Saving the Red Lion? Well, the band played on.

My ribs are still screaming when I change gear but I made it to The Red Lion, Isleworth to take in some Jazz. It was a good night - the next three Mondays will be nights to remember too.

The campaign to try to save the pub continues. If you haven't signed the petition I would urge you too do so. The link is here;

http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/list-isleworth-s-red-lion-as-a-community-asset

This is an independent community campaign. It doesn't have anything to do with the landlords who are currently in the process of decorating the pub and creating a better online image; to boost the sale price.

The petition is to have the pub listed as a 'community asset' which means it can't be redeveloped.

Anyway, in this picture you can see Martin Shaw playing his trumpet with a mute; I love mute trumpet and don't understand why Jazz uses it so little. I suspect that trumpet players want to be as loud as possible....less is more!

Martin Shaw played a lot of mute and it was good!

I really enjoyed a version of the standard 'Bye Bye Blackbird' which is in fact a depression era song about an alcoholic trying to quit a cheap rot gut 'whiskey' called 'Blackbird'.

Martin pulled the theme about and deconstructed it until nothing was left. Then, after a while to think about it, the band pulled it all back together again.

That's Jazz. 

Sheer genius.

This is Sam Mayne on Sax;

Behind, as ever is Trevor Tomkins on drums. Hopefully, Trevor isn't going to have to start looking for a new home for the club - it's about the best in London thanks to him.

Robin Aspland was swingin' on keyboards and Tim Wells was on bass - shining when he ganged up with Martin Shaw's trumpet for a quiet duet.

A good night - we're going to have to fight to keep them happening.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact me (I don't bite, often);
 
neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

A mute at the red Lion - Mmmmmmh!

 



This is Martin Shaw blasting out his trumpet at The Red Lion, Isleworth Jazz Club on Monday night, just before my birthday.

I did enjoy Miles Davis's 'Four' and Charlie Parker's 'Scrapple from the Apple', both very familiar and much loved pieces.

With Trevor Tomkins on Drums, Alec Dankworth on bass and John Horler on piano it was a very fine quintet.

Here's Sam Mayne on Saxophone;

 

 

 

And as ever, I love a mute on a trumpet - this is Martin playing Dizzy Gillespie's 'Night in Tunisia'; 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

 

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact me:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com





Sultry June nights.

Monday didn’t really happen for me – which is why I was taking photos of hay. It makes sense, really it does, if only to me.

So instead of a meeting in London and a visit to The Museum of Water, I went to my Jazz club;

On Trumpet and Flugelhorn Martin Shaw;

 

I do love a mute trumpet, well played.

 

While on saxophone Sam Mayne;

 

Sam is very expressive during the quiet, sultry passages and on the hottest, sultriest night of the year so far that was nice. Trever Tomkins provided the drums, John Horler Piano and Dave Green on Bass.

I also thought I’d introduce you to my friend Robyn from West Philadelphia;

 

 Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Blue Christmas.

J

Sunday, three days before Christmas, I staggered home from Tesco’s exhausted. A couple of people were actually close to fighting in there. Hey, I’m not even having a Christmas this year, people don’t know how lucky they are. As I fought my way through I couldn’t help thinking how unimportant it all is really. Just to help my mood, for lunch I had half of last weeks pizza exhumed from the freezer. Afterwards I visited my Mum in hospital, then on the way back I went to see a band but because I don’t do bad reviews, I won’t do one this time.

Pompous pumped up power ballads for the portly middle aged – that just about covers it. Or another way of saying the same thing is that it was a load of P.

I got home and in a fit of madness I started to cook a Christmas cake, which was not clever. I didn’t have all the ingredients – last time I did a cake I didn’t have them all and winged it. I replaced the missing ones – now different ones are missing.

I was too tired, started it far too late and got more tired doing it. I’m not even doing Christmas this year; what came over me? I ended up using too many bowls, too many spoons, making too much mess. Not enough raisins or spice in the mix.

It’s in the cooker now, spoiling. It went in far too late and I’ll be sat there waiting for it to finish. I don’t even know who is going to eat it.

Perhaps if I was to smother it in Brandy? Then again it may be better just to drink the brandy and put the cake in the bin.

And if any of you say ‘Aaaah, its Christmas’, I will come round and sort you out. Remember I know where you live.

Monday and a trip to my clinic, struggling through a storm and happy crowds on their way up to town. The result? A no score draw - no test result. Two weeks time and there will be. Hmmmmh.

And then in the evening I went back out through a wild storm of branches crashing down and flooded roads– to the Red Lion, Isleworth for my jazz club.

 

You don’t miss a chance to hear Martin Shaw on trumpet and flugelhorn – he’s a star of stage and screen and Sam Mayne is a great saxophonist. Together it added up to a whole lot of Thelonious Monk and that suited me.

I’ve got a really busy day tomorrow – after the fiasco of the cake I’ve got a ham to cook amidst a general struggle of not doing Christmas.

Let’s see what a mess I can make of that.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com