Rediscovering Curtis Stigers on 'Gentleman'

I've never been sure whether to like or loathe Curtis Stigers, but his new album - Gentleman - is

actually rather good.
    You can read my review on KindofJazz.

My happy place

A few hours spent tidying my garden path, even though it’s rarely trodden in these strange times.
    I love my home and consider myself fortunate to be safe, well and happy.

Kind of Jazz with Kit Downes

One of my favourite albums of 2019.
    I really enjoyed writing this review.

Improving our natural environment

This sight warms my heart.
    The river bank was eroding fast and work is improving it to protect the wildlife of Oughtonhead Common.
    You probably can't see, but the work has reclaimed around two feet from the erosion, including some huge tree roots that were previously exposed. It's really good to see such work being done at a time when we're all focusing on the human cost of the coronavirus.
    Hundreds of people every day are walking this path - sometimes it's hard to socially distant and now it'll be easier for all of us, as well as better for the wildlife.

Tubby Hayes: The Life Behind the Tenor

I have just received my copy of one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of books!).

    Tubby Hayes: The Life Behind the Tenor is a simply stunning collection of visual artefacts around the great British jazz musician that far too few people have heard of.

    I was involved as a contributor to Mark Baxter and Lee Cogswell's film A Man in a Hurry, which served to introduce Hayes to a whole new audience. It's incredible that the film came out only in 2015, after a lot of work by Baxter, Cogswell, Hayes devotee Simon Spillett and Richard, son of Tubby.

    I must have first heard recordings of Tubby Hayes's playing in around 1981, when I moved to London, ostensibly to study for a Music and English degree, but actually to play sax in big bands and sessions.

    Along the way, I discovered many other sax players (several thanks to Paul Weller, who continued my musical education while I played with him and Mick Talbot in The Style Council), but none were quite like Edward Brian 'Tubby' Hayes.

    The dizzy heights of Hayes's performances were never within my grasp, but a number of my heroes at the time held the great man - gone just a handful of years before at only 38 - in great esteem.

    He was extraordinary and I stand by my one-word description of him on A Man in a Hurry - "Awesome".

    What's particularly pleasurable about this new book - apart from the perfection of the presentation - is the inclusion of images of mouthpieces and reeds, press cuttings, posters and diaries. Together, they shed light on the man who wielded the tenor sax in a genuinely unique way.

    I'm proud of this, number 29 of just 100 copies, signed by men I'm proud to call my friends - Mark, Lee, Simon and Richard. Thank you, gents, for shedding overdue light on the man his son rightly calls "A Legend".

Sticking to the rules

Even the cattle up at Oughtonhead Nature Reserve - a five minutes' walk from my home - are maintaining the prescribed two metre separation.
    What I find odd is the number of humans who find sticking to the rules so difficult.
    This is what I found a little further up the same path on Monday morning, after a particularly beautiful spring weekend:

    There were numerous bottles and cans, plus a pair of trousers and even a little bag that had obviously contained an illicit substance of some kind. It took Florence and I just three minutes to tidy up and we carried everything to the nearest bin, which was obviously too arduous a task for those responsible for the mess. Regardless of the litter, clearly there had been a group gathering in the sunshine. I sincerely hope none of them have to use the services of the NHS as a result.

Exercise - exploring the great outdoors

Stepping away for a moment from the path I usually take, I found a beautiful scene.
    Just behind the fence, there flows a tributary of the river my walk usually follows.
    Early morning and the shadows are beautiful.
    Now, the sun is starting to shine and perhaps spring is coming, regardless of lockdown.

Charity and business go hand in hand

For Tommie and Rebecca from @BambuuBrush, business is closely linked to charity and they've created a partnership with Hitchin-based Humanitas.
    Their recent trip to Ghana with the charity was another life-changing trip. It was a pleasure to write about for their website.