The Blog is Back!

Yes, after a little break, the weekly blog is back today. The reason it's been away for a bit is that I've been having my website completely revamped...in fact if you're reading this you're probably on my website as we speak! So please feel free to take a look around, and listen to some of the songs!

The new format website means that it's easier to access this blog, as it's embedded directly into the site. This should mean more people get to read it, but will also mean I'll have to be extra-careful not to offend anyone...at least for a little while!!

Last Week:
I won't drag things out un-necassarily by including all the news from the past 2 months...so please imagine the last blog was a week ago, ok?!
Last Wednesday was my birthday, and as in previous years, it was the same date as Tom Petty's. How we continue to achieve this is beyond me. He was 60 this time, meaning that by far the majority of my biggest influences are 60+, the longer-term consequences of this are quite scarey.
On Thursday night I was gigging at Verve in Leeds with The BitterSweet Shop - that's Katie and I as a duo, and once again I enjoyed our set. We were first on and the vibe was intimate and the sound was really very good. We're currently working on our first CD which will be a 6-track mini album. I'm very excited by how it's coming together.

I also performed twice with Atlanta Soul on Saturday and Monday nights. They were both wedding parties (yes, people can get married on a Monday) and it was good to get out and play and feel like a working musician again. Saturday was in a big tent in Skipton and then Monday was over at Ormskirk.

In between these two gigs I went down to Northampton to watch the Stock Cars on Sunday, just 2 more meetings to go this season and I've been to that many this year I feel like I've taken part in it. Can't wait for the last 2 though, it's going down to the wire this time!!


This Week:
Quieter by far this time. I might possibly play one open mic, and also work on the BitterSweetShop album will continue.

A-Z of Music:
I've been listening to the new album by Elton John & Leon Russell (both well over 60...), entitled 'The Union'. 16 tracks of piano singer-songwriters, plus Neil Young on one song. It's growing on me, with no obvious singles, but it's more like the early days and the production is excellent. I know Leon is one of Elton's biggest influences, and the piano styles are similar. The pianos are panned to make it easier to tell who does what but they both play so well. It's a real inspiration to hear them both on the same record.

I've also been listening to fellow birthday boy Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, I currently have his first and latest album on the go! The debut has the same name as the band and dates back to 1976. The highlight is obviously 'American Girl' closely followed by 'Breakdown' but I like the rawness of it, even if some of the tracks are so short they feel almost unfinished.

'Mojo' is the 2010 version and after an indifferent first listen this one is really beginning to gel for me. It's different to the acoustic-driven radio hits of previous years. It's much more rootsy, bluesy and electric. There's acres of lead guitar work and it's much more of a band album. But for all the blues it's the reggae track 'Don't Pull Me Over' which is my absolute favourite. In fact I'd form a reggae band just to play it.