Jazz from Geoff, THE Blog
In the storm we had here on Thursday night a lot of water went in to my garage, which as I use it as a workshop, was carpeted. 2 inches of water didn’t do that any good and some of the Ghana project items were also dampened by my enthusiasm! So for the past 3 days I have been in salvage mode.
However, last night I did settle in and watch some more “Tuba Skinny” on YouTube, and have come to the conclusion that they are a wonderful band playing in a very free traditional spirit. Everyone knows what to do and when to do it. No one has a star ego and they play regularly in the streets of New Orleans. Here they are unperturbed by wandering arse scratching dogs, produce tables knocked over, and various guest sitters in. They always seem to be well able to cope and never seem to miss a beat. I know I have pointed you at their YouTube offerings before, but THIS time do look at their own web page.
This will also lead you to their many live steams, now available to watch and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/user/tubaskinny
They definitely don’t play in the British Trad Band style of the 50’s and 60’s. They with a very flexible view of the rhythm section, often with guitar and banjo, washboard and brass bass. Their singer sits on a bass drum, and keeps time with both hands! However the 3 part front line is well conceived, with a great lady cornet leader, ably rounded out by a trombonist who can really play tailgate style. Add in a clarinetist who does know why he is in the band and the ensemble sound and the solos all seem to be effortless. The hour or so that I watched of their work on YouTube last night was an excellent antidote to the shambles of my garage workshop.
To other things.
We are all still waiting and wondering when, if, and how we will be able to run live jazz indoors at the Hedsor Club again. We now realise that after the academic algorithmic mess that government have got themselves into (even maybe now out of) that they are obviously a bit unrehearsed on live music. We still play a waiting game. BUT some live jazz is now being played in the open air.
Martin Hart has phoned me to let me know of a charitable event being held on Sunday 23rd from 4pm ‘till 6pm at The Great Hampden Cricket Ground, Memorial Road, Great Hampden, Bucks. HP16 9RF.
With Martin will be Mike Wills on reeds, and Ken McCarthy on piano. Entry will be £10 per person, bring your own seating and sandwiches, but there will be a beer tent on site.
Jazz in Reading has also emailed to tell of a number of similar open air gigs, so you might like to look at
https://www.jazzinreading.com/jazz/jazz-gig-calendar/?future=true
For those of you like me who also like to have evenings with a CD player nearby, I have played recently (i.e. before Thursdays torrent) a couple of CD’s by Spike Robinson.
Spike was an American saxophonist and I saw him play a couple of times, memorably so at The Swanage Jazz Festival in the basement of “The Victoria Club”, one of the great early Swanage Festival venues. Spike moved to England in 1989 and died in Writtle, Essex on 2001 and whilst in the UK made a number of very good recordings. The recording I listened to this past week was one he made with Derek Nash and was released in 2000. “Young Lions Old Tigers” shows them having a great deal of fun, some of it on ballads, something Spike got to be very good at, and also some home grown tunes plus 3 by Al Cohn.
You may remember from my July 2019’s blog about
The Swanage Jazz Festival that the gig that was probably the most fun did have Derek
Nash guesting alongside Sarah Boulter and her band “Sax Appeal”
For 30 years Spike was an engineer working for Boeing. At the time I chatted with him I too was working as an engineer, and Spike told me that “I mustn’t led the buggers get me down!” He was clearly rejoicing in 2000 that he hadn’t, and was now free!
That’s it for now folks, keep in touch via
PS One day I will know why blogger does its own thing!!Graphically it is very difficult to keep under control. The actual words used are all my own fault!
No comments:
Post a Comment