and this was no exception.

Derek Nash on saxophones, (Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone) was the little dynamo of the group. He clearly wanted to get involved with every game. He never stopped running around playing solo or joining in with the others. I love the tone he gets on the baritone. It just hits a spot that makes me tingle.

The quiet sensible one in the corner was Steve Waterman on trumpet. This man’s jazz just bursts with energy. His fingers seem not just to press the valves on his instrument but literally hammer them down. His phrasing is intellectual as well as lyrical and his top notes raised the roof.

The pretty little flower of the party was Trudy Kerr (vocals). It cannot be easy playing with noisy boys but she did and gave as good a she got. Her voice was like listening to silk. It was smooth, soft but when the time came to sing above the racket of sax and trumpet she made sure she was heard.

At the end of the evening we all got or coats thanked everyone for a great time and caught the ‘A’ Train home.

Happy birthday Googlies.

On Saturday night we saw the Carl Rosa Company’s production of the Mikado. It was fantastic and we both enjoyed it very much. Everything about the show was impressive. The set design, costumes and singing. I think what added an extra dimension was that it was located at the Gielgud Theatre, London which has a beautifully decorated auditorium. It gave the show a Victorian music hall feeling.

Through listening to CD’s and radio I am very familiar with the majority of the songs but it was good to see them sung in the context of the story. And I was pleased that they put in an updated version of ‘they’d none of them be missed’. I also enjoyed the way that the opening and closing of the Japanese fans was used throughout the show to give dramatic effect. Although I have read in a separate review that this is now old hat to Mikado aficionados.

This version of the opera also included a couple of guest artists namely Alistair McGowan as the Mikado and Nicola McAuliffe as Katisha. Both were excellent particularly McAuliffes singing voice. McGowan did put in a couple of impressions such as Prince Charles which added to the music hall effect.

All in all a great night and now we look forward to seeing Pirates of Penzance in a few weeks time.

Last nights band rehearsal went very well. We are still playing the new stuff for the coming season and I am finding it good fun. My highlight for the evening was ‘Moonlight Serenade’. I love that tune and I think I might include it on my ‘songs that make you tingle’ list.

Today was a big fun day. In an effort to get my youngest son to take up music I bought him an electric guitar. It was one of those starter packages that seem very good value. I spent £129 quid on a guitar, amp, strap, tuner, DVD and a couple of picks. I always enjoy buying musical instruments so even though this was a present I got a lot of fun out of it. He won’t get it until Monday so I can have a play all week end.

Last Thursday we went to Googlies to see the clarinettist Julian Marc Strangle. I have seen him before not only at the club but also at my one and only visit to Ronnie Scott’s. He is a fine player and has a wonderful tone. It was a good night with lots of good music. Pauline, my partner, thought I did not like it. She said the expression on my face throughout the night was of a constant frown. I was not aware of it and did enjoy the music, but it may have been that I was concentrating on Stringles mannerisms. Firstly, I noticed that when he is listening to another member of the bands solo he constantly checking his reed and mouthpiece. I play clarinet and I know that it is important to have them set right but he seemed to be checking it every couple of seconds. I think that he may have felt self conscious about being on stage and not doing anything. Secondly when he hit a very high note he leant back, turned his body and pushed his right side towards the audience. This sort of mannerism seems common with musicians and I suppose is comparable with a rock guitarist screwing his face up when playing a high note. And lastly Julian has very long hair which, was getting into his mouth when playing and so he had to continually wipe away with his hands. Every now and then he made noises of complaints. I could not help thinking, “Why not just get it cut”.

But this is not to say this was not a great night. The jazz was fantastic as always and this club just gets better and better.

Last night was my first night back rehearsing with the band. It was good to be back and because of the new season of concerts we played some new tunes, at least new to me. Andrew Lloyd Webber made an appearance with a suite of songs from his shows. This was supported by a big name in film score with a tune from the film Saving Private Ryan, Hymn to the Fallen, by John Williams. The old timers were not forgotten and we played a medley of songs from the show Oklahoma. Something that was great fun to play and I am looking forward to getting my teeth into was the Eton Boating Song, a waltz from the old Edwardian days.

This was written by a gent named Karl Kaps who despite his German sounding name was in fact English and real name was John Roberts. Apparently he took a German name because of the popularity of German bands in Edwardian time. However, he came unstuck during the Great War and had to change it. Strangely he changed it to an Italian sounding name. Why did he not like his English one?

My study of jazz theory continues with learning the various scales/chords on a single root. I have found this good fun and after testing myself have become proficient at recognising the name of a chord by its component parts. I cover the chords on a play-a-long book and look at the full scale notes below and then work out the chord. I hope this helps me when I play as I will slowly learn where the flattened notes are and use them in my playing. It is also helpful to ingest the differences between a major seventh, dominant seventh, minor Dorian and a blues scale etc. Each day is a different root note and a further set of new chords.

Learning all the scales and chords in all the keys looks daunting so by doing it this way I am hoping to make it a little easier to remember. I lived in the days of learning times tables parrot fashion, maybe I can do this the same way.

I have been off work this week with a bad cold. So, I made good use of the time with studying jazz. My head is full of dorian modes and dominant 7ths and augmented 4ths I have big headache and it is nothing to do with my illness. However, I did get a chance to play for a couple of hours and all my reading has helped. The chord symbols at the top of the music did not look so daunting and I felt that with the extra knowledge I was able to simplify some of it and concentrate on playing. I have got prior experience of the simple chords like the major's and minor's but what frightened me was those that were altered and had extra bits like +9 or b7. I knew what they mean I just did not grasp how to play them. I am not sure what my music sounded like but on the whole I just ignored them and if my fingers got close I would put the note in and see whether it sounded out of place or not. I did feel very happy after my practice. I am sure it was not up to performance standard but I had great fun playing 'Call me Irresponsible' and 'Impressions' although the latter a lot slower that Coltrane.

This is a message I got from a fellow music lover. I thought it was worth putting up on the blog.

‘Hi Jeff, me again I was just checking your Blog, - although I've played now for about forty years many of them pro, it wasn't until my 50th that I decided to really get serious, - you sound like you're in a similar situation - I can only say do it! - and with a vengeance - you won't regret it, I knuckled down for about three years and improved my playing in leaps and bounds. It's now over ten years later and my only advice is "do it" and don't listen to old has beenz. The carriage gets older and the paint flakes off but as long as you keep your motor running . . . anything is possible’.
gruss – spike

Thanks for the advice spike

I have not made any serious resolutions for the New Year. Except the annual ones that I never complete like, going on a diet or not touching the hard stuff anymore. But I have got a music project for 2008. I have decided to have a serious go at learning to play jazz. I have had a half-hearted attempt before but got dazed and confused and gave up. But I do love jazz and the more I listen and watch the stuff the more my desire to play increases. I have been told by a Jazz musician of 50 years experience that I am wasting my time. His point of view was that at the old age of 53 it is too late to learn and I should have started in my youth. Well that is only an opinion and I think I will have an attempt to prove him wrong.

So, my initial strategy is to read and digest the Jamey Aebersold book ‘How to play Jazz and Improvise’. My brother bought me a great book for Christmas on how to phrase during improvisation so the two9 should go well together. I know I must concentrate more on learning scales and chords and should practise these more than I already do, but now I have to look at the different jazz scales and how to use them. Listening to others is important and I already listen to a lot on CD, radio and live at the club so that is covered. But instead of just listening with a tapping foot I will need to try and analyse the music more, maybe even remembering some phrases that I could use.

Next is formal education. I will try and find a tutor but in the meantime I have signed up a week’s course at the Benslow Music Trust in February. This will give me a target to aim for and will hopefully give me enough incentive to study every day so as not to look a complete idiot in 6 weeks time. Finding a tutor who is prepared to give me an hour’s lesson on a Saturday afternoon is going to be hard but I will research it and see what I can find.

So, here goes it. If any reader has any tips on how they learnt please post a comment. I have a big point to prove and I need all the help I can get. I will of course post my progress on this blog.

Have been away from the computer over the Christmas holidays so am a bit behind on my posts. The first update is my visit to Googlies Jazz club last Thursday (27 Dec). There was no guest acts so they did not charge an entrance fee. But we still got a superb evening of music. The Colin Peters Quartet played throughout the three sets with a splattering of guest singers from the audience. It was a great night and it made a change to hear the boys play on their own for a longer period.

I like free jazz and in this sense it saved me money, thanks Googlies.

Monday, 13 October 2008

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