Isomatic UK Weblog

This evening we went to the Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. On this occasion Brian was joined by Goff Dubber, playing Soprano Saxophone for a King Jazz session as a tribute to the Mezz Mezzrow / Sidney Bechet quintet. The photograph shows Goff on soprano with Rex Bennet and Richard Lyons in the background. While awaiting the arrival of Goff, Brian was alone in the front line, playing really well, particularly on 'Old Stack 'o Lee Blues'. Alan Dandy produced a great keyboard solo 'Till The Real Thing Comes Along'.
Goff's arrival introduced a string of great numbers:
'Four or Five Times' with Goff vocalising;
'Blame It On The Blues';
'Petite Fleur';
'Really The Blues' with Goff on clarinet;
'Perdido Street Stomp';
and 'Blues and Jung'.
This was our idea of jazz. To add to the pleasure, we won a Robert Johnson CD in the raffle.

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet), Phil Brown (trombone, pictured), Alan Dandy (keyboard), Mike Benett (string bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). Our favourite numbers with these musicians were:
'My Funny Valentine', to which we danced;
'Robins Nest' with Alan Dandy using his keyboard in 'Jimmy Smith' mode;
And Alan's keyboard features 'Unchain My Heart' and 'All The Things You Are'.
Guests were:
Fred Shaw (cornet) and Peter Clancy (trombone), playing 'My Monday Date' and 'I Want a little Girl';
Roland (tenor sax) and Peter Tallent (trombone), playing 'Sugar' and 'If I Had You';
Aileen May (string bass) for 'Undecided' and 'I Can't Get Started'.
Colin Lewry (keyboard) played alone in the first break and with Peter Clancy (string bass) in the second break.

This evening, as usual, we broke our journey home from Park Farm to eat, drink and enjoy jazz at The Cricketers in Horsell Birch. The band was the Jelly Babies from Sweden. This is a 9-strong 'Happy Jazz' trad band and was very much appreciated by us and by the rest of the audience that packed the venue. We particularly liked the soprano sax playing Sidney Bechet numbers such as 'Georgia Cabin' and 'Petite Fleur'. Our other favourite numbers were:
'Canal Street Blues', the trombone feature 'Undecided' and the banjo feature 'One Morning in May.
Guests from the audience were Gerry Waters (drums), followed by Bob Dwyer (trombone) and Bill Edmonds (trumpet).

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to the Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, where Brian White's Magna jazz band performs every week. In the absence of Alan Dandy, the special guest was Paul Sealey (pictured) on guitar and banjo.
Our favourite numbers were:
'Melancholy Blues';
'C C Rider';
'Farewell Blues';
and Paul's feature 'Taking a Chance On Love'.
We reminisced that Paul is the only musician we see at our regular haunts who we can watch at home on DVD. This is with the Big Chris Barber Band at a live performance in Germany. Paul is given little opportunity to show what he can do.

Labels: Jazz

We have just returned from a tour of Portugal, staying in Lisbon, Porto, Belmonte, Evora and Monchique. The best value for money and the best view were both at the Estalagem Abrigo da Montanha just up the road from Monchique to the highest peak in the Algarve. The pictures show the hotel and the view from our window. Our one full day in the Algarve was the only one with continual sunshine.
While in Porto we tried to visit Sandeman's Port Lodge but they turned us away as they had a party of Japanese visitors. We won't be buying any Sandeman products in future. We went to Graham's instead and were given a personal guide for just the two of us, a young British guy from Kensington who gave us an extended tasting. We bought 3 bottles and will continue to buy port from the Symington Family, who own Graham, Dow, Warre, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Quinta do Vesuvio, the Madeira Wine Company and now Cockburns.

Labels: Travel

This evening we went to the Berrylands Hotel in Surbiton, for Brian White's Magna jazz band, with the standard line-up. The numbers of particular note were:
'Chloe', with a bungled start due to one musician misinforming another as to the first note;
A beautiful version of 'Lonesome Road' with great solos from Clarinet, cornet, trombone and keyboard;
George Gershwin's 'The Man I Love', played as a fine solo feature by Alan Dandy (keyboard), joined at the end by Rex Bennett on drums (both pictured).

Labels: Jazz

This evening, unusually, we went direct from home to The Cricketers in Horsell Birch. The band was the Redwing, comprising Kevin Scott (leader, banjo, vocals), Bernard Stutt (clarinet), Roy Stokes (trombone, vocal), Roger Sills (Sousaphone) and John Hall (drums). This is a real trad band with a large dose of humour. All the numbers were from the New Orleans period, e.g. 'Flatfoot', 'Gatemouth', etc. or from the Dixieland era, e.g. 'At The Jazz Band Ball', 'Davenport Blues', etc.
We danced to several numbers, including 'Riverside Blues' and 'Careless Love'.
Our favourite vocal was Roy Stokes' 'All of Me' and our favourite instrumental was Bernard's feature 'In The Upper Garden', which was totally new to us.
Funniest moment was when, during 'Big Butter and Egg Man' Kevin sang 'Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Aldi, if you Think Old England's Done'. He obviously reads this weblog. Kevin asked Mary Stokes to take this picture of us.

Labels: Jazz

This evening we went to The Europa in East Molesey to see the Urban Gin House Band. The line-up comprised Alan Brock (trumpet), Bernie Holden (alto sax, clarinet), Alan Dandy (keyboard), Mike Bennett (bass) and Mike Knipe (drums). Our favourite numbers with these musicians were:
'Black and Blue' and 'If I Could Be With You An Hour Tonight (to which we danced);
Alan Dandy's feature 'In My Solitude'.
Guests were:
Fred Shaw (cornet) with Roy Stokes and Peter Clancy (trombones) playing 'Strutting With Some Barbecue' and 'Old Rocking Chair';
Roland and Trevor (tenor saxes) with Peter Tallent (trombone), playing 'Bye Bye Blackbird' and 'If I Had you'.
Colin Lewry played keyboard in the breaks.

Labels: Jazz

This evening at Guildford's Odeon cinema we saw the so-called black comedy In Bruges. It is well-known that the subject is two hit-men in hiding but there is much more to it than that. Selina thought there was too much violence for it to be a comedy. The picture shows Colin Farrell with the beautiful Clémence Poésy. Ralph Fiennes was brilliant as the hit-mens' evil boss.

Labels: Film

Unusually this week we have watched television 3 nights in succession; the programme, on the UK TV History channel, was called 'Files of the Inquisition'. It is amazing to think that this abomination continued from 1233 to 1834. Even more amazing is that modern catholics show no shame or remorse. I realise that they were brainwashed as children but, in later life, do they never consider that they might belong to an evil institution ?

Labels: Television