Confessions of a singer-songwriter

Two worlds in parallel

2011-08-17T16:59:00.002+01:00

I'm starting to learn the art of switching from one mindset to another.

Yesterday, wheeling the little emperor in his pram through the slick bars and restaurants in Shoreditch, then into the City where I was performing at an event, felt surreal. He didn't come with me - I dropped him off with a willing relative - but the oddness of our unit, LE bobbing a helium balloon up and down, staring at all the natives, me doing my speed walk and attempting to look as stylish as you can with a million bags draped around you, was not lost on me.

Looking at all the other professionals in the area, smoking, texting, drinking coffee or just purposefully walking, I imagined their lives to be so much less complicated, a seamless strain of work and pleasure - but it's never really like that, is it. We all have our hidden stories, whether we decide to tell them or not, and even if nobody else but us ever knows about them.

Keeping the music alive

2011-08-10T11:06:00.006+01:00

There are a whole lot of artists and bands out there who never get their five minutes of fame on YouTube, or become known beyond their niche following. As a composer friend of mine once said about the music he and a collaborator produced: "We give a very great amount of pleasure to a very small amount of people."

I think this is one of things the Jeli Sound Archive is hoping to address: it's a new archive of British popular music, collated through oral storytelling and interviews. I went to their launch night at the Vortex jazz club, and was excited to see how many people were there - they obviously have a bit of a following already.

There were the requisite number of jazz enthusiasts (myself included), taking in the excellent band on stage – a quintet performing music by 1950s multi-instrumentalist Tubby Hayes and led by saxophonist Samuel Evans. Others at the back were perhaps not quite as attentive, but I think it just represents the fact that the musical genres included in the project are pretty widespread.

It will be interesting to see what stories are gathered. In any case, anything that sheds a bit of light on the kind of artists doing it for themselves, who wouldn't be seen dead on X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent or any of those other excuses to line a certain unscrupulous mogul's pockets with silver, gets my vote.

It's all for a good cause ...

2011-08-09T09:07:00.001+01:00

I was interested to hear a piece on the news today on the Musicians Union (MU) and its members doing charity gigs. The contention is that professional musicians are often "emotionally blackmailed" into performing for free in the service of a "good cause" or charitable event.

I'm not quite sure how the MU plans to take this further, but I'm glad it's raised the issue. Too often, it's assumed that a musician won't mind playing for free - perhaps due to a lack of understanding of what's involved, or maybe the thinking is that because they enjoy what they do, it's no skin off their nose. The plethora of reality television shows with starstruck hopefuls queuing up to perform doesn't help, either.

Unfortunately, for a whole string of reasons, musicians all too often work for free - maybe it's a promotional opportunity, a showcase, it's for a friend, or you're starting out and you want the experience ... In fact we all (not just musicians) donate our skills and services at various points in the service of some cause or other. It's just that, for professionals in the creative industries, the practice is pretty much endemic.

The MU's complaint about charity gigs is that often, other people associated with such events - the caterers, bar staff, lawyers etc - are paid, while musicians aren't. I now have my own strict criteria on whether I will or won't play for free, but if you asked somebody in another profession whether they'd be prepared to do a day's work unpaid out of goodwill, or for some other cause, they'd probably say no, and nobody would think to question it. Celebrities like to make a big show out of their work for charity because they can afford to - for most of us mere mortals, however, we need to work (and get paid) to live.

Blast from the past

2011-08-06T13:43:00.001+01:00

Just back from a gig with Rythme Futur at the Spice of Life's lunchtime session. The place was packed. What a different world to the whole mama thing - I get to wear an outfit that doesn't have dribble or food marks on it within two minutes of putting it on! And the audience is a little bigger too ...

My abiding association with the Spice of Life is of going there as a wannabe jazz singer years ago, to the open mic nights. It was a terrifying way to start out, and I always spent most of those evenings totally bricking it, until I got up for my slot. I've done other headline gigs there since then, and come a long way, but I'll never shake off the memory of those early fright nights!

There was even a guy there, who I think has been frequenting the place since the '60s, who used to go to the open mic sessions and give singers recordings of famous jazz vocalists on tape. I suppose it was a sort of compliment if you got one, but he did it virtually every week - I don't know how many recordings that guy must have made, as he always had at least one or two lots to give away. He gave me a batch today, after the first set, and I didn't have the heart to tell him I don't even have a cassette player anymore. I didn't feel so bad, however, after he heckled my whistling solo - not so dear little man after all, eh...

When the shoe is on the other foot

2011-08-02T13:55:00.006+01:00

Since I had LE, I've found myself doing things I would have been appalled at in my child-free days. Yesterday, we were waiting at the bus stop with my friend and her daughter after a stint in the park. Another woman came up with a cat in a cat box. My friend wheeled her daughter over, as they have a cat, and she knows all about it. The woman seemed quite chatty and friendly, so I wheeled LE over to have a look, as you never know how long these buses are gonna take.

Before I knew it, I was pointing at the cat, saying, "Look! Cat! Miaow!" several times over, as LE colluded, "Duh! Duh!", pointing too (everything is called "Duh" to him). By this time, we couldn't even see the cat, it had retreated so far back into its box, probably thinking, "Get me away from these nutters!", while the owner was starting to look more than a little ticked off and annoyed. I kind of noticed, but couldn't seem to help myself, because when it comes to amusing a potentially fractious toddler, you'll do anything.

It reminded me of when I used to do a regular Sunday lunchtime gig at a posh London restaurant in Piccadilly. Parents would walk by with their children - I'm assuming at that time in the meal when they could no longer contain their little pumpkins - pointing at me, saying, "Look! Singer!", while I would attempt a cringeable smile, not really sure where to look and feeling ridiculous singing a heartfelt ballad to a nonplussed toddler. They always stood there just a little too long, and I'd start to get nervous and tetchy, hoping they'd move along. I get it now, though - like I said, when it comes to amusing a potentially fractious child, you'll do anything ... even if it means embarrassing the poor cat, singer, or the stranger at the bus stop.

You shouldn't have to suffer for your art

2011-07-31T22:00:00.010+01:00

I was really saddened to hear about Amy Winehouse's death. I wasn't a particular fan, although I respected her music - she obviously had something special. In hindsight, if you look at all the media coverage throughout her career, something like this seemed inevitable, but was it?

We generally like our artists to be tortured - it's much more interesting to read about a bad childhood, poverty or some sort of addiction than about the average person with their average dysfunctions. And watching those demons manifest themselves in such an amplified way - through the papers, the internet, or in front of a packed stadium, is even more intriguing.

But it's not an artist's job to be tortured, even though it might seem to be in the job description. It's their job to do what they do as best they can, like anyone else. We make a mistake - and sometimes tragically so - if, as artists or audience, we expect anything else.

Relics and superstition

2011-07-31T21:51:00.005+01:00

Went to see the British Museum’s new exhibition, Treasures of Heaven, this week, all about medieval relics. I have to admit to a certain ghoulish fascination with the Middle Ages’ morbid approach to religion, the petrified faces of their icons drawing me in almost involuntarily. There weren’t so many icons here, but reliquaries, and lots of them, including many religious souvenirs from the period inspired by the blood of its saints and martyrs.

It was tempting to go into the exhibition in the spirit of today’s age and think, of course I would never be so simple as to think an object like that could either save my soul, keep me safe or bring me good luck … but when you think about it, we probably have no less “relics” in our own society, they’re just different. Only the other day on the news I heard about an auction of Princess Diana’s “Travolta dress” (the one she danced in with John Travolta in 1985) for $800,000 … and what about the lucky number, pen, necklace, seat, pair of shoes – you name it – that, consciously or unconsciously, we use as a little bit of a good luck charm to help us on our way. When I think about it, I probably behave superstitiously more often than I care to admit.

I was also surprised at my own reaction to some of the pieces. Even though I knew the authenticity of many of the relics were, at best, questionable, I couldn’t help but be drawn in by one or two. A perfectly formed pendant purporting to contain “a thorn from Christ’s crown of thorns” momentarily took my breath away, as did a pair of gloves King Charles I was said to have worn moments before his execution (apparently there are at least two other such pairs in existence). Just for a second, I imagined, what if they really were – how awe-inspiring would that be? I couldn’t help but be slightly swept away.

It was a reminder not to be so cocksure about my own reality - at least, that is, until I came out blinking from the exhibition into the harsh light of the shop – where a host of the museum’s own relics were calling out to be purchased.

Green shoots

2011-05-04T11:20:00.003+01:00

It’s good to restart this blog on a high note. The other day I managed to cram two gigs in one day – amazing, really, considering one was actually in the morning and it was a Monday too! The first was for a Strandlines event at King’s College for community groups in the area. For my contribution I played two songs inspired by stories that have emerged during the project so far: one was an arrangement of an old ballad about flower girls and the other about the underground shelter that used to be in Aldwych tube station.

For both songs I used a loop pedal, which I’ve never used on my own in a performance before. It turned out well, but had been a bit touch and go beforehand. A few weeks back, I’d borrowed a pedal from my guitarist friend Patrick, only to try my friend Sara’s pedal last week and realised it was so much better for the purpose. Of course when I tried to get one there were none available, so after persuading the lovely Sara to lend me hers (actually she was more than happy to lend it – I have very generous friends!), I found out the day before the event that I had the wrong cable – aaarrrggh! Fortunately with a combination of good advice from another friend, and husbandly trickery, I managed to get it working by using my mixer. Phew. The only thing to deal with after that was keeping the little emperor from jumping all over my delicate set-up, twiddling dials and making us all go deaf from feedback. Easy peasy. Ahem.

So, in the end, overall the two songs worked, and I think we can safely say I’ll be pursuing the looping and solo songs a little more now, if I can get my own flippin’ pedal one of these days!

After that, I hotfooted it to the Brady Arts Centre for a jazz dance gig with trombonist Graham and his band. We played songs in just about every possible dance style you can think of: tango, cha cha, rumba, samba, waltz, quickstep, foxtrot. I wish all jazz gigs were like this one – loads of people dancing, the band sounding great, and just generally really good fun to sing. Ahh.

Back to the National Theatre

2009-09-24T09:27:00.003+01:00

I've been terribly remiss at maintaining this blog lately. I blame part of that on getting stuck into a bit of writing again - the two zones don't really mix for me. There may at least be one or two of these new songs at the National Theatre gig I'm playing this Sunday, 27 September (1.15pm). We shall see. I've got the excellent guitarist Nigel Price playing and also multi-talented bassist Andrew Milloy. Maybe see you there :)

Grimeborn and Write to Ignite

2009-09-09T09:59:00.006+01:00

Living in the corner of inner city London that I do, there are times when I long for the rolling fields and plentiful parking I assume lies just beyond the M25.
However, last weekend, I was reminded about the good things about where I am. One: the Arcola theatre in Dalston. I managed to catch 0ne of the shows in the Grimeborn season of new opera and music, towards the end of the festival. It was a showcase of mainly new musical theatre material, by contemporary writers and some stalwarts, such as Sondheim.
I don't see much musical theatre these days, although I was brought up on a diet of about three or four a year as a kid. These days, West End prices put me off. But the quality of the songs and the singing really inspired me to check more out. There are clearly some very talented writers out there right now. Some of my favourites from the show were The Last Time There Was Rain by Ricky Ian Gordon from The Grapes of Wrath - a really rousing and beautifully harmonised chorus piece. Also, the tongue-in-cheek Easier by Conor Mitchell, Funeral Sequence from Parade by Jason Robert Brown and Dividing Day from The Light in the Piazza by Adam Guettel. Some of these shows have played on Broadway - hopefully, those that haven't might make it to London or Britain in general.
I also really laughed at The Alto's Lament by Marcy Heisler - having sung alto in various choirs, I could completely relate to the sentiment of the song (as an alto, you rarely get any of the interesting lines to sing, unlike sopranos who mainly sing the melodies).
As to my own creative ramblings, I managed to get to a writing workshop as part of the Write to Ignite festival going on in Hackney at the moment. It got the juices flowing definitely - might even prompt me to finish some of the new songs I'm working on!

Ronnie Scott's of Cambridge

2009-07-17T18:56:00.007+01:00

Here's a couple of photos taken at my Alimentum gig in Cambridge earlier this week, taken by the esteemed Mr Williams.

From left: Nigel Price (guitar), Simon Little (electric bass), moi

As you can see, it was a little cosy on the stage when I was standing up (as opposed to lying drunk on the floor ... I mean, playing at the piano). Good job we all get on! I had been a little jittery before the gig as it's a while since Simon (bass), Nigel (guitar) and I had played together on my songs. I shouldn't have worried, though, as they're both superb players and remembered everything. We also played one of my new songs - the Rocker one - and it worked really well with the line-up. Must get that recorded soon ...

We had a busy night - the manager told me the venue could have sold out twice! It was a little bustly to start off with, what with with people ordering food, arriving etc. But in the second half, when most people had finished, they dimmed the lights and it did feel a little like the Ronnie Scott's of Cambridge. I think we'll be back.

Gigs on fire

2009-07-13T11:07:00.006+01:00

In a bizarre twist of fate, I didn't actually sing at the Pizza Express with Jon Regen on Friday. The reason being that the whole street was taken out by a fire in one of the buildings, so nobody could get near it from the afternoon till the end of the day. What are the odds?

Reminded me of a time, many moons ago, when I went to work in Covent Garden one sunny morning to find the street cordoned off and a crowd gathered at the rope. The fire was actually over but I guess everyone else was hanging about for the same reasons I was: wondering what the hell was going on and whether they were going to get their arse kicked for being late.

I said to the policeman, "That's my work in there - I'm supposed to be in."

"Not today you're not," he replied. "Go home and enjoy the sun." Far be it from me to argue with a policeman.

Of course, it's much more fun going home when you were supposed to be at work, than when you were supposed to be doing a gig. But such is the way of random urban fires and you can't plan for these things.

As it is, I'm now swotting up for my gig tomorrow at Alimentum in Cambridge. I played there last year and it's a classy joint. This time I have Simon Little on bass and Nigel Price on guitar - absolutely top players and on my album to boot.

You can check the details on the venue's website, or I have actually set up an event invite for you Facebook lovers out there.

Feel free to join the lovin'...

Pizza Express Dean Street performance

2009-07-10T12:54:00.004+01:00

I'm guesting on NYC artist Jon Regen's gig at Pizza Express Dean Street tonight. For those of you who don't know the place, it's not just a random Pizza Express that happens to have some music, as you might think - it's actually a really top jazz venue, second in London possibly only to Ronnie Scott's. So it's pretty exciting to be singing some songs there tonight.

Jon is a singer-songwriter who also happens to play piano amazingly well. Some other guests could include David McAlmont (of McAlmont & Butler fame). It's gonna be rocking! So if you are in London and were wondering what to do with your Friday night, now you know :-)

Where to write, and what on

2009-07-08T11:37:00.004+01:00

Met up with an old Guildhall mate of mine the other day. C is now a composer, and fully au fait with all manner of music software. We were talking about writing, and he was encouraging me to explore a little more of that technology to generate ideas. I do admire people who use that software, and often enjoy music that's been created in that way. Frankly, though, the thought of getting my head around it right now is up there with doing a car maintenance course: I know it would benefit me, and come in very handy if I broke down, but do I really want to bore myself to tears? Not yet. In this respect, I'm a typical girl. A woman's got to be a typical girl sometimes, hasn't she?

In contrast to the computer, the piano, where I write most of my music, represents a space, mentally and physically, to be creative - to be something else. I'm not alone in this. I recently read a book that charted a lifetime's obsession with the piano, The Piano Shop on the Left Bank. Now there's a real piano nut. A writer discovers and gets to know a particular atelier in Paris, and begins to relive his childhood interest in the instrument, delving into and exploring all its facets - technical and historical - as an adult. It has points of resonance for a pianist, although I'm not sure non-pianists would find it as intriguing. It's certainly a fairly counter-cultural memoir for our technological age.

For a complete change of headspace, I came in and caught the last part of Michael Jackson's memorial service on TV. Not a current fan of the artist, and ingrained with that peculiarly British aversion to sentimentality, I can't say I really entered into the spirit of things. But I was transfixed by the reverence and weirdness of it all - sort of like a variety show for the deceased. I happened to switch on just as Usher was starting to sing, weep and touch the coffin. I can't help feeling that if that was in Britain, said artist would be whisked away on the grounds of health and safety, and headlines the following day would read: "So-and-so dropped by record label for breach of contract and inappropriate behaviour" - or something like that. As it was, it seemed to go down a storm.

The commentating - by Paul Gambacini and Trevor Nelson - was also very weird. Normally reserved for state events or traditional annual sporting events (eg Wimbledon, just gone), it felt odd and awkward for an artist the British press has mercilessly mocked for the best part of his latter years.

Personally, although I admire Jackson's early work and talent, what I find most poignant is the story of an artist who seems impossible to empathise with, who was almost unreal - whether that was due to his ever-changing appearance, his secrecy, his penchant for the company of children and animals or whatever. To me, the ability to generate that emotional resonance is a key part of the artist's skill. Clearly, the man had millions of fans, so I guess a good deal of them felt empathy of some sort. In the end, the public displays of grief, ostentatious group hugs and teary performances of the memorial seemed a fitting tribute to a man whose life was all about spectacle - a man who, until the last, managed to reveal very little about the real "man in the mirror".

Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb

2009-06-24T21:27:00.003+01:00

Had a good laugh at the Rhubarb live session recently in Birmingham. I'd actually met Martin, the DJ, before, when I was doing my first show up at the Edinburgh Fringe four years ago. He was doing a show there at the time, too, and we met on the Royal Mile, both attempting to flyer punters - except that he was dressed up in a rather dodgy Elvis suit. Gotta love those gimmicks!

So it was a very relaxed session. The studio is set in the rather cool Custard Factory complex, which has some really nifty little boutiques and also a theatre. Across the way from the studio, in a glass-fronted room, there was even an ever-so swish white grand piano that I was very tempted to play. Instead - for logistical reasons - I had to content myself with the old keyboard. Still, we had a good chat and I played a few songs from the album. Hopefully I'll get back to Brum for some live gigs soon.

Meanwhile, this weekend, I'm going back to my jazz roots to play at the Upton festival in Gloucestershire. Here's hoping the sun continues ...

Return to form

2009-06-04T21:24:00.004+01:00

Recently I heard of this movement called Slow Blogging. Not unlike the Slow Food movement, the clue is in the name. Here's some lines from one slow blogger's manifesto (in fact, I think he's the man who came up with it):

"Slow Blogging is a rejection of immediacy. It is an affirmation that not all things worth reading are written quickly, and that many thoughts are best served after being fully baked and worded in an even temperament."

I heartily agree, although one has to accept that readership may dwindle, or fail to build, when you blog at the snail's pace that, for example, I do. But then I've never been one to submit easily to being rushed.

The reason for my recent blogging hiatus, however, is that I've been away on a much-needed break. And since I've been back - just over a week - it's been all go.

There were two slots at the Haywards' Heath Jazz and Soul on the Broadway gig, in the scorching sunshine on a Sunday. One was guesting with Rythme Futur, the other playing with my own band. Then there were returns to the National Theatre and the National Portrait Gallery last week. It was good to wheel out one or two new songs - I was even been asked when one of them is being recorded! - and it's always nice to connect with the many people passing through those places, usually from all over the world.

I've also had another review for my album from Keyboard Mag in the States. Hooray! Check it out here.

There's some other gigs in the pipeline, including a radio slot at Rhubarb Radio in Birmingham. I'm going to be playing live and there'll be a bit of chat, too. So tune in from 10pm on Tues 16 June.

Playing at The Stables

2009-04-29T19:26:00.013+01:00

The Stables gig was a joy. It lived up to its reputation as being a top place to play. Thanks to everyone who came: I really enjoyed meeting people at the end and having a bit of a chat. As in some previous gigs, there were also some old faces there I hadn't seen for a very long time. Which is always a treat. Courtesy of Facebook. So it does have something going for it. Speaking of which, if you are on the infamous FB and would like to stay in touch, please join the fan page. It's still in its infancy, you might say, and very open to newcomers :-) Muso contact is best left to MySpace - because there are so many portals, music platforms and other technological vices - or virtues, depending which side of the fence you sit on - it's hard to keep up.

Back to the gig - we were, unfortunately, unable to take photos during the performance, but there are some rather rough 'n' ready shots of us setting up. So instead of the usual close-ups of yours truly oohing on the piano or keyboard - which are becoming a little ubiqitous, it has to be said - there are some rather interesting - one might even say arty - shots from before the gig... Here they are. Don't say I didn't warn you ;-)

Me warming up

The band in full sound check!

Andrew (bass) tries out his piano chops

Feeling groovy

2009-04-12T21:03:00.007+01:00

Brighton last week was a most refreshing experience. Lovely theatre room, warm audience, great location (near the sea) and friendly promoters!! You may shrug at this last point, but it makes all the difference from feeling OK, to feeling really excited about playing somewhere. It's not that I constantly encounter weasly, cold-hearted bastards who really couldn't give a toss about your performance ... although, if I put my mind to it, I could drudge up a few. But a little bit of enthusiasm goes a long way.

I'm told this is a Brighton thing. Chatting to the bar manager afterwards, he informed me the stereotypical image of Brighton as a happy-go-lucky, chilled out paradise is "120% true". So. You heard it here first.

Hopefully I'll repeat my experience at The Stables in Milton Keynes this Saturday, 18 April. It's a top venue, and I'm very chuffed to be invited there. Other artists on their upcoming programme include the likes of Georgie Fame, Ruby Turner, Imelda May, Show of Hands and, oh - Julie McKee! - would you believe. It's definitely worth a night out - a post-Easter soiree, if you like. 'Cos you're worth it :-)

I'm also feeling slightly buoyed after seeing a top gig last night at the Troubadour in west London. I hadn't been to a gig for ages, with one thing and another, and this time it was my turn to be a groupie - He-Man was drumming with the melodramatic pop combo of crooner Orlando Seale. And very engaging and enjoyable it was, too. Not only that, all the other acts I caught were really high calibre - gorgeous vocals and serene soundscapes from Rachel Wright, funk grooves from Miss P and a set from Mano de Dios that had me smiling from start to finish. They rocked the place, with in-your-face flamenco, punk and rockabilly grooves, and the Spanish songs took me right back to my student days in Barcelona ... ahh. Those were the days.

Incommunicado and lovin' it

2009-04-02T10:09:00.007+01:00

My mobile's broken. The charger's bust, it's out of juice - in short, it's kaput. I really should get round to rectifying the situation, but the last few days have been bliss. No more cranking it up first thing out of bed, awaiting intrusion from the outside world. No urgent safe-keeping in my pocket as I pop out to the shops for 10 mins, because somebody might call or text. No putting it on silent while I'm out with someone (but keeping a sneaky eye on it) or monitoring it in the movies in case something oh-so-important crops up. What a relief.

Maybe there's a lesson for me in all this. A chance to create a little bit more space in my life. Hell, I even sat down to finish a song - twice - in the last few days! Now that's gotta be good.

I heard about last week's Earth Hour too late. So I didn't switch off my lights - that is, if they were, indeed, on at the time. I just checked onto the Earth Hour website to see what it was all about. Some of its suggestions, apart from switching off your lights for an hour, included taking a photo and uploading it to Flickr, taking a video and uploading it to YouTube and writing a live blogpost about it. Er, doesn't all that add up to a lot more energy consumed than an hour of lights-off?

I'm not knocking it, but I'll stick with the broken mobile for now. There'll be less brains and thumbs fried. And I may even finish that song.

A funny thing happened on the way to The Library

2009-03-24T15:38:00.009Z

The sunny weather has been a welcome distraction from most things. That said, here are some pics from my last Freedom of Expression gig in north London not long ago, courtesy of Tom Nicholls.

As you can see, I was joined by Sam Chaplin, who played some inspired lines on the flugel horn. It was a memorable night, not least because some people actually went to the local library, as opposed to The Library venue we were playing at. An easy enough mistake to make, really. Apparently it caused quite a ruckus among the librarians, who bristled at the idea that their rival outposts might be having more fun than them, putting on concerts and the like - imagine! Might have started something there ... Fortunately, said punters made it in the end, I'm not quite sure how, and didn't miss my slot. Our set was fairly short and sweet, with another outing for the new song, which is still without a title. I'll get there soon.

You and the night and the music

2009-03-04T17:36:00.011Z

When people ask me how things are going, I sometimes forget that they have not been party to the same conversation I've been having with myself about what I do and what I plan to do next. I tell people I've been doing a bit more "jazz" lately, and forget that to some, that's what I've been doing all along.

What I mean by that is that I've been gigging the kind of repertoire known as "standards", either on jobbing gigs or with outfits such as Rythme Futur. I put a lot of that stuff on hold last year to do my own material and get my album out, but somehow, it's been creeping back in via various sources. In fact, although I swore I'd had it with jazz, I've really enjoyed just getting up and singing, without the pressure of thinking I've got to sell albums. At least not my own, at any rate.

Last week I played Club Chat Noir with Rythme Futur at the Hanbury Club in Brighton. It was another album launch, of sorts, for them. The place was heaving and it was great to see so many people dancing to music that doesn't even have drums! Shows you it's still got that special something if people are in the mood for a good time.

I also played a scratch gig with Toby Nowell's band at The Lamb in Surbiton. It was a breezy and off-the-cuff affair, with some colourful guests sitting in - one of whom had a remarkable likeness to Roy Wood from Wizard (but younger). Among the musos were multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Glasson, who also plays with the Lost and Found Orchestra, and Dan Redding, a great guitarist who amazed me by jamming on Lush Life (one of the most difficult - but beautiful - ballads out there) before we started. Now that is class.

Back to the originals, I joined in on Jazmine Ava's Candlelight Songwriters' Night in Colchester on Friday just gone. It was nice to see some Saint FM faces there - Anver and crew, plus Tersha, who sang on the Unsigned show's first birthday bash last December. I played a solo set, doing songs from the album, plus my new waltz, which has yet to be named - although I did get a few suggestions on the night. Am still deciding ...

Rythme Futur album launch

2009-02-10T16:02:00.006Z

I seem to be playing a lot of jazz lately. Sunday night was the official album launch of Rythme Futur's new album, Yesterdays. Scroll down some posts back, and you will see the studio pics of those particular sessions, recorded at Tin Pan Alley studios. The CD has come out really nicely and you can get it either on gigs or drop me a note, and I'll put you in touch. I'm singing on about five tracks - hell, I'm even whistling on one of 'em!

We played our launch gig at Le Quecumbar, the top venue for gypsy jazz and Parisian swing. Everybody played well, but the duelling solos between Andy Aitchison on violin and James Evans on clarinet were something else. Sometimes virtuosity can be a bit alienating, as though it's just about instrumentalists pulling out all the tricks in their bag for the sake of it. Here, though, it really sounded like music as it should be: warm, inviting, inspiring and with a sense of humour. There were also star turns from the other troopers in the band: George Trebar on bass, Barrington Meyer on guitar and Simon Moore on guitar also.

If you've never been to Le Quecumbar, you should check it out. It's an entirely independent venue and feels as though you've walked into a stylish French bistro from the pre-war era, with live music virtually every night. I may well be back there with my own set-up, too. Watch this space.

Let it snow, let it snow

2009-02-02T11:40:00.010Z

Well, this is the view from my study window today. I was due to be out pretty much all day - had three different appointments - but it was not to be. I've never seen so much snow in London. I feels a bit like a kid who's managed to blag a day home from school - except that my work is also at home, so there's no getting away from it!

I shall enjoy the snowscape, at any rate. And watching the few kids that live on our street making snowmen out on the pavement below.

As if that wasn't enough pictorial delight for one blog post, here are some photos of our show in Winchester on Saturday night, taken by a very nice man in the audience.

The show was a blast and we had a very appreciative audience. Nina Schofield set the tone in the first set with her beautiful vocals and slightly Tori Amos / R'n'B styled tunes. We also tried a few new tricks this time around: Andrew added extra welly, switching from electric to double bass on a few songs; we had manly warblings from Sam and Mark on backing vocals; and Sam got funky on the keys for a few numbers, which meant I could get up and jig about. Hooray!

Thank you to everyone who came, especially those old acquaintances who I hadn't seen for about 15 years - you know who you are! It was really great to meet people after the show - always one of my favourite bits of the evening.

Jazz in Croydon, originals in Winchester

2009-01-23T17:02:00.010Z

Dipped my toe back into the old jazz roots yesterday at the Clocktower Cafe in Croydon. I've been doing this lunchtime gig pretty regularly ever since I left Guildhall in 2004, and I'm happy to say, I always get a pretty good response - there aren't many places you can say that for! Plus, it's kind of grounding to tap into those musical roots every so often - particularly when it's with Nigel Price, one of the most swinging guitarists around (also on my album, as it happens), and the esteemed George Trebar (of Rythme Futur fame) on bass.

We had a good old play and gave those jazz standards a workout. I enjoyed not being at the piano for a change - gave me a chance to boogie about a bit more!

I also decided to experiment with public transport, bringing my AER amp with me - supposedly portable - just to see how portable it really is. Well, I can now report it's about as portable as a sack of bricks. I felt like a human swingball, with a very heavy lump of concrete attached instead of a ball. That's not really how I want to feel before a gig. Somebody get me a roadie!! I could get vertigo. There were also a fair few people who had a go at thwacking it as well, on the tube - it was just too tempting. Still, it all means I never have to go to the gym or do aerobics - that's my excuse, anyway. And I think I definitely deserve a massage after that...

The next listening gig is in Winchester at the Discovery Centre on Saturday 31 January. I'm getting together with the guys over the next week for various plays and rehearsals, and it's all shaping up to be a tidy gig. Plus, there is support from an amazing, up-and-coming singer Nina Schofield. Even more reason to ditch Strictly (or whatever it now is on a Saturday night) and come out to play...

Southend radio session

2009-01-19T21:56:00.008Z

So I had my outing to Southend radio - that of the jingle fame (the one I was supposed to write, that is) - and most enjoyable it was. Took me ages to get there, but as I started cruising down the Western Esplanade and glimpsed the sea to my right, I felt a deep calm. Ahhh. Wish I could've spent more time gazing onto the blue. As it was, I was already cutting it fine and there were songs, chats and jingles to be recorded! Ben Payne, the presenter of Live and Local, was lovely, and we had a good old chin wag in their new studio, where we managed to get the keyboard in and put down a good couple of tracks. Should go out on February 2, when, hopefully, you can also hear my jingle! Woo hoo. In the meantime, here we are, doing our thang:

Essex radio session

2009-01-15T17:49:00.004Z

I've got another in-studio radio session this Friday. It's a pre-record and I'll be playing a live song on the piano and the DJ will probably play one of the tracks from the CD itself, also. Should be fun. I've been asked to come up with a jingle for the show, which is a new challenge for me! Not entirely sure what to do for that, although I've some ideas. It might well be the most acoustic jingle you ever heard, as I'm not really one for fiddling about with samples and the like. Not yet, anyway.

I've been working on a few new songs lately as well. Finally found some head space to get some thoughts on paper/ Garage Band. Nothing's finished yet, and I've no idea when they'll see the light of day at this present moment. But at least it's good to clear some of the bottleneck of ideas that have been piling up virtually non-stop for the last while. Either they come out, or they die! I know which option I prefer.

Happy New Year

2009-01-08T21:42:00.006Z

Told you the regular blogging thing wouldn't last! Well, 2008 was a good year, and 2009 hasn't started on a bad foot either.

Check out the lovely feature Keyboard Player magazine did of me here.

Also on my News page, you can read some more nice words from the people at Performing Songwriter, one of my favourite muso-type mags.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that in December, I was cited in the Top 10 best albums of 2008 by Wildy's World! Here's what he said:

"Intelligent and witty lyrics make this one of the smartest albums of the year. An absolute must have for music fans."

Nice words, indeed. I'll be doing a more in-depth type review thingie of the last year soon...In the meantime, stay warm, have a good weekend and see you soon.

Radio session knees-up

2008-12-17T12:35:00.011Z

I can't believe how regular I'm becoming on this blog. It won't last! While I'm on a roll, though, last night's shindig at Saint FM was a blast. I've been fortunate that the lovely Anver, who runs the show, has been playing my songs pretty much since I first went in for an interview, oh, about six months ago now. As such, I've been in the loop with the station and heard lots of the names of the other artists who were there, but not always managed to hear their tracks. So it was really nice to get to meet everyone finally and see them perform live in the studio.

Lots of talented folk were involved, and I had some nice little chats with Jazmine Ava and her band, Bright Star, Lizzie B, Andy McKay and Jamie Williams.

I wasn't sure how it would feel playing live in the studio - it was just me, solo, on piano and voice. But actually I enjoyed it - weirdly, it was almost easier to get into because it was a performance, but without the pressure of reading the audience's reactions etc - I could just get lost in my own little world: something I'm a bit of an expert in, as it happens...

There was also a screen in the main room, so you could see the various artists perform when you weren't on air. The whole night was a bit of a do, with lots of local "dignitaries", press and the like, and no small amount of bling, in the form of great big mayoral chains and other ceremonial attire. So, quite an event, all in all. Onwards and upwards!

Live session on Saint FM tonight!

2008-12-16T14:40:00.002Z

I'm joining in a live music knees-up this evening at Saint FM, as it celebrates the first anniversary of its Unsigned show, which I was interviewed on earlier this year before the release of my album.

There are some amazing acts taking part and I will also be playing two live, unplugged songs as part of the show. Running time is from 9pm-11pm. I will be interviewed towards the beginning of the show and playing towards the end!

Tune in on either 94.7FM or online at www.saintfm.org.uk.

Musician review

2008-12-15T16:31:00.003Z

Check out another top review for my album, What A Woman Shouldn't Do, this time from Musician Magazine, (the Musicians' Union's official journal):

"A thought-provoking and powerful CD of originals from mellow jazz and soul crooner / pianist Julie. Having begun writing while studying at the Guildhall, the attention to detail and intelligence here shines through to provide a varied, accomplished album."
Keith Ames, Musician Magazine
December 2008

Say no to hibernation

2008-12-14T17:32:00.007Z

In these bleak winter days, it's hard to go out during the day, let alone venture out at night. However, I feel one has to take a stand against these hibernatory instincts, otherwise it's just a slippery slope, isn't it? You'd spend all winter cooped up, then get to May and think, what have I done for the last six months?

In that spirit, I've seen some inspiring and interesting gigs in the last couple of weeks - hell, I've even done some! First off, I caught an audiovisual extravaganza by The Real Tuesday Weld at the V&A, as part of its Cold War Weekend. If you haven't heard of him, The Real Tuesday Weld melds electronica with jazz-inspired riffs and nostalgic-sounding samples.The soundtrack he created for this particular event, with live band, had a backdrop of mainly Cold War footage, punctuated by a dictator-like figure (David Piper) commanding us to "love" and fall in line with the new "State of Love". A nicely subversive take on the whole theme, I thought. I'd also forgotten what an amazing space the V&A is - perfect for a big-scale event like this. The place was rammed.

I also managed to catch Cellorhythmics at the Vortex - I'd been meaning to see them for ages, ever since I read a write-up about them the first time I took a show to Edinburgh (2005). Better late than never, eh! Their line-up has expanded considerably since then, though - instead of three cellists, there are now 10 musicians, with a more expansive sound world to match. The simplest way to describe it would be classical-jazz fusion, but that doesn't really do them justice - there's so much more going on than that. Apart from virtuosic musicianship, there are bits of Bollywood, '70s cop carve-ups and Irish fiddle-inspired airs. Great stuff.

Weirdly, I ran into a couple of the band members at my Rythme Futur gig at the Chelsea Arts Club last night - small world, eh. Of course, the Rythme Future repertoire is slightly more conventional, you could say, than what I heard at the Vortex! However, it was a really fun gig, with our own dash of French and Spanish flair, I like to think...Apart from George Trebar (bass) and Simon Moore (guitar), we also had virtuosic flourishes from our violinist, Andy Aitchison, who wowed the crowd on not a few occasions. The album I recorded with those guys, by the way, is nearly ready and should be out early next year. So watch this space for updates.

National Theatre and the Courtauld Institute

2008-12-03T18:20:00.005Z

Gigs are like buses - they all tend to come along at once. In the last week, I've had gigs of my own, plus lots of ambitious plans to see others I was invited to. First off, thanks to everyone who came to see me at the National Theatre on Saturday. I really enjoyed meeting so many new people, and from all over the world - one of the nice things about the South Bank, I think. Both the sessions I did were duo gigs, so I was on the joanna, plus Andrew Milloy on bass in the afternoon, then Sam Chaplin on trumpet in the evening. Keeps me on my toes.

I didn't make the other gigs I'd planned to see, but I did get to a creative workshop at the Courtauld Institute on Sunday, for which I feel very virtuous. It was an interdisciplinary event run by poet Dzifa Benson, musician Mikey Kirpatrick and visual artist Craig Dow, so we all got to have a go at things we might not normally do. Despite a slight lack of time (or maybe because of it), it definitely got the creative juices flowing. I met loads of interesting people - lots of writers and poets, plus a few visual types. It gave me one of those lovely warm Ready-Brek feelings about living in London.

Back on the blog

2008-11-28T15:51:00.004Z

Funny that the last time I wrote in here, I hadn't posted anything for a while either. Well, this must be the mother of all breaks from a blog, if ever there was one. To start in January and return in (nearly) December is some hiatus.

That's not to imply there hasn't been anything going on. It's been a ludicrously busy year, and much as I have thought about chronicling some of the events here, I'm not really one for immediate, pithy reactions while trying to make multiple other things happen.

If you hadn't already noticed, I've had an album out this year. It's called What A Woman Shouldn't Do (Shrewd Records), and not only is it available for sale on this website, you can also buy it on iTunes, Amazon.co.uk, CDBaby, Ray's Jazz at Foyles and Coles.

I've been fortunate enough to receive some very nice reviews, too, most of which you can find on my News page, or MySpace.

And if you've been been following this website or perused the gallery of late, you will have noticed I’ve been gadding about somewhat these past few months, playing songs from the album. First was our September excursion to New York and Chicago, where I was very fortunate to be joined on a few numbers by the marvellous pianist Jon Regen at the Cutting Room in NYC. In Chicago, we were treated to a beautiful studio space at at Davenport’s, complete with grand piano, brilliant sound and a lovely audience.

Since then, we’ve also been at the Union Chapel (north London) and the Kitchen Garden Cafe in Birmingham, and tomorrow (Saturday 29 Nov), I have a couple of duo gigs at the National Theatre foyer.

After such a long absence, I think that's quite enough for now. Do check in again - I promise to be back sooner than last time...

Happy New Year

2008-01-25T16:13:00.000Z

Well, it's been a while. But I'm pleased to be starting on a good foot (or several good feet - can you say that?). First off, I'm playing at the Freedom of Expression night again this evening at the Perseverance in Marylebone, London. It's not my first gig of the year, but it's my first purely originals gig. Amazingly, they now have a keyboard there, so I don't have to bring my own - hooray! It's the little things in life, eh...Also, I'll be accompanied by a fab bassist, Dan Ezard. That'll keep me company! Plus it should, hopefully be streamed on the web, on this link. I don't know yet what time we're on, but the evening kicks off around 8pm.

I also had a good rehearsal yesterday with guitarist Patrick Naylor for our gig at the Red Hedgehog next Sunday 3 Feb. As a pianist, it's always nice to hear the ideas Patrick comes up with on the guitar that I would never have thought of. We're going to do a mix of originals and some other well-chosen covers, plus Sam Chaplin is going to join us for a few numbers on the trumpet. It's going to be a really nice gig.

Sophie's Silver Lining Fund

2007-12-13T14:59:00.000Z

Had a very enjoyable time the other night meeting some other folk associated with Sophie's Silver Lining Fund. SSLF is a charity set up by Cherry and Stephen Large, in memory of their daughter, Sophie, who lost her life in a car accident, aged 19, in 1998. They help actors and singers with bursaries towards vocational training. I was lucky enough to get one of those when I was at Guildhall a few years back, and in a funny way, I think knowing they were sponsoring me really helped to spur me on when the pressure was beginning to mount! Cherry and Stephen are some of the most enthusiastic and supportive people you could hope to meet, so it's a real pleasure to still be in touch with them and the charity.

Most of the people at this particular get together were actors, which makes a nice change for me. I love the theatre, and the buzz associated with it - it's different to the buzz you get with music, and there's definitely a vitality unique to that scene. Of course, as someone looking from the outside, I'm sure there are things I might find less pleasant if I was in it. Interestingly, it seems most of the people who've been supported by SSLF have gone on to do lots of work, some having set up their own theatre companies. There are a few productions coming up in the next year, so no doubt if I get to them, there'll be some blogs here about it.

Sunday's gig, and noisy buggers

2007-12-04T18:08:00.001Z

Had a very enjoyable gig at the Old Blue Last on Sunday. It wasn't without its pre-show jitters, though. After circling round the Shoreditch one-way system for what seemed like forever before finding a turn-off for the venue, we then found that the drummer who was supposed to be bringing most of the drum kit hadn't turned up yet. So we did the soundcheck with half a kit, and the snare balanced on Mark's lap, which made for some interesting sounds! Ah, the joys of sharing equipment.

Anyway, despite all that, it was one of those gigs where we all played well and the songs just seemed to work. Phew. Having been holed up practising piano for the last while, I'd felt a bit nervous about getting back on stage for a band gig, but it was actually really good fun. Which is always a relief!

Michael Pollitt also played a set of bluesy guitar, and there was another guy on before me, but I didn't catch much of his set because a few people nearby were talking at the top of their voices. Why, oh why, do people do this?? I'm going to start a campaign to shut people up during gigs. Even if you don't like what you're hearing, you can at least give a performer the respect for getting up and doing their thing. Maybe some sort of remote electric-shock device would do the trick...Ideas, anyone?

Old Blue Last gig

2007-11-30T17:25:00.000Z

I'll be playing at the Old Blue Last this Sunday, 2 December, in a rare band appearance (until I finish my album, that is) in Shoreditch, London. This is one of those happy outcomes from a gig I did not so long ago for Vicky's Water Project, where I met, among other people, superb guitarist Michael Pollitt. At that particular gig, I forgot my keyboard stand (doh!) and Michael very kindly helped me balance the thing on two champagne casters...it was a rather humbling and surreal moment, I can tell you. There I was, sitting on an amp, trying not to bash the keyboard too much so it didn't fall off, playing and singing songs about people who don't redirect their post. Whoever said music wasn't glamorous?

So I'm very happy to have a chance to redeem myself this Sunday, at the Old Blue Last. It's also a kind of unofficial launch for Michael's new album with his brilliant band Mr Black and Blues, recorded at Toerag studios. I'll be kicking off the evening with my band at 6pm (sans champagne casters), and there will be a whole host of other toe-tapping shenanigans to keep you entertained and your mind off Monday morning! You know it makes sense.

Music, money and the digital age

2007-11-26T19:32:00.000Z

I've been doing so much practising in the last while, I haven't really come up for air. Emails have gone by the wayside, blogs have been left bereft and gig lists not updated (what's new?!). But it's been very fruitful and I've really enjoyed getting back into playing more piano and accompanying myself. It's a shame you just can't do everything at once!

Still, I did manage to get to a seminar the other day for creative types: "Tools for turning creativity into income". I could do with some of that, I thought! Unfortunately, it was more like getting the hard sell from the proverbial car salesman. Except in this case, it was four internet entrepreneurs touting their own versions of the digital path to success. Shame - it could have been so good. But I'm not sure anyone came away any the wiser. OK, so there were one or two things I learnt - but I realised later I'd have found out tens times more useful info from looking at Steve Lawson's recent postings on the subject - which I have duly done!

As with all of these things, there was a silver lining. I met another very charming dissenter, poet Sarah de Nordwall. She likened one of the panel to a character out of Minority Report - I feel there's a very entertaining poem coming on there from her! And maybe I'll write a song about it, too...

Back from the studio

2007-11-16T14:24:00.000Z

Some piccies from my jaunt into the studio the other day with the Rythme Futur crew at Tin Pan Alley.

From left, Andy Aitchison (violin), Dave Blenkhorn (guitar), moi, George Trebar (bass, and the brains behind the album), Barrington Meyer (guitar) and Simon Moore (guitar).

Me crooning on those old chansons francaises. We put down some really nice tracks; hopefully the finished mixes will be on their way shortly.

Down to business

2007-11-09T15:37:00.000Z

It's time to hunker down and get a few things done. In fact, I'm already doing a lot of practising and other music-related stuff I've been meaning to get round to for ages. It's taken me a while to clear the fuzz, though, from being away. It's amazing how switching off for about 10 days seems to take at least the same amount of time again to wind back to where I left off!

Other than honing the old piano chops, I've been talking to, and visiting various studios about recording my album. There's a few strong contenders, so stay tuned for more on that.

I'm also going into the studio this weekend on a bit of a side project. Rythme Futur, the gypsy jazz group I sing with, is making an album, so I'm recording with them over the next few days. We've got some great songs arranged and - my favourite! - one or two in French and Spanish. I love a bit of continental flavour. I'll post some rough mixes when we get those done.

Freedom of Expression webcast

2007-11-02T17:26:00.001Z

So apparently, the gig I'm playing at tonight (Freedom of Expression at the Perseverance) is being streamed on the web. I'm not entirely sure of the right terminology, but you know what I mean! So if you are at a loose end tonight and do not want to get off the couch, check it out here. I don't yet know what time I'll be on, but I'm guessing the whole evening will kick off around 8pm. Happy viewing.

As for me, I'm going to brave the darkness for the good of mankind and get out there and play some songs!

Autumn calling

2007-10-25T23:07:00.000+01:00

Just back from a much-needed break in the sun...phew. That should see me through the winter! It's now time to get my thinking cap on and crack on with the album - will post more on that soon. In the meantime, I need some sleep...

The Troubadour and other gigs

2007-10-10T18:36:00.000+01:00

So, the Troubadour gig went well on Tuesday - lots of positive feedback from the audience, and on the whole, the band were sounding pretty good - even if I do say so myself! Thank you to everyone who came and supported, for making it such a great night. Among the many friends and supporters that were there, it was good to see a few fellow musos in the crowd - Steve Lawson, Kate and Jo from punk band the Rude Mechanicals and Chris Rodgers of Combustible Alarms (mentioned here last post). I also ran into pianist Mike Gorman, who played on one of very first gigs ever in East London, many moons ago. Funny how things come around again, isn't it?

I also did a solo slot last night at a mixed poetry and music night at the Cross Kings in, believe it or not, Kings Cross. Nice bit of wordplay for you there, appropriately for a poetry night. It was an interesting night - I forgot that poets like to talk about sex, in fairly graphic terms. Not that I'm a prude - it's just that you don't really hear that sort of language in every day life, and it comes as a sort of surprise when you do. Reminded me of the various English teachers and professors I've had, who always seemed to want to focus on the sexy bits of a novel or book! Of course, not everyone was talking about sex...in fact, Scottish writer Angela Cleland did a very stylish set, showing how good performance poetry can be when you give it a bit of thought and let your personality shine through.

Today saw me doing a bit of session work for an advert pitch, which was fun. Although it's not what you might call "artistic" in the stereotypical sense of the word, it's interesting to get into the discipline of using my voice in quite a specific way. Whereas with my own stuff, I sing it however I like, and how I think will suit the song, singing for an advert is completely different - it's all about what the client wants and trying to get your voice to fit into that mold. I guess if I was doing it all the time, it could get tiring, but for now, I can think of a lot worse ways to earn a crust!

Combustible sounds

2007-10-05T18:01:00.000+01:00

Saw a fab gig the other night, courtesy of Chris Rodgers' big band, the Combustible Alarms, in Stoke Newington, north London. So many musical textures and harmonies to get your ears around, and all done so tastefully, as well. There were arrangements of songs by Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix and Paco de Lucia, as well as originals by Chris himself. These days you hardly ever see a big band in the UK, unless it's the BBC big band, or similar outfit playing the swinging songs you'd probably expect to hear, which is all well and good. But if you want to hear how amazing and fresh a contemporary big band can sound, check out their next gig.

In other news, Steve Lawson and I did our first New Standard-type set in a long while at a Freedom of Expression night. It was good fun to get those songs together again and remember - hey! We made some nice arrangements. It also keeps me on my toes, just having a bass as accompaniment - not much room for fluffing your notes when there's no piano / guitar to hide behind! Also, when you've got multiple echoes of your voice coming back at you because of the looping, it's a whole other experience.

I also saw a cool little gig at Ray's Jazz, Soho, this weekend - Jon Regen playing a solo set promoting his new album (Let It Go). I really like Jon's piano playing - he's got a great pedigree, having accompanied Jimmy Scott for years, but now he's performing in his own right, playing and singing his own songs. I guess you could say his songs are in the crossover between jazz and pop, which is the kind of territory I'm into. So it was great to see a top-class, New York pianist doing his thing in that genre.

The Troubadour, Freedom of Expression and The Space

2007-10-01T14:11:00.001+01:00

Been doing quite a few solo gigs lately with just me on the piano. It's been interesting. You hear the songs in a different light. Sometimes, I'm not so sure I like that different light (it's always more exposing to play on your own with no band to hide behind!), but it's definitely more intimate, and that's always a good thing.

In fact, my last gig at the Beatroot Rendezvous night at the Space went down really well. It helped that there was a beautiful grand piano there. And an appreciative audience. One guy told me he thought my set was very "uplifting", which is exactly the sort of effect I want to have!

Of the other acts, I particularly enjoyed Pete Roe, a guitarist-pianist-singer from Bristol with a fantastic voice. Also, Jules Levy did a very warm - in fact, uplifting! - set at the end, playing some bluegrass-type songs, with a banjo and guitar set-up.

I'm now gearing up for my gig at the Troubadour next week with the band. Hooray! Should be good - I've never played the Troubadour before, but I went there last week to see a friend play, so now I'm all psyched up!

In the meantime, though, I'm slotting in a set at Freedom of Expression tomorrow, playing some other material entirely. Steve Lawson is also on the gig doing his own set, so it seemed a good opportunity to revisit some of those New Standard tunes we did last year in Edinburgh, in my set. I'm just trying to decide which tunes to do - Slipknot, Green Day, The Cure...? The choice is endless!

All in a week's work

2007-09-17T18:05:00.001+01:00

Lots of momentous things happening lately.

First, my beautiful new niece, Elena, born in the wee small hours of Thursday morning. What a cutie. And my first niece to be born near where I live! Hooray. Once I get my act together, I'll post a photo - or two or five. Like aunties do.

In other news, I played an interesting benefit gig on Saturday as part of a fundraising push for Vicky's Water Project. It was organised by my friend Davina, who did a great job at relatively short notice. If ever I have to put on an event, I'm getting Davina on board! There were four acts (including myself with Andrew Milloy on bass), and we played downstairs at the International near Covent Garden. It was a cool little space, although I had a hairy time getting there with my keyboard. I don't recommend driving into central London of a Saturday night, unless you have SatNav and a lot of patience! SatNav is definitely now on my Christmas list.

Anyway, other acts were Dan Haythorn, Michael Pollitt and Alice McGlaughlin, all of whom were good. I particularly liked Michael's finger-picking blues. And he played a lovely version of Blackbird (one of my many favourite songs).

Looking ahead, I'm playing at the Space this Thursday in the Isle of Dogs, probably a solo set. It should be good as they have a Steinway grand piano. Luxury. I'm looking forward to that.

Tubes, trains and automobiles

2007-09-06T22:25:00.000+01:00

It's all go here. What with the euphoria of Greenbelt, then getting back to London and lots of work and private gigs, it's all been a bit manic. I've barely had time to sit down and gather my thoughts. Still, I've been selling lots of CDs off the back of various gigs. Hooray! Must get down to checking out studios etc for my album. I've been thinking about this for a while, but being your own boss, sometimes it's difficult to get everything done at once! Next week, though, I'm going to check out a studio nearby, plus I've got various others to get onto in the meantime.

So as long as they can hold off another Tube strike, it'll all be OK. Whenever these strikes happen, I'm reminded of our former neighbours (from another flat) who once told us, "It's great working for the Tube, 'cos whenever we don't get what we want, we just go on strike!" How charming. They were both Tube workers. Doesn't really do much to promote their cause, does it?

I did actually escape relatively unscathed this week, although I found myself working across the other side of town from where I live on the day it started, wondering if I was ever going to get home. In the event, it turned out OK. Thank goodness for overland trains.

Now I'm off first thing tomorrow to another gig the other side of the country (nearly!). It'll be nice, but I'm praying the traffic is kind to me. Wish me luck.

Greenbelt

2007-08-28T22:38:00.000+01:00

Just back from a great weekend at Greenbelt. The weather was superb, punters lovely, atmosphere chilled and friendly - what more could one want from a festival? Oh, and my gig on Sunday in the Performance Cafe was great fun. Thanks to everyone who came and supported. It was also nice to see some unexpected faces there (you know who you are!), and new people too.

We did a lot of songs we'd played before, plus a couple of new ones - What a Woman Shouldn't Do, which is kind of a tango-inspired song, and then another song that I haven't actually thought of a title yet for, although I've been getting lots of suggestions. It all seemed to go down well. Hooray.

Gigs and more gigs

2007-08-21T21:50:00.000+01:00

Did a storming gig at the National Theatre yesterday evening. I think it's one of the most enjoyable ones I've done there. It was actually nice to be behind the piano, for a change - all the other gigs I've done there, I've had an accompanist on the piano, but this time it was all my own songs or arrangements. It was a nice feeling, and the songs got a really good response.

There also seemed to be more people there than normal, including a lot of French and Spanish. So at the end I was able to brush off a little of my Spanish, talking with some members of the audience. I love that - it's so rare that I actually speak it these days, and the old language skills are getting a bit rusty! Sold a bumper load of CDs, too. All in all, a great evening.

I'm now looking forward to my gigs at the Betsey Trotwood on Thurs 23, and at Greenbelt on Sunday - I'll have the full band with me for both of those. I'm just praying the rain holds off for a few more days.

The pitfalls of buying gear

2007-08-09T21:00:00.001+01:00

I'm revising my opinion of Turnkey, the music shop on Charing Cross Road. For the uninitiated, Turnkey says it has the cheapest prices in Europe, and I think it possibly does - not that I've really done the research. However, most times I've been there, I've either had really bad service (earlier in the year they told me they definitely had a certain item that wasn't actually in stock when I went to pick it up), or felt slightly alienated by the boys' club atmosphere.

However, when I went there the other day, I got a pleasant surprise. OK, so there was still the ubiquitous teenager playing the same three chords over and over again on a synth in the corner. And then another teenager in the guitars section playing the opening riff to Metallica's Enter Sandman ad nauseam.

But I got a blinder of a deal on an amp I've been intending to get for ages - years, in fact - that just happened to be in stock when I asked. Hooray! The nice man in the shop gave me a stonking discount and I can honestly say it probably is the cheapest I would find anywhere. And I didn't even go in there for the amp, I went to look at keyboards. Now that was a good salesman.

So, Turnkey, you are redeemed.

Back on the joanna

2007-07-30T22:10:00.000+01:00

An uncharacteristically short entry today, I think. Just back, recently, from a week away in Northern Ireland (or God's Own Country, as He-man would call it), and need to get practising again!

I'm back at PoeJazzi at Volupte next Tuesday, this time for a longer set, and apparently it's already sold out. Hooray! I'll be playing another solo set on the piano and am wondering whether to give some new songs a whirl.

They're coming for me

2007-07-13T13:17:00.000+01:00

Balls. The people next door seem to be renovating their loft, which is where my music-room-cum-office is. The scratching and scraping has been getting menacingly closer by the day, and I think it's right next to where I've been practising, now. So the builders will have had a lovely time listening to me doing operatic vocal exercises, scales, arpeggios and working out new song ideas. Hey! What if they've been secretly recording all my new song ideas??? I'd better be careful, you know... If only!

The point is, my idyll is being invaded. I say idyll - really it's a bit too cramped, lopsided and drowning in scrappy bits of paper for it to be Beautiful Homes. But there I was, feeling smug because nobody else seemed to be living immediately next door, so I could play and fart about (not literally) on the piano to my heart's content. And now that dream is being shattered. Damn these people who can afford to buy the whole house and renovate into the loft! Just where do they get their money? I bet they're people-trading in the Congo or something. And they've got a 4x4 (I think). Scoundrels! But now I'm just getting carried away.

On the subject of satirical songs, a common remark that has been cropping up either at gigs or talking with friends recently is, "Ooh, I'd better watch out, 'cos maybe you'll write a song about me!" I understand their anxiety. Who wouldn't fear being taken to task in one of my caustic, cutting and downright searingly funny songs?!?

However, contrary to what certain songs and this blog might suggest, I don't actually hate everyone and everything. Just certain, probably rather obvious, targets. Well, some are more obvious than others. Surprisingly enough, I do actually want some people to like my songs and to have some friends at the end of all of this! So never fear if I meet you on a gig or something. I'm not likely to go home scribbling furiously about what a twat you are. Unless you really are a twat, of course.

More homes, more parking, more guff

2007-07-12T09:55:00.000+01:00

I'm glad I'm not an old person. Because all you seem to get is abuse and patronising concessions. On the news yesterday, there was this item about parking spots being provided for old people at a supermarket in Hillingdon. OK, so there's nothing really wrong in that. But have you seen those national symbols for old people?!!? They're like two decrepit cripples hanging off a walking stick - a couple of weaklings who look like they're about to get eaten in some lurid fairy tale. And that symbol, big as you like, is planted smack in the middle of those parking spaces, in case you had any doubts as to just how old and has-been you are. If I was a senior citizen, I'd feel insulted.

Of course, I've got rather a long way to go before I get there, but you've got to think ahead, you know? That's going to be all of us one day, getting patronised, and written off as pathetic and useless. Whatever happened to respect for the wisdom of the old? Perhaps you have to move to China or Asia for that. Mind you, if we get taken over by the Chinese, maybe we won't have to.

I was also struck by Brown's radical statement about needing new homes for Britain. Wow. Things are really changing round here, aren't they! I mean, it's not as though he has to do everything differently, but the spin did seem to be about "all change round here" and what do we get? More promises about new homes.

Whenever I hear ministers going on about housing, I always think, why don't they do something about all the derelict / empty buildings littered around the cities? There are so many disused homes and nobody seems to be doing anything about them. I guess it's just too expensive to do them up - may as well start from scratch and build some soulless, boxy flats with a few square inches to move about in and no storage. Or some identikit housing estate sprawled across a hapless strawberry field.

Now there's a few songs in all that, aren't there. I have to say, the songs are becoming ever more satirical. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll write a normal song again - by which I mean, a song that isn't taking the piss out of something or other. I mean, it's a rich source of inspiration, but do I want to always being poking fun at people? Hmm....well, maybe, yes!!

Gigs, CDs and poetry

2007-07-04T23:51:00.000+01:00

Well it's all happening at the moment. I've had a busy week, with a number of gigs - some private, some listening ones.

On Tuesday I did a mini slot at a poetry and music night, called PoeJazzi, in town. It was a really good night. Sometimes when you're checking out these things, the line-up is erratic at best, but here, everyone was good. It was so refreshing. There were three performance poets - Nathan Penlington, Catherine Martindale and Rhian Edwards - and two other music acts, a guitarist Joe Schmo, and a really cracking flute and drum duo, Zashiki Warashi. And then the compere, Josh, who was a charismatic host.

I only did one song, but it seemed to go down well. It's hard to choose a song that really sums you up or will make an impact, as you never know how the audience is going to react. I would've done one of my more humorous songs, but I prefer playing them with the band, so I did Before, one of my more intense, melancholy numbers. People seemed to like it.

Then last night I did a nice private gig, which went as well as any function could - all the people were helpful, respectful and appreciative, there was decent food, it wasn't too far away and I'm getting paid for it! You'd think all those things were a given, but sadly, no. There are so many gigs where either the management / other staff treat you like a liability. I could go on and on about this, but I'll save it for the memoirs.

Other good news is that I got my demo CD wallets back this week - hooray! They look fantastic. Thanks so much to Lorna who designed them. And ALocalPrinter.com who printed them. They're on recycled card, which is quite hard to find, but these guys were friendly and reasonably priced. Unlike 10th Planet, who practically scoffed at me for asking about recycled card ("Well, we can get it, but it's gonna cost you loads and anyway, the CDs aren't recyclable are they?" Oh. So does that mean because buses use petrol, I should just use my car all the time? Dur.)

And now that's quite enough name-dropping for one post.

Singing in the rain

2007-07-02T22:20:00.000+01:00

It's getting beyond a joke, now, this rain. I know it's very British to talk about it, but I've just been singing in it.

I was playing a gig for the City of London festival near Liverpool Street, and although we were covered, the punters weren't. Still, it brings out this rather English stoicism and humour when you realise the slight absurdity of your situation. In fact, I enjoyed the gig. I was playing with Rythme Futur, a gypsy jazz outfit I sing with now and then. I like the fact that we can do stuff in French and Spanish and mix it up with the old Louis Armstrong-type numbers. Très chic and swinging! Also, there's something oddly comforting about having two guitars backing you.

Other than that, I'm still getting through the pile of ideas for songs that have been building up of late. Somehow, that pile never seems to go down, but it's better that way than not having one at all (ie, no ideas). Onwards and upwards.

Bring on the smoking ban

2007-06-26T20:27:00.000+01:00

Joy of joys - the smoking ban is upon us. I can't wait. As a singer who's worked in countless bars, venues and clubs, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this. The amount of times I've come back from a gig with a nasty tickle at the back of my throat, feeling hoarse - well, no more from 1 July.

Having said that, I'm not one of these "disgusted from Tunbridge Wells" types who wants to hit smokers over the head with a handbag. I don't advocate violence. In fact, I respect the right of smokers to inflict on themselves a slow, tortuous death via furred arteries and whatever else (look, I'm not a scientist). Because, as the pro-smoking lobby keeps saying, they can more than afford to pay for their healthcare - apparently, although they cost the NHS about £1.4bn in treatment, they pay about £10bn in taxes from cigarettes. So. Seems that settles it.

But then there's this argument about the ban "infringing civil liberties". As Antony Worrall-Thompson so eloquently said on the radio today, "It's the nanny state gone barking mad!". Yawn. Change the record. Well, to be fair, I haven't really given the civil liberties thing serious thought - whether it's a slippery slope and all that - because, in this case, it actually suits me, even if it is. And it would seem to suit the majority of the rest of the population as well. So perhaps you could consider it more as a move for the greater good.

Of course, there's always a few stick in the muds, who, even though they agree with the ban, moan about it anyway. "What about all the cigarette ends on the street?!?!?" several concerned callers exclaimed, also on the radio today. Sigh. There's just no pleasing some people.

The woman artist

2007-06-25T14:45:00.001+01:00

I've been thinking about this business of being a woman and an artist. And the more I think about it, the more tricky I realise it is. First off, the woman bit - fairly obvious, really: although things have come a long way, still there are very few decent role models of women in society or high places. Female politicians and women on the TV are generally picked on more for their appearance than their achievements. In film, women are mostly gorgeous sex bombs desperate for a man, invariably young with no wrinkles. Or they are mothers, neurotic singles or intellectuals with a great cleavage just waiting for the right man to thaw their cold, thinking hearts.

In my own life, I find I am often asked about kids more than I imagine any guy would be. It's a bit like, when are you going to stop this silly frittering about with so-called "creative" stuff, and get down to your real vocation as a woman (ie, being a mother)? And unfortunately, that kind of attitude comes from women as much as anybody else. Lots of women, I find, don't understand the concept of being passionate about something other than family and men. I'm not anti-family or anti-men. But if only we could stop worrying about wrinkles, fat and such-like, we'd have a lot more energy to just be ourselves. I'm amazed at the amount of female friends who look great and are fretting over some invisible wrinkle that only they can see and are talking about plastic surgery, or Botox. Get a grip! There are more important things in life.

Then there's the artist bit. Again, the word "artist" seems to be encumbered by various misperceptions in this country. Either you're pretentious for calling yourself an artist, because in Britain we like to slag anybody off for having too high an opinion of themselves, or you must be a painter, or, to be a proper artist (in music, anyway), you must be signed to a major label; only then are you legitimate. Ironically, by the time you've signed to a major label, you've probably lost any remnant of artistic integrity you had in the first place. And the stories of artists who feel they've been compromised by major labels are countless. Because as we all know, cash flow is king.

It doesn't help that for virtually every major label signing, you have critics spurting out guff like "The album of the year" or "The best singer-songwriter of their generation" or "The new Dylan" etc etc. Come on. I was reading a billboard about Ray LaMontagne in the tube station not so long ago. There were quotes like, "A voice that could melt the heart of any person in any nation". Please. And stuff about what a genius he was, and how there's never been anybody like him. Well, I happen to have his album at home (it's hubby's) and I can safely say that after one listen, I haven't been tempted to put it into the CD player ever again. It's not terrible - it's OK. I can relate to some of the stuff he sings about. There's a lot of songs in 3/4 time, which I like. But it hasn't changed my life. I'd hardly give it the genius tag.

There was an article by AA Gill in the Sunday Times yesterday, which I dipped into, that I think was saying much the same thing about theatre critics. It's about time somebody applied some intelligence to these reviews!

To be continued...

Internet evangelists

2007-06-20T22:58:00.000+01:00

Feels like a while since I last posted. That's because lots has been happening. I keep thinking of things I want to blog about, but then when I get round to doing it, the moment has kind of passed. Like hearing on the news recently that Tony Blair has called for a "considered debate about the effect of the media on public life". Excuse me, but wasn't he the one that stirred everything up?!?! Beats me.

Also, I've been busily working on getting a great design for my new demo. OK, so I know you can listen to the stuff online, but you can't beat a hard copy for sound quality, and with the design I'm getting, pure class. I can say this, because it's not my design but the work of my very talented friend, Lorna Brown, who also happens to be an illustrator. We're nearly there and all will be revealed soon.

Other than that, I've been genning up on podcasts/vodcasts/videocasts - basically, whatever -cast you can think of. I went to a seminar last night about this and it worried me. Because I don't need to spend any more time on the internet! I realise the irony of that statement, as I happily blog away. But I would like to have some semblance of a real (as opposed to virtual) life. Everybody on the panel was an internet evangelist, and truly, I can see the benefits. But you have to draw a line somewhere. One guy said he'd just spent most of his holiday abroad on MySpace - now that isn't right!

Having said all that, I will at some stage be getting into this podcast business. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em - as I think I said on an earlier post. And hey, I've got things to say! Which is surely the better reason for doing it.

A gig at the Red Hedgehog last Sunday went well - the venue kind of reminded me of The Lot, in Edinburgh, where I did my Fringe shows. On another recent (private) gig, I sang Baa Baa Black Sheep for the first time ever live; a rather excitable child wanted to sing using my mic, and the only way I could protect it was to sing along with him. One of my finer moments, I must say. Still, I like to think I may have inspired a future performer.

Finally, hooray! I've got another slot at Greenbelt this year. I'll be playing with my band, doing the new songs, in the Performance Cafe on Sunday 26 August. It's gonna be fun. Will post more details as they come through.

Good audiences and not-so-good audiences

2007-06-07T18:45:00.000+01:00

Things didn't start terribly auspiciously today. First of all, there was no hot water from the shower. So I psyched myself up to go to a local exercise class - something I've been meaning to do for ages and which had absolutely nothing to do with wanting a decent shower - only to find it was cancelled when I got there. Hmmph. Then, to top it all, people have been renovating next door, making all manner of noises. I can't write a hit song with that racket going on! Keeping the muse has been a challenge.

That said, I did pretty much finish one of the many songs I have started recently. And listening back to it on my crappy dictaphone, I think it's all right. Just a few rough edges to tidy up and I'm nearly there.

Apart from all that, there've been numerous outings of a musical nature since I last posted. In my quest to check out ever more acoustic / singer-songwriter nights in town, I went to see my friend Kaz Simmons last night at the Bullet Bar in Kentish Town. I know Kaz from the jazz scene, but, like me, she's been writing some of her own material lately, on the classical guitar. It was a nice place and she did a great set, fortunately at the beginning, while people were still remotely attentive. What was really annoying was that one of the other acts, who'd brought a bit of a crowd, talked through all the other acts. And the singer had the cheek, in his set, to evil the audience when there were one or two people speaking at the back! Some people, eh. I think it's a shame when the other acts on a bill disrespect their fellow performers like that.

In contrast, when I went to Power Down the other week at the Islington Arts Factory, the audience were a complete joy (yes, I know I was one of them, but hey). We had to be, because there was no amplification - the concept behind the gig was to be as carbon-neutral as possible. So there was no electricity - just a brilliant atmosphere in a beautiful old building with great acoustics. And everybody listened.

Recording, new tracks and a piano

2007-05-25T12:21:00.002+01:00

Phew. What a week. Well, we've finished mixing and mastering the demo. Thank goodness. I always find the mixing process a bit laborious (listening to yourself repeatedly for a whole day is enough to do anyone's head in), but Josh was a paragon of patience and craftsmanship, and I think we've done a good job. We had our work cut out in one sense because, having recorded everything live, there was a lot of spill from the instruments, and that limited what we could do to any individual tracks. But all in all, we got a good "live" sound and captured the energy of the songs I think. I'm really pleased! So far, I've got them up on MySpace, and once my head has cleared from computer fuzz, I'll get them up on the website, too.

Another achievement this week is that I got my piano moved up from my folks', replacing the keyboard I've been using for the last 7 or 8 years here in London. I'd been umming and ahhing over it for ages, trying out practice rooms (and encountering some bloody awful pianos), wondering if it would fit...wondering if the stairs could take it too, actually! But although the keyboard I've been using is great, it's just not the same, and I finally took the plunge to have it moved yesterday.

Unfortunately, nobody told the guys moving it that they were going to have to climb four flights of stairs, so when they got here, they were a trifle miffed, shall we say. I really felt for them, and it was a nail-biting experience, hearing them heaving it up to the top floor (I say hearing, because I was too nervous to watch!). But all's well that end's well, and here it is, in the study, ready to be played (and tuned). It's been so nice playing it again, and I can tell already I'm going to enjoy practising and writing with it from now on.

Demo!

2007-05-16T21:48:00.000+01:00

Me in my piano den

Spencer on his mean machine

Olly lays down the groove

Finally got down to recording my demo today, and it felt good. We went to my friends' Ruth Applin and Josh Kemp's - Josh has set up a brilliant studio and was really good to work with. Olly Blackman was on drums and Spencer Brown on electric bass. We recorded everything live, with me playing piano and singing live as well. By the end of the day we had five good tracks, and now I'm bushed. More news on the final mix soon.

The Inquisition, ducks and a stand-up opera singer

2007-05-14T18:54:00.000+01:00

Funny how things change, isn't it? I was checking out some new chords in Mark Levine's Jazz Piano book and while trying out the "So What" voicings (from Miles Davis' 1950s tune), I read that during the Inquisition, if you played a tritone interval, you could get yourself excommunicated, "or worse". Sometimes people really get their priorities screwed, don't they!! Amazing to think that playing a few notes could get you into that much trouble. If only that was the case now for certain "artists": I'm thinking of the Simon Cowell-type bands - the usual suspects - or people that write songs that go: "I-love-you-my-life-is-so-perfect-now- I've-met-you-let's-have-sex". Which seems to be what most songs in the charts are about, anyway.

Anyway, the reason I was checking out those voicings was on the recommendation of the amazingly talented Andrew Milloy, who's played bass in my band and was on my gig last Thursday at Femmes on the Thames. I'm working on a new funky song and want to adjust my piano playing accordingly! But back to the gig. Battersea Barge is the only venue I know of where you can gaze at families of ducks paddling past while you're playing. In fact, it was very soothing and sort of put things into perspective before we came on as the headline act at the end. We were the only full band (Andrew on bass, He-man on drums), which kind of helped to crank up the energy, and the set went down well.

The highlight of the evening for me (apart from the ducks) was Evie Anderson, a stand-up opera singer - "the only stand-up opera singer on the road". She was hilarious - I don't know how she kept such a straight face - and also filthy, as well, actually, so she's not for the faint-hearted. I see she's doing a long run at Edinburgh this year, though, so that looks like a good time to catch her.

Anyway, back to those voicings...

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

2007-05-11T13:04:00.000+01:00

I've been thinking about this blogging business. How much do you reveal and what do you keep back? Given that most of my material and songs are drawn from personal experience, sometimes it's hard to tell.

I often find myself wondering, when I read various columnists, "Did that actually happen?", or "I wonder what that friend/spouse/partner thought of them writing that?" Maybe they don't mind. Or maybe they have some agreement about what they can and can't say. Who knows. One thing I do find a bit pretentious, although I understand why writers do it, is this business of giving your significant other an alias. For example, AA Gill calls his partner the "Blonde". One writer whose column I used to edit when I was freelancing referred to her partner as "Boyf". Eurgh.

I asked my husband what he'd like to be known as in this blog. He said: "He-man." I said, "Are you serious?" He said, "Yes." It all stems from this conversation I was having with a friend who came to stay a few weeks ago, and my husband was in the room. I was making some comment about I don't remember what, and my friend, Ada, said, "Well, you did marry a he-man." Which I think he rather liked. So He-man it is. For now....

Timber!

2007-05-10T11:37:00.000+01:00

So I was rudely awakened today at about 5.20am by something that either sounded like a demented motorbike owner revving his engine, or somebody doing DIY in a nearby house, obscenely early. Turned out it was closer to the latter - a chestnut tree right outside our flat was being toppled and sawn up by tree "surgeons"... I always find that job title a little euphemistic. Anyway, I'm glad we hadn't parked there as it was right above the spot where we'd normally park if the spot is free, but lucky we didn't, as the surrounding cars were getting a right bashing from falling branches and paraphernalia. Now the tree is all sawn down and all that's left are a huge pile of branches, chunks of trunk and one massive stump. It seems rather empty now. I guess yesterday must have been very windy - I hope it's that, as I hate to see these beautiful trees massacred for the sake of making room for a view or something.

So tonight I'm playing at the Femmes on the Thames night on the Battersea Barge. It's my first "originals" gig since the benefit gig I did at St Luke's about a month ago. It'll be good to play these songs again to an audience. Even though the feedback so far has been really great, unless you're getting out there doing it, it's easy to lose momentum. However, once I get this demo finally ready (which should be next week), I'll be able to remedy that. What's interesting about tonight is that it's actually the same venue where I did my very first full gig as a solo singer, years ago in London. I'd booked the venue while I was doing a jazz course at the City Lit and brought most of my class from that, and it went really well. Issy Postill was on keyboards, her partner Dave Wickens on drums and Amy Baldwin on bass. We did mostly jazz standards and some poppy stuff too. Seems a long time ago now... Let's hope tonight is as much a success as that one.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

2007-05-08T17:37:00.000+01:00

Oh dear. I now have a blog. Yes, after months – years, in fact – spent in protest against this very individualist, web-obsessed modern habit, and after railing against the sheer narcissism of gratuitously sharing your inner thoughts with countless anonymous others, I have finally succumbed and decided to add my own mutterings to the fold. I shall be chronicling my transformation from jazz singer to singer-songwriter extraordinaire, so for those of you with surfing time to spare, you are most welcome to join me on my quest.

It may contain some interesting insights into the music biz (or what I can see of it, anyway!), but I shall try not to name too many names. There may be a few angry moments as I flail about trying to make sense of this hyper-real state known as a “career in music”. I won't pretend to remain impartial or claim to write particularly regularly. However it will contain the latest on my new songs, what inspired me to write them, views on gigs and other paraphernalia. Should you feel inspired to add your comments to the blog, it would be heartily appreciated, as I do like to maintain appearances of popularity where possible.

That's it for now. And next time, I will try to come up with a better sign-off.