Friends old and new - knowing when to listen

Life is all about words and music - for me, anyway. When that is balanced with family and friends, that's a recipe for a perfect existence that goes beyond simply existing.

A couple of my old friends have recently been involved in creating a stunning piece of art - literally and figuratively. If you're interested, you can watch it here.

Listen to the lyrics - Weller has always been able to craft a great line and I love that he's done this one in collaboration. He's a generous musician, allowing others to contribute when they have something interesting to say.

It never ceases to amaze me how creative people can be with 12 notes, 26 letters or just a few colours. There's always something new.

I was also blown away last night by sax player Jon Shenoy and his latest ensemble, Draw by Four in Hitchin's Club85. He makes playing sax look much more effortless than I've ever found it, but that's because he's worked hard at it.

Jon Shenoy's Draw by Four at Club85

Dynamics and silence have always seemed some of the most important elements of music and both the video and the gig reminded me of that. Knowing when to be quiet and when to say less is probably a lesson most of us could use in more than music.

I enjoyed the gig last night with friends: and they all knew when to be quiet and just listen.