EYOT - Gothic wonder & darkness

Dejan Ilijic - keys

The shortness of this review reflects just the 40 minutes afforded to us at the Jazz Café earlier this month (05/03/2014) to absorb the Serbian raiders EYOT.

Marko Stojiljkovic - bass

The dark stage was punctuated in pools of purple light and it suited this four piece who were spread wide in the crepuscular atmosphere. With just four tunes to pin both my sketches and impressions I will dispense with long annotations of the compositions themselves and start directly with EYOT's spokesman. The stubbled Dejan Ilijic was often stooped in the shadows as he hunched over his keyboard. His dark handsome aura was very much reflected in the music, which was as powerful as his ox like shoulders. His driving piano interposed with melodic loops created much of the levity in EYOT's performance. Those of us who occupied the front rows, and I stood next to legendary Jazz-face Steve Marchant, felt the bellyache vocal murmurs of Ilijic in our very guts. Without amplification these base rumbles created a background wave of humanity amongst the sea of electronica.

Sladjan Milenovic - guitar

There were large sections of the set that were dominated by the guitars of Sladjan Milenovic and Marko Stojiljkovic. These led to an air of cutting and rasping penetration. Despite his stature or maybe because of it Stojiljkovic played with head  bowed, it lifted and nodded repeatedly like one of the humorous dogs in the rear window of a car. In contrast Milos Vojvodic lifted his into the air, his long face rising above his drum kit as though savouring a sweet smell.

Milos Vojvodic - drums

The overall effect of EYOT was a balancing act between heavy looped motifs and playful melodies. There was a real force behind them, driving like a battering ram at times, it swept to and fro, with a rhythm that was reflected in their final tune's Balkan beat. It was modern medieval jazz, raw and uncut in the main with flashes of sophisticated beauty, like being transfixed by the hidden complexities of a gargoyle whilst standing in the shadow of a gothic cathedral. Wonder and darkness.

AL.

Derek Nash - The Spark

Derek Nash

Ever since I have been drawing Jazz musicians Derek Nash has been part of my sketchbooks but this is the first time I have been able to contain this exuberant performer within this blog. It is not only words that struggle to restrain his energy but also my sketches which never do justice to a dress sense that features a lurid line in flowery shirts and stage choreography that would be more at home in a Bruce Lee film.

Within 90 seconds of his entrance at the Twickenham Jazz Club (27/02/2014) he had already treated us one of his trademark hitch kicks. Luckily I sat next to Derek Nash's beautiful wife, Beverley, for the evening and she confirmed that Nash youthful dance moves do not cause him any injury, even as he skirts close to his half century.



Alex Hutton- piano

The leg kicking opener soon became Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me" and we saw flashes of what has made Alex Hutton such a popular keys man at TJC. The perkiness of his recent engagement to singer Kate Winter saw his head bobbing between a pair of 'Harry Hill' style collars. Like virtually all piano players Hutton has an intensity in his gaze which is unnerving but his feet give us a clue to his more homely nature, as usual they were devoid of shoes while his socked feet jigged to each tune's melody.

Oli Hayhurst - Bass

 A favourite of the first set was Derek Nash's "Waltz for my father". With (bent) soprano in hand he painted us a colourful picture, this was a tableau of pure pointillist skill, like one of Seurat's Parisienne riversides. The small light dabs of Nash's saxophone taken in their entirety gave us a broad emotional vision of his father as we sat back and viewed it from a distance. Derek Nash is a closet culture vulture and in the break between sets divulged the sweet spots of a recent trip to Venice.

Asaf Sirkis - drums

"The Spark" of the night was rightfully reserved for a new tune of the same name. So new that Derek Nash crouched close to the floor, his chart just inches away from his face in The Bloomsbury's sombre lighting. It has a rolling lyrical quality that Alex Hutton exploited with a calypso breakdown which ultimately resulted in  Oli Hayyhurst's wonderful slow descent amongst the tumult. Hayhurst has an easy static style, often both eyebrow raised in inverted Vs, mirroring two gables on sturdy barn.



Kelvin Christiane - Tenor Saxophone

Even when Derek Nash is deep within a ballad he slipped in a leg kick or two, like an Uncle who can't resist blasting in a cheeky penalty past his nephew in the back garden. Asaf Sirkis on drums was the height of subtly and Mrs Nash was taken with his striking mallet work on Grover Washington's "Winelight". It's irresistible sexual beat inspired her to describe Sirkis as a "handsome Freddie Mercury".

Bobby Timmon's "Moanin" brought the tenor of Nash and TJC Maitre Kelvin Christiane together. The latter was surprisingly introspective but typically robust in his playing. He kept his eyes down, his body trapped between green and purple lights like he had been caught in a flickering Hitchcock film.

Derek Nash will forever be the scene stealer. How can you focus on anyone other than him when he not only plays his instrument with such aplomb but continuously looks like he's warming up in preparation for a football match. As well as his trademark hitch kick we were treated to the can-can leg flick, the bounce from foot to foot, a couple of knee bends and also the sweeping of his sax beside him like he was paddling a canoe against a strong current. Here's a musician who never stands still.

AL.

Terence Collie the Conkerer

Jac Jones - Tenor Saxophone

All too often we cannot see what is right under our noses and I'm as guilty as the next man. Last month (16/02/2014) I took the long train ride down to the south coast to see South West London's Prison Break at the Southampton Modern Jazz Club. Again it is with regret that I do not venture out enough to hear live music in these rich pockets beyond the M25.

A series of near misses had whetted my appetite for Prison Break, a long list of dates including Terence Collie on piano had evaded me but it was the boss of the SMJC, Ted Carrasco, that persuaded me to go the extra mile and see the quartet. For me it was a 4 tune set that chose equally from their 2 album/e.ps, "And Again" and "Doing Time".

Terence Collie - Piano

Straight-in was Jac Jones, thick and meaty on "Jinxed". An uncompromising gambit and a showcase for a talent that is unassuming, even apologetic in its demeanour. The Bent Brief, where the SMJC resides was modestly full, with an equal share of the sexes it was neither edgy nor buzzing but respectful.

There was more sparkle up next in the lyrical piano of Terence Collie on "One Year On". Smooth and effortless, it was almost a homage to the engineer (and altoist) who originally helped record it at Clown's Pocket Studios, Derek Nash. Repeating melodies on saxophone cast salty waves over us and reminded us that the sea lurked somewhere nearby in the dark. It was Collie who started to shine through. He has a gaze that wilts you at a thousand paces when he is in the zone, the term furrowed brow does not do him justice, more corrugated in its intensity.

John Sam - Drums

My attention was taken by the night's drummer on "Prison Break Blues", whether this says more about his powerful presence than the tune I do not know. Joe Sam has a deceptively subtle edge for a man who looks like he has been in a few scrapes, but with a brow to match Collie you wouldn't want to get caught in a staring contest between the two.

Joe Sam - Bass

The most impressive tune was "Niner Blues" which features the rich and energetic bass of Joe Sam and just enough touch from brother John on drums. Deceptively mysterious with a whiff of North African wonder in sax melody it builds from a gentle Terence Collie solo until it couldn't contain itself any longer. Thrusting and direct by the end, the bass of Joe Sam had an earthy thumping tone like a 5 ton horse chestnut falling from a tree. If this tune was indeed a conker it would be far more than a Niner, it would be pickled in vinegar and baked in the oven before reaching triple figures at least. Collie has every right to prowl the playground with this tune in his pocket and a composition in a head that resembles the bronze patina of a prize nut.

A few more trips are planned to the SMJC this year, I see that Paul Jordanous plays there on the 22nd June. Unfortunately I'll be missing the TW12 Jazz Festival (3rd August) this year where you'll be able to hear Prison Break at their best.

AL.

Gabriella Swallow - Urban Family Picnic

Gabriella Swallow

We gathered at The Forge (12/02/2014) in Camden to join the party, to feel included in Gabriella Swallow's extended family tree and listen to a rich variety of musical collaborations. Firstly the name of the concert tonight, Gabriella Swallow's Urban Family was deceiving, this was not a mixture of rappers entwined by cultured harmonies, nor a group of feral foxed musicians who had honed their skills in the backrooms of pubs or played for door money in pool halls. This was the cream of the crop, top drawer performers brought together by Swallow herself. They came into her embrace through a desire to collaborate at the highest level and because friendships blossom in Swallow's company.

Clive Bell -  shakuhachi

Gabriella Swallow was the near constant throughout the two set night on cello. Her trademark Struwwelpeter hair was surprising indigo rather than the flame colour I had sketched before. The Forge was packed out, not a seat free and I perched to the side, frantically scribbling away. I did not sketch everyone, such was the revolving door nature of the evening.

John Garcia Rueda

It was an unusual experience playing the voyeur at this concert, with the obvious chemistry bubbling away on stage and the cohesive bonhomie it was impossible not to become a little envious. It was like watching one of those dynamic groups of young people who have thrown out their tartan blanket on Hampstead Heath for a picnic. Alive and joyful they lark about, they are bright and talented, drawn together by the knowledge that things just happen when they are in each other's company. If this concert was 20 years earlier it would have been directed by Kenneth Branagh with a small change to the title, swapping 'Peter's Friends' for Gabriella's.

Jeremy Silver - Piano

The gig opened with Clive Bell on Shakuhachi, while John Garcia Rueba gave us an energising tiple with his 12 string guitar and not forgetting Swallow (cello). A brave opening that didn't awaken the senses with a crash but piqued our curiosity and set the tone for the unexpected. There was a beauty, an emptiness, an unease from Clive Bell, a whispering wind that stretched the boundaries, making us forget that we were squashed deep in the heart of Camden rather than the expansive steppes suggested by the music.

Genevieve Wilkins

The next performer is a popular entry in my sketchpad, her charismatic beauty never fails to excite my pen but it was Sally Silver's husband Jeremy that filled an A5 page. Too short a performance as always, Madame Silver was engaging and emotive. Her expression of word and demeanour is a performance in its itself, as she gathered her hands under her chin, it was as though she was squeezing imaginary lemons into a glass perched just above her bosom.

Guy Johnston - Cello

To stretch the unexpected theme of the night even further we were treated to Andrew Ford's "Composition in blue, grey and pink" by percussionist Genevieve Wilkins. Playing on her knees as though in prayer, she was mostly shielded from our gaze by a curtain of blond hair. 5 cymbals in total rested on the floor, 2 large silver and 3 bronze dinner plates resting on a swathe of foam mattress moguls.



Lucy Schaufer

Hindemith's "Duet for 2 Cellos" was a hit with the crowd, Guy Johnston pedalling tandem with Gabriella Swallow, which was then topped off by an elevating tango. This was followed by the vocal performance of the night. Mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer sang  first "Errol Flynn" and then "Make me a kite" both from her recent album Carpentersville. So full of pathos and tenderness. It was a powerful bookend to the first set.

Elizabeth Cooney - Violin

The second set was a more raucous affair with a galloping effervescent pace and any number of beautiful people to train my artistic eye upon. You will have to forgive me if I have not dutifully mentioned or sketched all.

Elizabeth Ball - violin

Three duelling violinists immediately grabbed the attention. The statuesque Elizabeth Ball although relegated to the wings was piercing with her clarity and presence, while Una Palliser swayed that willowy dexterity of hers so much we felt the lash of her whip deep within the audience. Alongside Elizabeth Cooney they followed Piazolla with Bartok's "Romanian Folk Dances".

Martynas Levickis - Accordion

With his fop of sandy hair and boyish grin Martynas Levickis proved an instant hit too. Accordion players are always a welcome relief for an artist, for the instrument is a ball and chain to keep the performer relatively stationary for sketching purposes. This was not the case for Levickis' trouser slapping Lady Gaga rendition, it seemed the spirit of the unconventional pop chameleon had possessed our Lithuanian with bawdy talent. He vibrated with orgasmic pleasure as the tune hits its peak and line after line missed its mark on my sketchpad paper.

Seth Parker-Woods

Although I did catch a quick scribble of Seth Parker Woods I couldn't capture Leslie Boulin-Raulet (violin), Helena Smart, Polly Wiltshire or Zoe Martlew (Cello).

Graeme Flowers - Trumpet

Jazz was a breath of fresh air for this correspondent, with familiar faces and a powerful chest filled loudness that counteracted the previous 30 minutes of entwining strings. Graeme Flowers headed a quartet of Gareth Huw Davies (bass), James Pearson (piano) and Pedro Segundo (drums). It was a cheeky and enjoyable "Nostalgia in Times Square", Pedro Segundo's was memorable throughout proceedings, notably when the slapping of his tambourine felt like I'd wandered into a spankathon of excitable proportions.

Ian Shaw

The concert came to a close with the voices of Annabel Williams and Ian Shaw. The latter was virtually incommunicado in flat peaked cap and 'barrow boy' blue jacket. Between Shaw and Swallow it was a spirited finale with flowing peaks and a strong interaction that epitomised the collaborative ethos of the whole night.

Despite it being a fictitious vision I still imagine that I will encounter Gabriella Swallow and her urban family in one of London's grassy parks this summer, where I will set up my easel and rattle of an Alex Katz pastiche to capture their natural trendy cohesion. Perhaps I might be invited to share a gin and tonic while I let their laughter wash over me.

AL.

The Corridor - St George's University London

Tadhg Caffrey

Earlier this month I was invited along to St George's University London by Tadhg Caffrey who is the Public Engagement officer on the Tooting campus. Since becoming artist-in-residence on their Simulated Mental Health ward at Kingston I had not visited the Tooting site and imagined it would also yield its stories under a close inspection. Psychotherapist Harvey Wells told me that I should embed myself in the corridor that links the University with its neighbour St George's Hospital and just watch what unfolds.

Tadhg Caffrey is on a mission to engage the public and spread the word wider afield, his raison d'etre is not only to ensure the most appealing and creative side of SGUL's work is accessible to the wider public and specifically our local community but also to do it with a certain joie de vivre.

Waiting to be taken home

Next month he showcases his 'Spotlight on Science' public event on 26th March where Professor Sanjay Sharma and St George's researchers will be discussing sudden death in sport. Although this sounds an emotive subject it was the ideas and ambition that bubbled on Caffrey's back burner that piqued my interest. His idea for a Health Comic Convention is a crackerjack, based around the award winning artist Emily Hayworth Booth. I can see this being a fascinating way to help patients explore the narratives of being ill, in hospital or even as a visitor or carer.



Before I settled down to my sketching I explored the inner sanctum of the University and hospital. In the library the hide of Blossom the cow, draped seductively over a vaulting horse greeted me like an experiment in crossbreeding tannered species. Then down into the dungeon to sweep past the morgue and into the Museum of Pathology, where rows of glass containers trapped their brains, intestines and deformed livers in a wonderland of inspiration for any artist. I was in heaven.

Corridor Life

How I wish I could have sluiced down a tanker's worth of formaldehyde into the corridor that links St George's hospital and the university. It represents the perfect cross section of life in these two

establishments. At the corridor's furthest tip, deep in hospital territory the sun streams in through huge plate glass windows. Patients in wheelchairs sun themselves like lizards, capturing the rays as if they possessed life imbuing powers. A few mobile phone conversations ending in huffy silences and on more than one occasion I watched a telephone listener descend into an unscheduled siesta.

 

Everyone moved at different speeds along the corridor, a granny ambled in her purple velour tracksuit while a patients in blue robe, limped a little quicker, one arm dangling helplessly from under his hoody. Plenty of couples walked arm in arm, it was hard to tell who supported who, emotionally and physically. Two girls defied the hubbub, by using sign language to communicate in their own silent fishbowl world. There were regular visits to the ever cheerful receptionists who wielded their advice from deep within the belly of the corridor. After sitting next to them for 30 minutes you start to notice that their visitors either arrived undressing themselves or dripping long wet trails like slugs on Speed.

There were lulls of course before the lifts spewed out blue gowned troglodytes and I though in those

moments about how you could represent these narratives in one piece of artwork. I've already been working hard to do this since visiting the Simulated Mental Health ward in January, and new works are emerging on a weekly basis. We'll be presenting some of our recent creations at St George's University London on Wednesday 16th April at 6pm as part of the 'Art of Medicine' series of lectures and exhibitions. Please come and join us, it's open to all but you'll need to register before the 10th April. Details at www.sgul.ac.uk/research/public-engagement/

Its with great pleasure that I share the first short film to emerge from the residency, called 'Ping Pong Paranoia' (below). Harvey Wells and I recorded the 'patient's' monologues whilst on the Simulated Mental Health Ward and this has proved to be a springboard for creativity. The voice you hear is of  'Sandra' who is agitated and feels trapped in this ward environment. The excellent score is by Toy Rokit, who we will be collaborating with throughout the year.

Toy Rokit are
Bill Mudge - Keys/FX/Samples/Loops
Mark Rose - Bass/FX/Samples/Loops
Chris Nickolls - Drums/FX/Samples/Loops





At the event on the 16th April we will be screening 'Ping Pong Paranoia' and also our first film with poet Robin Vaughan-Williams.

AL.



Chico Chica - Tomfoolery

Barbara Snow - Percussion, Flugelhorn and Vocals

Prepare yourselves because this is just an amuse bouche before the main course is served. I was attending the Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea (09/02/2014) in my role as artist-in-residence for critic Mr Rainlore. Along with his able assistant Chetna Kapacee we were here to experience trio Chico Chica who I had previous sketched and written about in 2013. Mr Rainlore will be giving them a fleshier review than I at www.rainloresworldofmusic.net/ in due course, along with my colour sketches. For now be satisfied with a monochromatic pictorial representation but with the words in vivid hues to reflect Chico Chica's witty performance.

With a mixture of Mediterranean flavours provided for the ears, Chico Chica are appetisingly entertaining but it is Tom Hannah poetic brilliance that gets my cerebral juices flowing. This isn't a one man band by any stretch and the stage was illuminated by the sleek satin beauty of Barbara Snow, who immerged from the Palace Theatre's rich lighting as through a Claude Lelouch Vaseline smeared lens. Luckily I regained self-control as thoughts of petroleum jelly along with Snow's singing on 'C'est Ta Chanson' nearly brought an embarrassing end to my tenure with Mr Rainlore.

Hilary Cameron - Flute/Piano/Vocals

Hilary Cameron was the red haired sprite playing piano and flute in the centre of the trio. The clarity of her voice cleansed the Southend crowd during the second set, particularly on 'This Room'. Her calming presence was much needed due to the audience becoming overexcited by Tom Hannah's lyrical high jinx. During the interval I managed to chat to a few members of the 'back row' club. True to form it turned out they were from the Southend branch of the Hannah Clan, describing Tom as the black sheep of the family. A real badge of honour.

Tom Hannah

Tom Hannah got his dancing shoes on once again for the iconic 'A Scientific Fact' with a bit of robotic shuffling and then brought out his angry ant dance for 'Music is Overrated'. Hannah keeps the tongue in his cheek so firmly hidden you never know which side of the coin his lyrics will land. Tails for humour and Heads for the thought provoking poetry that is Hannah's metier. Although he isn't personally the 'Nice guy with an Edge' from his dating song, this sums up his persona perfectly.

Tom Hannah informs us in his introduction that Chico Chica are no chin stroking aficionados. If you believe therefore that there aren't deep pools within their repertoire then you would be wrong. The attention does wander when in repose during some musical interludes but not for long as Hannah's conceptual zeal thrusts deep into your mind just as your guard is lowered.

AL.

String Theory - Recording Partikel's 3rd Album

Duncan Eagles - Tenor Saxophone

Partikel are back and they are embarking upon a new venture. This is a third album with a difference for the London based trio who have made a name for themselves with their spikey brand of barebones Jazz. I was luckily enough to be invited to the Real World Studio near Bath to experience this latest incarnation. The step up for the Trio was the result of hard graft from tenacious frontman Duncan Eagles alongside the generous support of Arts Council Funding and their record label Whirlwind Recordings.

Shirley Smart -
Cello

Over the past 18 months Partikel have started to experiment with Strings. At first is was the Cello in private but soon they 'came out' with a very strong public performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer last June. Now it seems this addiction has taken over, not only a cello greeted me at the studio when I arrived on the 4th February 2014 but also a viola and 2 violins. The Jazz trio had fallen for the String Quartet and their lovechild was soon to be born.

Jose Tomaz Gomes

Real World is a much larger studio than the cosy Clown Pocket variety that Partikel are used to and they spread out accordingly. A massive horseshoe mixing desk occupies half of the Big Room, which is like a crepuscular cavern. Red light, square dots, blue, green and Venetian red dials, large whites with black rings, some jump left some right, 4 banks of zeros, 11 sets of ones, 2 twos, 6 threes and at the end of the desk another lonely zero. The engineer in control of this spaceship console is José Tomaz Gomes. A dark and gentle figure who will be our guide for the next two days.



Max Luthert - Bass

Max Luthert sets the early bass bounce on first tune 'Wray Common' with a triple trot and I feel the old pathos running through me, they are back! The meadow richness is not just present in the view from the studio window across Peter Gabriel's land but also in Eagles' tenor tone that opens up a musical panorama. These glimpses of gentle colour are truncated as we glimpse the saxophone's vistas from between rocks or gaptoothed  trees. This is followed by a gentle decent, past the warm bass undergrowth, as downy as Luthert's beard. There is the merest scent of a wild animal in these woods as the Quartet's strings run like veins across this landscape, with a dark taint they ooze a bone meal overflow. Duncan Eagles is freewheeling now as he rattles downhill and reaches the bottom with a final expulsion of breath.



Helen Sanders-Hewett
Viola

A big nod of the head sees the musicians tumble into 'Midnight Mass', Max Luthert desperately clings to the melody, his eyes as dark as chocolate minstrels and his left hand is like a claw. It is a cascading dancing tune with strokes of soporific beauty. Luthert is what we cling to, a grip on the bedstead before the last rattling call before the song ends. I hear the voice of Helen Sanders-Hewett (viola) through my headphones as she just says the word 'lush'.

Benet Mclean
Violin

The strings start to make their presence known, and amongst the quartet is a familiar face with an unfamiliar instrument in his hands. Benet Mclean is a polymath. We know Mclean as the dexterous piano player, composer and singer but it seems he is a violinist of some talent too. In fact over our dinner meal he tells me of his love of cricket and his prowess as a bowler/batsman for Middlesex youth sides. An all-rounder in every sense of the word he wasn't afraid to go it alone with a spirited solo on the next tune. This time I hear Shirley Smart's (Cello) voice in the post performance lull.
"Burning!"

Left to right
Benet Mclean, Max Luthert, Duncan Eagles, Shirley Smart & Helen Sanders-Hewett

'One in Five' is the tune of the day so far. Benet Mclean was both imposing in my headphones and in reality, with his brooding intense demeanour you sometime you feel you are in the presence of an off duty Lenin. His solo was a tightrope walk, cutting and gritty while Duncan Eagles was flighty and fluid on Soprano saxophone. The tune starts with deep footsteps and then a fantastic twist like a child on a swing who has entwined the chain-linked ropes together in a centrifugal dare of vomit inducing proportions. The overall effect is one of a fable, a narrative where the musicians are characters in a adventure book, a world of building dams in streams and then knocking them down in the twilight before bedtime.



Richard Jones - Violin

I hear Mclean in upbeat mood, he shouts out "Lets go! give me the downbeat bro" as we wade into the next tune and the hours of twilight.  If you think you've heard 'The River' before you are not alone. It was one of the tracks on their debut album and here it was being given the full 'strings 'treatment'. It now has a full slide of green variegated shoots to accompany it and yet it still flows in those curled sweeps where the current takes you under the overhanging trees, through the deathly shadows and out the other side. With the accompanying strings there now exists a dragonfly that swoops above the water, alone at first but then joined by its own reflection. A parallel ballet with swoops and plummeting where the insect dances with its life. This is now a tussle between wind, water and Fate.

Dan Redding

Not everything was flowing smoothly it seems. I noticed Duncan Eagles shake his head in tiredness and frustration. In the early days of the collaboration between Partikel and their strings Eagles admits he was on a very steep learning curve. He has written all but one of the tunes on Partikel's three albums, but the addition of strings alongside saxophone, bass and drums was step into the unknown. Since then he has honed this skill and expectations have risen. As we entered the late hours it appeared that the results of the collaboration weren't reaching their intended pinnacle. He shook his head, looked at me and said "It's taking too long."

The arrival of the jazz filmmaker Dan Redding pepped up the troops and he regaled us all with anecdotes and witty quips before overdosing on red wine and eventually petering out.

Eric Ford - Drums

To wake oneself up you have to enter the lions den and I sketched Partikel's idiosyncratic drummer Eric Ford for the final recorded tune, 'Shimmer'. My attention was first taken by Max Luthert who danced a little jig throughout the recording, beating time from one foot to the other. He was a like a Eadweard Muybridge horse, with both feet in the air simultaneously but impossible to prove that fact unless you captured him photographically.

It was another impressive compositional performance from Duncan Eagles with Eric Ford providing the trotting and galloping rhythms. The sentiments 'Shimmer' evoked were far from the drizzling reality outside in the west country landscape. Here was a positivity, a modern anthem, a jazz folk equivalent to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I felt like taking Eric Ford out on a carousel of English Country dances along the Mendip Hills, arm in arm we would square dance until the sun came up. Luckily I though better of it, after all I was sharing a mezzanine floor with Ford tonight and I didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

AL.

I will be writing up Day 2 of the recording shortly....