Peter Burton's daily log, covering Peter's personal interests, e.g. jazz, travel and general grumpiness plus (occasionally) the business of Isomatic and its associate companies.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Magna Jazz Band with Graham Barton
This evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where
Brian White's Magna jazz band is resident. There was just one dep.; Graham Barton (keyboard, pictured) a fine pianist who, surprisingly, did not give us a feature number. Our favourites were:
'Isle of Capri', according to Estelle AKA 'Pile of Debris' (Twas on a pile of debris that I found her);
'Yellow Dog Blues';
'New Orleans' with a bowed bass section from Richard Lyons;
The finale 'I've found a New Baby'.
Labels: Jazz
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Apex Jazz Band with dancing
On Monday night we saw the Apex Jazz Band at
the Cricketers in Horsell Birch, Woking. The band comprised Tony Nutt (cornet), Peter Minett (soprano and alto sax), Clive Burton (trombone), Terry Twiss (guitar, banjo, vocals), Bert Shipp (bass guitar, vocals) and Ian Parry (drums). The numbers we particularly enjoyed were:
Terry's vocals with guitar, 'True' and 'Breeze';
Peter's feature on a borrowed C Melody saxophone 'Out of Nowhere';
Clive's feature 'After You've Gone'.
Bert was replaced on bass guitar by Mike Bennett for
'I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me' and 'Honeysuckle Rose'
and by Aileen May for 'Memphis Blues' and 'Rosetta'.
The pictures show the full band and Selina and I dancing (taken by either George or Axel, who both played with my camera).
Labels: Jazz
Monday, January 28, 2008
Urban Gin House with Bernie Holden
On Sunday evening we went to
The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet, vocals), Bernie Holden (alto sax, clarinet, pictured), Roger Limb (keyboard), Mike Bennett (bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). Our favourite numbers with these musicians were:
'Blue Bossa', featuring Bernie because Alan had forgotten it;
'Bernie's Tune.
Guests were:
Fred Shaw (cornet) and John Goddard (trombone) with Bernie for 'Big Butter and Egg Man and an improvised 12 bar blues;
Peter Clancy and Roy Stokes (trombones) with with Alan and Bernie, playing 'September In The Rain' and 'Mood Indigo', to which we danced.
Colin Lewry (pictured) played keyboard in the breaks.
The third picture caught Selina unawares in her shortest skirt.
Labels: Jazz
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Lunch at Bognor Regis
Today, we took a drive through the beautiful Surrey and Sussex countryside to the seaside town of Bognor Regis, made famous and then maligned by King George III. We parked the car by the gardens at Aldwick and walked along the promenade to well past the pier and back. It was very sunny and calm. Before returning to the car we had a nice lunch of plaice and chips in the bar of
The Royal Hotel (pictured), washed down with white wine (Selina) and a pint of bitter (me).
Labels: Travel
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Gatsby Jazz Band with Roy Stokes
This evening we went to
The Wych Elm in Elm Road, Kingston Upon Thames, for the monthly performance by the Gatsby Jazz Band. The picture shows the full band with Roy Stokes in the foreground, deputising for Bob Dwyer. Our favourite numbers were:
'Girls Go crazy About the Way I Walk', with Alan Jenkins singing the original words 'Girls Go crazy About the Way I Ride' in one chorus;
'King of the Swingers' with Alan doing his Louis Prima 'Jungle Book' voice.
Labels: Jazz
Friday, January 25, 2008
Magna Jazz Band with Goff Dubber and Terry Lewis
On Thursday evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, for
Brian White and his Magna jazz band, with guests Goff Dubber (tenor sax, soprano sax and clarinet) and Terry Lewis (bass).
Our favourites from the great selection played were:
'Snag It', with great tenor playing by Goff;
'Really The Blues', featuring a clarinet duet between Brian and Goff;
'The Bugler's Lament', an old favourite of ours featuring Pete Towndrow avoiding the use of the valves on his cornet';
'Ace In The Hole, with vocal by Goff;
Alan Dandy's excellent feature number 'Just Squeeze Me';
and Brian duetting with Goff on soprano playing 'Perdido Street Stomp'.
Another great evening of jazz.
Labels: Jazz
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Rance's Rocking Chair Band at the Cricks
On Monday night we saw Rance's Rocking Chair Band at
the Cricketers in Horsell Birch, Woking. The band comprised Dave Rance (cornet, flugelhorn and vocals), Bryan Webb (trombone and vocals), John Percival (Clarinet, alto sax, musical saw, whistle etc. and jokes), Doug Parry (banjo and guitar), John Bartlett (guitar), Nick Dythan (string bass) and Henry Harrison (drums). This band is well worth seeing for its mix of humour and steady flow of jazz, hardly pausing to draw breath. Our favourites were:
'Saratoga Swing' fearuring the excellent John Bartlett on guitar;
'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' with John Percival on musical saw;
Django Reinhardt's 'Minor Swing' played as a guitar duet (pictured) with just bass and drums;
'Big Noise From Winnetka' played en ensemble rather than as a bass/drums duet;
'Stardust' featuring Dave on flugelhorn with the rhythm section.
Roy Stokes (trombone) joined the band for 3 numbers, having played in a band with Dave many years earlier.
We shared our table with George, Brian and new recruit to the Cricks, Tony, yet another jazz fan with a BBC background.
Labels: Jazz
Monday, January 21, 2008
Urban Gin House Band with Mike Byrne
On Sunday evening we went to
The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet, vocals), Mike Byrne (trombone, pictured), Alan Dandy (keyboard), Mike Bennett (bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). Our favourite numbers with these musicians were:
'Apex Blues' and 'Blue Monk' (to both of which we danced) and 'Shine'. We also enjoyed Alan Dandy with just bass and drums playing 'In a Sentimental Mood'.
Guests were:
Trevor Dockerill (clarinet, pictured) and Aileen May (bass, pictured) playing 'Rose Room', then with Phil Brown and Mike Byrne (trombones) playing 'The World is Waiting for the Sunrise';
Fred Shaw (cornet) and Audrey Stokes (vocal) with Phil Brown for 'Someday You'll Be Sorry, then with Roy Stokes (trombone) for 'Georgia on my Mind';
Peter Tallent and Roy Stokes (trombones) with Trevor, playing 'Exactly Like You' and 'All of Me';
Audrey with the rhythm section singing 'September in the Rain' and 'I've Got The World on a String'.
Colin Lewry played keyboard in the breaks.
Labels: Jazz
Sunday, January 20, 2008
No Country For Old Men
On Saturday evening we saw
No
Country For Old Men at theGuildford Odeon cinema. We chose
this film as it was a Cohen Brothers production and they have produced
great films in the past, e.g. 'Millers Crossing' and 'Fargo'. I am
sorry to report that 'No Country' was a great disappointment; it had no ending but just meandered into nothingness. We do not recommend this film.
Labels: Film
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Micro water power generation
Today we went to the
Ampair trial site for micro water power products. The
Ampair UW100 underwater power generator (as pictured) is now mounted in the stream. The other picture shows David Sharman measuring the speed of the water flow with an instrument designed for a ship's log. The UW100 is on the white pole, submerged.
Labels: Water power
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Magna Jazz Band with Terry Lewis
This evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, for
Brian White (pictured) snd his Magna jazz band, with the standard line-up except that Terry Lewis deputised on string bass.
Our favourites from the great selection played were:
'Milneburg Joys';
'C C Rider';
'Clarinet Marmalade' with Pete Towndrow having learnt it during the week';
'I'll Be Loving You, Always' AKA I'll Be Loving You, Sideways;
Tishomingo Blues'
and best of all, Pete and Alan duetting on 'As Time Goes By' and 'For All We Know'.
Another punter, Tony, said it all; "That alone made it worth coming tonight".
Labels: Jazz
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Wind needed
Today we finished bench testing of a prototype electronic circuit for use with the
Ampair 600-230V grid-tie wind turbines. We were then ready to test using real wind, of which we had plenty for a few days. In direct accordance with the law of SOD, the wind stopped at that moment and has not returned. Frustration rules OK !
Labels: Grumpy, Wind power
Monday, January 14, 2008
Panama Cafe Orchestra with Graham Collicott
This evening we saw the Panama Cafe Orchestra at
the Cricketers in Horsell Birch, Woking. The band comprised Dave Lowe (cornet), Richard White (clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax, vocals), Chris Lowe (trombone, vocals), Special guest Graham Collicott (drums, pictured), Chris Houslander (sousaphone) and Dave Griffiths (banjo).
Our favourite numbers were: 'Hard-Hearted Hannah' and 'Mood Indigo' to both of which we danced;
'Dinah' with great baritone sax from Richard;
The ragtime piece 'The Easy Winner';
'Vo-de-o-de-o Blues' with Richard singing.
We had Axel, Brian and Alan 'Mr Sherry' Roper at our table, with Axel and Alan amusing us with tales of their failed marriages. I could only reply that I am a very lucky man to still have a sexy wife at my age.
Labels: Jazz
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Urban Gin House Band with Mark Aston & Roger Limb
This evening we went to
The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet, vocals), Mark Aston (tenor sax, soprano sax, pictured), Roger Limb (keyboard, pictured), Mike Bennett (bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). Our favourite numbers with these musicians were:
'You Took Advantage of Me' and 'Making Whoopee', to which we danced;
'I Can't Get Started'.
During the break Colin Lewry (keyboard) and Aileen May (string bass) played 'Satin Doll' (as pictured) and then continued with Trevor Dockerill (tenor sax), followed by Peter Clancy replacing Aileen for 'Georgia on my Mind'.
After the break, Fred Shaw, Roy Stokes, Trevor and Aileen played 'Deed I Do' and (with vocal by Fred) 'Up a Lazy River'.
Peter Clancy and Peter Tallent (trombones) then played 'All of Me' and 'Tishomingo Blues' with Trevor and Mike Bennett.
Labels: Jazz
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Helter Skelter and Land of the Dead
This evening we saw Helter Skelter and Land of the Dead at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre's Mill Studio. This production is not for the squeamish. The standard blurb (below) does not indicate this:
In a chic restaurant in New York city, a man and his wife meet to take a break from Christmas shopping. He doesn’t know that she has already seen him today.
Elsewhere in town, a couple part. He goes to the office, she visits a clinic. As events unfold, it becomes clear that this is not just any ordinary day.
In two stunning new companion pieces, award-winning playwright, screen writer and film director Neil LaBute charts the trajectories of two regular couples in contemporary America.
Labels: Theatre
Friday, January 11, 2008
Location rules OK
Why do businesses think they can just move the name to a new location without offending the customers. Examples:
1) Grosvenor Garage moves from Pitch Place to Crockford Bridge, replacing Crockford Bridge Motors
2) London Boat Show moves from Earls Court to Docklands so the new one has to be called the Earls Court Boat Show
3) Hotel chains.................................
To me, and probably to most people of my age, Grosvenor Garage is at Pitch Place, the London Boat Show is at Earls Court, the round hotel at Heathrow is the Ariel and the one over the road is the Heathrow Hotel. I refuse to spend any money at any of them ever again (unless they revert to previous names). The one case I know where this worked was at East Clandon. The pub name was changed so the locals refused to use it until it was changed back. Three cheers for the East Clandon locals !
Labels: Grumpy
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Magna Jazz Band with Terry Lewis
This evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, for
Brian White's Magna jazz band, with the standard line-up except that Terry Lewis deputised on string bass.
Our favourites from the great selection played were:
'Blue Turning Grey';
Alan Dandy's sophisticated keyboard solo, 'More Than You Know';
'Autumn Leaves' with Pete Towndrow slipping in the M.A.S.H. theme 'Suicide is Painless';
and best of all, Pete and Alan (pictured) duetting on a punter's request for the 1950s Humphrey Lyttleton hit 'Bad Penny Blues'.
A great evening of jazz AND Selina won a piano compilation CD in the raffle.
Labels: Jazz
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Mistresses on BBC1
This evening we stayed at home and watched television for a change. After a good programme about the discovery of the atom we watched the first episode of the new chick-flick
Mistresses on BBC1. I have complained before about lack of entertainment for adults and I expected better from this; noting that it was after the 21:00 watershed and advertised as being sexy. It promised but failed to deliver. For example, when a female character shows her knickers to a male work colleague we expect to see the scene from his viewpoint, not from hers. This is just teasing us to the point where we become angry.
Labels: Grumpy
Monday, January 07, 2008
Phil Brown Swingtet with Alan Dandy
On Monday evening at The Cricketers in Horsell Birch we saw the Phil Brown Swingtet, comprising Phil Brown (trombone), Lester Brown (trumpet, flugel horn), Mark Aston (Tenor Sax, Clarinet), Ken Ames (guitar), Guest Alan Dandy (keyboard), Mike Bennett (string bass) and David Clancy (drums). Our favourite numbers were:
'Georgia On My Mind', to which we danced, 'Milneburg Joys' and 'S'Wonderful'. The picture shows the band with Roy Stokes and Colin Lewry in the right and left foreground respectively.
We shared our table with Brian and an Alleycats fan who is still bemoaning the loss of the Abercorn as a jazz venue.
Labels: Jazz
Sunday, January 06, 2008
UGH with Les Dyos and Roger Limb
This evening we went to
The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet, vocals), Les Dyos (trombone, pictured), Roger Limb (keyboard), Mike Bennett (bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). Our favourite numbers with these musicians were:
'I Cover The Waterfront', to which we danced;
'Autumn Leaves', in latin style;
'Bernies Tune'.
Guests were:
Fred Shaw (cornet) and Trevor Dockerill (tenor sax) playing 'Strutting With Some Barbecue' and 'September in the Rain';
Peter Tallent and Roy Stokes (trombones) with Trevor playing 'If I Had You' and 'Exactly Like You';
Peter Clancy (trombone) and Trevor playing 'Bye Bye Blackbird' and 'You Know What it Means to miss New Orleans'.
Colin Lewry played keyboard in the breaks.
Labels: Jazz
Saturday, January 05, 2008
The Kite Runner
This evening we went to the Guildford Odeon to see
The Kite Runner. This film received very high marks (many 10s) from the amateur reviewers at IMDB.com so we had high expectations. Yes it is a great film but we did think the balance was uneven with too much of the boyhood period and not enough of the adult's return to Afganistan during the Taliban era.
Labels: Film
Friday, January 04, 2008
Magna Jazz Band with Keith Brown & Mike Bennett
On Thursday evening we went to the
Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where
Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. Keith Brown replaced Rex Bennett on drums. Mike Bennett (string bass, pictured) was guest for two numbers; 'Honeysuckle Rose' and Brian's vocal 'Goody Goody'.
Our favourite numbers were:
'Saratoga Swing', a Magna favourite from the Duke Ellington repertoire;
'Tuxedo junction', written by Birmingham, Alabama, composer Erskine Hawkins and introduced by his orchestra, later made famous by Glenn Miller;
'Am I Blue' with great Cornet and vocal by Pete Towndrow;
And best of all, Pete's request for the Alan Dandy solo, 'Skylark', our favourite Hoagy Carmichael number.
Labels: Jazz
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
New Year's Eve problem solved by Brian
We mentioned to Brian at the Cricks one night that we always find New Year's Eve a problem. The following week he gave us a typed invitation to dinner at his house followed by music at
Guildford Corporation Club. Yesterday evening Brian provided pate, trout from the Goldaming trout farm, toffee cheesecake, chardonnay, coffee and then champagne with Brian's friends Tanya and Robert. Brian then drove all of us to the club, where we were entertained by
The DISCiples. They played rock/pop from the 60s onward, rather too loudly for us, particularly when dancing near them. Andy on lead guitar was good.
Thanks Brian for a good evening.
Labels: Eating out, Pop Music
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