The great artist Martin Wertheim-Gould regularly comes to Brighton’s jazz venues and draws and paints the musicians performing. He has a beautiful book out called “Brighton and all that jazz!” and I think I’m in there somewhere. He came again last Sunday to Seven Stars and created this masterpiece:
The musicians are Grant Allardyce,
Simon Russell, Mike Potter, me and Dimitris Moudopolous. Thank you Martin for jamming along with us in your own way!
I have some very sad news. Brighton’s premiere songbird Rene Ansell has passed away silently in her sleep. It was a true honour to play with such a great musician. I have many beautiful memories of making music with her, perhaps the best one was at her 90th birthday last spring where an abundance of musicians came and paid tribute. We managed to get a final recording in before Christmas and she was a true professional. For each song we did 3-4 takes and she sang faultlessly and beautifully each time, not complaining, just doing what she was put here on earth to do over and over again. The 5-song EP is being mastered at the moment but I have a little taster for you. I arranged “It’s a sin to tell a lie” and here is an unmastered version. Keep on swinging Rene, I know you are somewhere looking down at us and saying “Great solos, everyone!”
I am very happy to announce that I will be playing bass clarinet with the Moulettes on their launch of their new album at Islington Assembly Hall 30th November. I’m on a couple of tracks on the recording and I have to say, the music sounds amazing. If you haven’t heard the Moulettes yet the best way I can describe them is epic folk with violin, cello, bassoon, drums double bass and gorgeous vocals. The new album is even more orchestral than the older ones (they are all fantastic!) and that’s where I and a few others come in. They are currently on tour across the UK but this one in London will be spectacular. Check out the FaceBook event
Both are with the formidable guitarist Paul Richards but are slightly different in setting, style and timing. Saturday 16th we will be playing a duo gig at Little Portugal from 8pm. Choro, samba and jazz with acoustic guitar and clarinet.
Sunday 17th I will be playing with Paul again but this time I add the formidable Dan Rehahn on trombone and bassist extraordinaire Simon Russell for a swing gig at Seven Stars 4-7pm. If we are lucky the 90-year old jazz superstar Renee Ansell will join us for a sound that surpasses time.
Hope to see you there!
Cogs & Gears from Lele Lele (Lele Lele 2008)
Music: Björn Dahlberg
Lyrics: Josef Danielson
You cannot deny the cogs and the gears
Machinery weaves industrial fears
No man is made of steel
There flows no blood through the veins of machines
But you cannot deny the cogs and the gears in the moves of industrial man
Well now something has broken beyond all repair in the heart of the cogs and the gears
Josef Danielson: Vocals, Guitar
Björn Dahlberg: Clarinet
Mihail Dintchev: Tamboura
Stian Grimstad: Tuba
Moa Danielson: Tablas
Here is the song Drink The Pain Away from Maria McAteer’s debut album Her Night At Noon (2012). Maria on vocals, me on piano, saxophone and clarinets, David Kadumukasa on cello and Jim Mortimore on bass. Enjoy!
I just had to share this!
The very reason I wanted to be a jazz musician was that my parents had a single of Take Five and Paul Desmond’s alto sound just blew me away. He said about himself: “I have won several prizes as the world’s slowest alto player, as well as a special award in 1961 for quietness.” One of the few jazz alto saxophonists who didn’t base his playing on Charlie Parker but rather Lester Young. Well, all of that has recently come into my mind as I have portrayed Lester in “My Friend Lester”.
While looking around the internet this morning I found this incredible gem. A recording of Paul Desmond together with the Modern Jazz Quartet. Listen and enjoy!
And on a side note, I have also started a Facebook fan page. If you want music and videos of me in your facebook feed just go there and click the like button. It would make me very happy 🙂
I play keyboard and saxophone in a band called Bloomfield Avenue and we just did a photo shoot. Looks pretty good, if you ask me. 🙂 You can see us goofing around a bit on a Vine I made. I’m not in that since I’m behind the camera. Anyway, the music is all the hits from the 50’s until today. Check out the web site and like on Facebook.
As a bonus I got some solo photos as well. Here is an example:
I’m playing with a new band – the Voodoo Love Orchestra and I love it! We are 10-15 wind players and 3 percussionists playing Voodoo inspired music from Africa, South America, New Orleans and other places. An amazing face painter makes sure we have the right skullfaces on. You can catch us at The Blind Tiger Club in Brighton 24th Jan or 25th Jan at Movimientos in Bethnal Green.
It’s time to play some jazz again! My beloved jazz quartet “Nybakat!” are doing a tour in Israel after a little warm up gig in Café Mazarin in Bro, Sweden. We have been invited by the festival Jazz Globus in Jerusalem and has tagged on a little tour with gigs in Tel Aviv and Mitzpe Ramon as well. Have a look at the clip below from a concert we did in Sweden Summer 2011.