Private Stuff

It has been an age since I've visited this blog and I feel I've been quite neglectful.  Things have been relatively quiet in terms of public performances, but a couple of offers for private functions have come my way.

The first I did a few weeks ago at a pub in Greenwich.  It was just me, a guitar and a fine selection of songs by Mr Burt Bacharach.  I love his stuff, it's deceptive in that you think it's simple, but I actually find it technically challenging.  Never to be underestimated!

I've also another private function planned for February next year.  This is quite an exciting prospect for me in that it's two hours of dinner jazz at a hotel in Hastings.  It'll be me, a grand piano and a nice frock - well that's the plan anyway.

Rehearsals start in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in once more.  I'm very aware that singing hasn't been a priority for a while, but priorities occasionally shift and that's okay by me.

In preparation for February I'm considering a pre-gig warm up in London.  I think it would be a good idea to make sure the ol' magic is still there.  Any details will, of course, go up onto the website.

Take care jazz cats!

Going Live

When I decided to give this singing malarkey a crack about eighteen months ago, there were those around me who made whisperings in my ear about things like business cards, websites and the like.  If I say I didn't envisage needing those things it makes me sound like a bit of a pessimist, as if I didn't foresee any degree of success - that's not strictly true.  I just think it's easier for others to be practical and pragmatic; I don't see what they see and don't know that I ever will or am supposed to.

I digress.

Yesterday I had a meeting with the generous friend who has worked on my website over several months and as I sat there watching her take me through it on her laptop I got quite excited.  My sister is responsible for all the design work too, so it's been quite a labour of love for our little trio.  All being well the site should go live this coming Monday.

I've no idea what impact the website will have.  There are the obvious things like it'll give people a chance to hear my music, learn a little about me as a person, find this blog, but I do find myself wondering whether there will be any significant increase in gigging.  It could be a slow burner, but I'd rather things be steady.  A kind of hare / tortoise approach.

We shall see.

In the meantime, get your ears around this, it's put me in a fabulous mood this morning.  Hope it does the same for you:

Snoozing

I realise it's been a veritable age since my last blog.  Since that time there have been a couple of gigs, the last one as part of a shiny new quartet.  Adding drums and a double-bass has given a real energy and depth to the music; in fact, it was the most relaxed I've ever felt whilst doing a gig.

My website is getting closer to a grand unveiling and I'm hoping it will all be ready for several potential gigs in the autumn.  Summer is hard.  People go away and things don't feel like they're flowing as well.  In addition to that, whilst it's great having a couple more people to play with it does make rehearsals a little more difficult to organise!

Hopefully I'll be back with some website news soon and there will be some more giggage to talk about.  Until then I shall simply have to listen and learn:

Pre-Gig Ramblings

I'm pleased to say I have a gig tomorrow evening, at Oliver's Jazz Bar in Greenwich - South London.  This is exciting stuff for me as it feels like it's been a while since the last one.

Having said that I'm excited, as I sit here writing, I'm also feeling a bit jittery about it.  I do get quite nervous and it's not a very pleasant feeling, but luckily it's not completely debilitating either.  I seek comfort from the fact that Ella Fitzgerald used to suffer from terrible stage fright too; it's nice to have something in common with someone like Ella.

I've recently been collaborating on a 'Frances Wise' website, with the help of some very good family and friends.  I'm glad they're there to support me as I'm finding a lot of what they're asking me to do fairly cringeworthy!  Writing a biography has proved to be the most excruciating thing thus far but the site should be live soon and despite my protestations, I'm quite excited about that too.

The keep calm plan for the remainder of this evening will entail a browse over tomorrow's set list and music, perhaps whilst sipping a G&T, followed by a relatively early night.  Given that I mentioned Ella earlier on perhaps this is what I should remember tomorrow?

Begin The Beguine

It is almost a year since I pushed myself to attend a four day jazz residential deep in the Surrey countryside.  I remember arriving too early and sitting in my car for almost half an hour feeling sick, nervous and anxious.

I had never challenged myself musically in this way before, having always done things that were pretty much within my comfort zone, but I told myself it was time for change.

There was no way of knowing then how those four days would change so much for me; in terms of my understanding and knowledge of jazz, the friendships I made and the musical world that's opened up to me since.

Recently I thought it would have been nice to have had a record of all that's happened, so I suppose this blog will be my way of ensuring that more of the same doesn't get lost, given my somewhat unreliable memory!

Let's see what happens next...