Back at The Red Lion.

Monday night and we made it back to our Jazz club at The Red Lion, Isleworth!

 

That's an achievement - the last time I was there I was in a whole world of pain.

 

Back then, by the second set I couldn't sit down any more. I had to stand up.

 

It was certainly back in April, probably about two months ago and there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then.

 

If I'm honest, Monday was still a real struggle; halfway through I fell asleep. That's not the fault of the musicians....it was just a real struggle.

 

This is Don Weller on sax and behind him Trevor Tomkins on the drums.

 

I wasn't so nimble on Monday,  so no photos of John Donaldson on keyboards or Andrew Cleyndert on bass I'm afraid.

 

Somehow, the charm of the old Red Lion seems to be missing.

 

The music is as good as ever. The beer is in the same league, only not for me as I'm still on meds.

 

But, it isn't the same and needs to create a whole new atmosphere.

 

I don't think the portrait of foxhunters that's appeared on the wall is going to help me.

 

Neil Harris

(a don't stop till you drop production)

 

Home:  helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

 

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Treading water.

Monday night - that means I'm only two days behind in Blogland - that's OK if I was to do nothing for two days I could catch up.

I went to my Jazz Club, a little tired.

And this is the incredible back row of Trevor Tomkins on drums, John Donaldson on keyboards and Andy Cleyndert on Bass.

The stars on the front row? Mmmmmm that's Henry Amberg-Jennings on trumpet and Flugelhorn and Don Weller on Saxophone.
So if I was to tread water for a while? Does that give a clue to where I went on Tuesday?

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

Home:   helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Whoopdidoo!

;

Monday at my clinic was a ‘no news day’ – in a fortnight’s time things will be a bit more glum.

But I was lucky enough to see ‘Dr Feelgood’.

I’m no better (that’s not the deal) but the Doc has swept away the bans on drinking, dancing, walking and generally doing foolish things. It's a 'what the hell' diagnosis.

Well, whoopdidoo!

Strangely, Monday wasn’t going to offer any opportunities for really reckless foolishness, except for a half pint of Lager.

Whoopdidoo! First since 25th October.

As I drove off in the evening to my jazz club at The Red Lion, Isleworth, it was cold and in the low lying Thames Valley where I grew up, there was mist hanging in sinister bands.

About head height and swirling as each car went through a band, the mist once hung over fields between cropped willow trees. Now its roads and houses where once was crops.

Don Weller was in fine form – on saxophone anyway. His intros were clipped to say the least. A man of few words but plenty of notes which means I have no idea what the numbers were.

 

It was only a quartet last night – usually there are five. I must be the only person there who prefers a quartet. As a result we were missing a good few of the regulars. They missed a good night.

Andrew Clyndert was great on bass, Trevor Tomkins solid on the drums and John Donaldson was inventive and bluesy on keyboards.

 

As I drove back home, the bands of mist were starting to join up into one big fog - cold and raw. 

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
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Blame it on the pterodactyl.

I took some good photos of Don Weller and the rest of the group at The Red Lion on Monday but in a fit of tidying up I deleted them. Doh!

 I’m going to blame it on the pterodactyl. It wasn’t anything to do with not feeling well or being in a bad mood or going to bed far too late, let alone being an old idiot – it was the pterodactyl, really.

www.red-lion.info

Don Weller was in great form – I saw him a few months ago and he was a bit subdued after some major surgery, last night he was playing a series of his own compositions and fighting it out with the rest of the band.

In the third number and again second from last (they were keeping the numbers secret) he challenged John Donaldson – playing a phrase, then waiting for John to echo it which he did. Then again but more difficult and again, and again.

He did the same with Trevor Tomkins on the drums – he was up for it too.

Andrew Cleyndert was on bass and he, John Donaldson and Trevor Tomkins had a couple of spells as a quiet trio that took the roof off while you could hear a pin drop.

Strange people, jazz people.

This was another quartet, which I prefer. As a result it was half empty – next week its back to five and the pub will be packed out.

I suppose there was a good end to a grumpy day (until I hit the delete button) – I won fourth prize in the raffle – a Diana Krall CD that I would never have bought and now will have to listen to – always the best way to hear new music.

That Pterodactyl?

 

 It’s just appeared, in a corner. There you are, spending your days moulding dinosaur sculptures for the kiln, when suddenly the landlord of your local pub rings up; “It's an emergency, we’ve got an empty corner, you couldn’t help us out with something?” 

He sounded desperate; “Not too big, we don’t want a Tyrannosaurus Rex or anything silly like that, people would only laugh at us”.

“I know” said the artist thoughtfully; “I’ve got a small, rather restrained pterodactyl that would do just right there, I’ll drop it off for you”.

He smiled enigmatically;

“Of course, it’s always possible that ignorant people might mistake it for a griffin – but that's a chance we’ll have to take”.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home:     helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact:   neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com