Monday 30 November 2015

Tales to tell

I found this in the loft at the weekend while getting Christmas decorations.

Flicking through, I'm left feeling quite emotional - some fine weeks in 1983.It doesn't feel like 32 years ago.

Interestingly, it's exactly this week in 1983 that I was studying Brave New World, which we talked about at last week's AB Book Club. Most of the people there weren't born in 1983.

I don't regret anything I've done since 1983, but it's very strange to see what I was doing then.

Sunday 22 November 2015

On finding great vegetarian food

It's rare to enjoy great vegetarian food. Most often, it's okay. That's absolutely not the case with the food creations of Hitchin's Chef Martin Burke.





I've been a fan of Martin's falafel for a long time, but yesterday I discovered his delicious Pad Thai. Although we had snow yesterday morning, a spicy salad like that was great for lunch.




Then, today's lunch was one of Martin's Falafel Eggs. Filling and tasty, it was far from a traditional Sunday lunch, but just what I wanted.


Incidentally, this is one of my photos, but the other two are thanks to Martin's talented wife, Kasia.

Friday 20 November 2015

Several Men in a Hurry

Last night was the official launch of 'A Man in a Hurry', the documentary and musical celebration of Tubby Hayes.

Who?

Sax player extraordinaire Tubby Hayes lived and performed through the heyday of British jazz in the 1950s. Indeed, he probably was one of the greatest exponents of the jazz of London in the run-up to the pop explosion of the 1960s.

If Tubby had a passion for jazz, then film-makers Mark Baxter and Lee Cogswell have finally realised their own passion of documenting his life and music. They haven't really been in a hurry - this project has been years in the making, but the momentum is definitely building.

I must declare an interest - I make a few tiny appearances in the film. My interest in Tubby's playing started many years ago and I knew I'd never get close. Not even in the same city, let alone the same ball park. He was a jazz genius and, although his weapon of choice was tenor sax, his flute and vibes playing was similarly moving.

But I've never seen so much footage of Tubby before. Nor heard the whole story, much of it from proper sax player and the man's biographer, Simon Spillett.

This was my second chance to watch the film, having already seen the DVD, and it was definitely an improvement to see it on the big screen, among friends, musicians and music lovers.

The launch was preceded by Simon's quartet - including John Critchinson, Alec Dankworth and Spike Wells - playing a blinding set of Tubby tunes. My favourite was The Serpent, with a tiny hint of Coltrane's My Favourite Things slipped in by Spillett. One of the things about Tubby's compositions was their references to people around him and this quartet of jazz masters did them proud. The speed alone of some of these tracks is mind-blowing. Men in a hurry.

A great evening and this is a documentary that even non jazz-lovers will enjoy. A sad story of a man taken far too young but who achieved so much. If you hate jazz, just let the beautiful music wash over you and don't try to understand it. Few of us can.

Monday 2 November 2015

Awards dinner snap

Nice photo from a couple of weeks ago. They managed to snap me without my eyes shut!