A very good crowd indeed showed up for this, the first anniversary event. The fact that it was the first anniversary was among a raft of things I forgot to mention on the night, not that anybody’s life is the poorer for that. The truth is that I’m not only no good at so-called multi-tasking, I am also bitterly resentful of the existence of it. I happen to know that there is compelling research evidence that multi-tasking greatly reduces the efficiency with which you do any of the multi tasks.
In this case, the multi-tasking involves working out what I’m going to play, who’s going to play it with me and how that’s going to work, watching Charles set up all the mics and sort out the sound, sorting out who’s come to do sets, when they’re going to do them and who they’re going to do them with, being on or making sure someone’s on the door, and dealing with anything else that may come up, such as people who’ve shown up to play but mysteriously not brought an instrument. There was, unusually, a fair bit of the latter on this occasion.
It isn’t a big deal in itself but it gets to be a thorny issue when the people in question can’t seem to deal with the response. In essence, they appear to expect you to magic an instrument out of your ear and the information that they will have to ask someone if they can borrow theirs is often hard to get through. This seems to strike them as a very confusing response and they look at you as if you have told them to build one themselves.
What made it even harder to solve on this occasion was the fact that there wasn’t one single ‘normal’ guitar in the room, by which I mean a six-string steel-strung acoustic. There were numerous other kinds of guitar, but not one of those. And, curiously enough, the offer to play washboard instead wasn’t taken up by any of the instrumentless musicians.
Lots of multi-tasking then, right up until the end, when I was being followed around by a bassless bassist who’d shown up at 10.30 expecting somehow to be accommodated. As I was at that point dealing with a broken string prior to doing the evening’s closing set, some of my politeness systems may have broken down at that point.
Anyway, among the things that I failed to mention while doing my compere impersonation was this very blog, thereby ensuring that its readership does not expand beyond the smallish inner circle that (I’m guessing this) scrolls down to see their names mentioned and then heads off elsewhere. And I didn’t mention that it’s OK to talk at a normal volume but not to bellow and shriek – not a major problem by any means, but some people were getting annoyed with others on that front early on and then I had to try and deal with it without being rude. Multi-tasking? Not a box I can tick.
Anyway, it was great to have such a large audience (i.e., people who’d come to listen not play) and that’s what we need every time. So the instruction to musicians to bring at least two people with them each time stands – add them to the people who come anyway and you’ve got a full room and a great atmosphere. And while you’re about it, if any of them want to play but don’t have an instrument, under no circumstances say ‘Mark’ll sort you out’.
I did the first set as usual, starting off with the 12-string for a couple of numbers and then onto the National for a couple more. After the first one, I was joined by David Atkinson on mandolin (he walked in the door and within a minute was on stage just about being told what key we were in) and it was a welcome return for his fine playing. I was also joined by Charles Benfield on double bass, Dave Forristal on keys, Mick Paley and Dave Johnson on various percussion, and Martin Holloway on drum. Among the evening’s highlights was Dave Forristal’s playing, this time on a smaller keyboard than his usual one – not only did this sound great, particularly the organ, but it also allowed on-stage musicians to be a whole lot less intimate with each other than they care to be.
Dave and Mick then did a fine duo set, Dave on a nylon-strung guitar and Mick on harp. They’re really good musicians and performers, with great non-standard repertoire and they’re a boon to any event they play at.
Next up was Graham Hine, playing at the event for the first time. Now Graham Hine’s a notable name in the blues world, as he is the main man in the legendary Brett Marvin And The Thunderbolts. For those of you who don’t know, this band was (and indeed still is from time to time) one of the more individualistic bands on the late 60s/early 70s British blues scene, with a wholly distinctive sound based to some degree on a pogo-stick sort of device that provided a unique percussive sound. Graham is a fine solo act in his own right and he proceeded to demonstrate that to an appreciative audience, who stayed quiet and attentive throughout. He did a couple on his own on a battered resonator and was then joined by Dave Johnson on washboard and Rick Webb (also making a welcome return) on harp. This was a fine combo. Hard to imagine too many other places where a kind of impromptu Brett Marvin And The Thunderbolts could be formed and it was a pleasure to hear it.
Simon was on next for another of his quiet and reflective sets. An assortment of house band musicians joined him during the course of this, and Danno Sheehan was on harp. His typically animated set went down well, grabbing the audience’s attention, at least partly by the simple expedient of shouting at them. There’s always something happening when Simon’s on and afterwards people feel like they need a bit of a lie-down.
Phil Thorne was next up, for another set of typically excellent country blues, this time on a 12-string. He played solo to start with and then with various house band personnel. It was good stuff and much enjoyed.
Graham Hinton did the next set, joined by various band members and I think on Goodnight Irene by Guy Bennett, former host of Blues at Green Note, on piano. Nice to see him back for a visit. Danno played on this, and David, getting plenty of mando action. I’m not 100% sure of the line-up as I was out back attending to my string and the bassless bassist.
To round things off I got up again, and here my maths fail me. How come, with two regulars missing, I ended up part of an 8-piece band? Double bass, mandolin, drum, two percussionists, organ and harp, plus me. Pretty damn good sound it all made, to my ears anyway. The harp was played by a visiting American called Harry, who slotted right in. And in the final number, I managed to remember my gravest omission from earlier, .......
..... jug. Yep, Dave Johnson, having introduced the washboard last month, followed it up with jug. I threw it a solo in the last number and it acquitted itself very well. Now this is what should be regarded as experimental music, not some twee poser fiddling about on a synth.
So, a good time was had by all.
Next one: Wednesday 11th August.
Mark Harrison
NEXT EVENT: WEDNESDAY 14TH JULY
FIRST ANNIVERSARY
The next one will be the anniversary of the Green Note all-acoustic jam. Let's try to pack the place out for this. If you're coming to play, bring at least two people with you.
Remember, one of the exceptional aspects of this is that, unlike at other jams, you aren't likely to get put on stage at no minute's notice with a bunch of unknown quantities that could lead to humiliation in front of people you know. Not only are all the musicians excellent, but as far as possible, you get to choose the combination you fancy. Who knows, if you bring people along, they may even get to see you in a whole new light!
It was in February 2007 that Rick Webb announced on his Blues in London website that a new jam was to start under the 'Blues in London presents ...' banner, at the Green Note. Rick ran it with his excellent band The Velours until Autumn 2008, and there were many great nights during that period. Guy Bennett then took over with his fine Vulnerable Things band until last summer. At that point, David Atkinson and I stepped up, and we decided to make it all-acoustic. We kicked off in some style, the idea of an all-acoustic jam being vindicated from the start with some great evenings of music.
Prior to that, it had been a mostly electric jam, with an acoustic slot somewhere in the middle. Often that slot was just me, though David and Graham were regulars too. On a personal note, it was Rick starting this event with the specific aim of including an acoustic slot that got me started after a very long period of doing nothing musically. Indeed, on the very first night, a nervous lead guitar player told me as he waited to go on that he was apprehensive because he hadn't played for five years. 'I'll see your five years,' I said, 'and raise you twenty'.
From the very first one, it was clear that the event attracted some excellent musicians and fine human beings. I was struck from the off by how good people were, and I suspect a part of this was down to Rick's clear stipulation that the jam was not to be like other electric jams, in that people who played 'sports guitar' were not encouraged.
For quite some time, the monthly Green Note was the only playing I did, and it was a pretty special event each month for me. I started to go out and about a bit more after a year or so, but the Green Note has always been the one to really look forward to. When I started co-running it, I recruited people to be in the house band that I thought would make for the best kind of acoustic night, and I think everyone would agree that you couldn't beat them. It would be good to build on it, and make sure the place is packed for every one.
Well, I went in a couple of years from doing my acoustic bit on my own in a state of great nervous tension to making an album. Andy and Rick did the totally brilliant cover. Charles produced it, engineered it, mixed it, mastered it and played on it. Other people I met at the Green Note, such as Will and David, play on it. Most of the songs first saw the light of day at the Green Note.
So there you go. We've got something very good going at this thing, and Risa and Immy at the Green Note are very supportive of it too. Let's make sure we can keep it going and the best way of doing that is to make sure there's a good turnout every time. So tell everyone you know and get them to come along. One very noticeable thing about this is how many people who don't have great interest in all this before they come end up saying what a great time they had and how much they enjoyed the music. Spread the word.
And now, a report on the last one .....
Mark
The next one will be the anniversary of the Green Note all-acoustic jam. Let's try to pack the place out for this. If you're coming to play, bring at least two people with you.
Remember, one of the exceptional aspects of this is that, unlike at other jams, you aren't likely to get put on stage at no minute's notice with a bunch of unknown quantities that could lead to humiliation in front of people you know. Not only are all the musicians excellent, but as far as possible, you get to choose the combination you fancy. Who knows, if you bring people along, they may even get to see you in a whole new light!
It was in February 2007 that Rick Webb announced on his Blues in London website that a new jam was to start under the 'Blues in London presents ...' banner, at the Green Note. Rick ran it with his excellent band The Velours until Autumn 2008, and there were many great nights during that period. Guy Bennett then took over with his fine Vulnerable Things band until last summer. At that point, David Atkinson and I stepped up, and we decided to make it all-acoustic. We kicked off in some style, the idea of an all-acoustic jam being vindicated from the start with some great evenings of music.
Prior to that, it had been a mostly electric jam, with an acoustic slot somewhere in the middle. Often that slot was just me, though David and Graham were regulars too. On a personal note, it was Rick starting this event with the specific aim of including an acoustic slot that got me started after a very long period of doing nothing musically. Indeed, on the very first night, a nervous lead guitar player told me as he waited to go on that he was apprehensive because he hadn't played for five years. 'I'll see your five years,' I said, 'and raise you twenty'.
From the very first one, it was clear that the event attracted some excellent musicians and fine human beings. I was struck from the off by how good people were, and I suspect a part of this was down to Rick's clear stipulation that the jam was not to be like other electric jams, in that people who played 'sports guitar' were not encouraged.
For quite some time, the monthly Green Note was the only playing I did, and it was a pretty special event each month for me. I started to go out and about a bit more after a year or so, but the Green Note has always been the one to really look forward to. When I started co-running it, I recruited people to be in the house band that I thought would make for the best kind of acoustic night, and I think everyone would agree that you couldn't beat them. It would be good to build on it, and make sure the place is packed for every one.
Well, I went in a couple of years from doing my acoustic bit on my own in a state of great nervous tension to making an album. Andy and Rick did the totally brilliant cover. Charles produced it, engineered it, mixed it, mastered it and played on it. Other people I met at the Green Note, such as Will and David, play on it. Most of the songs first saw the light of day at the Green Note.
So there you go. We've got something very good going at this thing, and Risa and Immy at the Green Note are very supportive of it too. Let's make sure we can keep it going and the best way of doing that is to make sure there's a good turnout every time. So tell everyone you know and get them to come along. One very noticeable thing about this is how many people who don't have great interest in all this before they come end up saying what a great time they had and how much they enjoyed the music. Spread the word.
And now, a report on the last one .....
Mark
Wednesday June 9th 2010
Should anyone be in any doubt about the rather special nature of Blues at Green Note, and certainly its differentness from other musical events, there’s just one word that needs to be said to them: washboard. Yep, Dave Johnson, getting right under the skin of the event, showed up with one and it got a good outing throughout the evening. It was in pristine nick, suggesting that they are made and sold as musical instruments, which I guess I hadn’t known. Well, they’d hardly be sold as domestic products, I suppose.
Dave got right on with playing it in my opening set, as well as playing conga with me and the rest of the house band – Charles on double bass, Ryan on mandolin, Will on harmonica, Martin on drum and Dave Forristal on keyboards. Yes, that makes 7 people and some largish musical instruments all crammed more or less on the Green Note stage, which is approximately the size of the balcony of a studio flat. This, it must be assumed, is testimony to the svelte nature of said musicians, a result obviously of the peak physical fitness they maintain and their constant workouts. If there were just one or two beer guts among them, the whole evening would be torpedoed.
Well, this did answer a question I’d pondered before – what would happen if all band members showed up on the one night? Well, now we know. Magically, they are all able to play together. Charles may have had to get a bit too close for comfort to his bass, Ryan may have had one knee in his ear, and the washboard may have put itself in places it shouldn’t, but we managed. And managed to kick off what was generally regarded as possibly the best night musically so far.
About the right number of people showed up to do sets and there was a decent, and as usual, receptive audience. I started off, with this extraordinary seven-piece band, and did a few songs, mostly from the CD I’ve just put out. If there is actually anywhere else at all on the planet where that particular line-up can be seen, let alone joined, then I would be very surprised.
Owen Houlston was up next, with selected band members, and he kicked up quite a storm with what was a very popular set. Dave was giving that washboard some serious gyp at this point, and there was a moment in the last number when the ensemble was doing a pretty surreal kind of skiffle. Personally, I’ve always felt that skiffle was better as an idea than as a reality, but this wasn’t really skiffle as we know it. It was more like what Captain Beefheart might have come up with if only he’d done a washboard album, which is to say it was the kind of skiffle that would be considered good therapy for the patients on a psychiatric ward.
Phil Hughes got up and did his stunning solo thing next, the room totally silent as he did his a cappella and harp numbers, including a version of Skip James’ Hard Time Killing Floor Blues, a song so great that a thousand totally different versions of it could be done. No nattering while Phil was on.
Barry Jackson followed him, again with various band members for a set so laid-back it should be in the training video for Laid-Back Music-Making. Barry was playing a rather nice Guild, and some of us are now getting so old that we’ve seen Barry play some of his extensive collection of guitars at least twice.
Dave Johnson did his own set next, accompanied on slide by Barry Jackson, and the two of them gelled really well, very firmly in the category of ‘it sounds like they must have rehearsed this quite a lot’ – we like to think just about everything we do on these nights is in that category.
Then it was Graham Hinton, with selected band members for another fine set of his now familiar numbers, delivered with the usual polish. The washboard was now taking a well-earned rest, having made its point, but another first for the event was about to be unleashed, in the shape of a baritone sax, played by Robert.
The arrival of this monster created something of a stir, especially as it looked as if it could only be played by means of a complex pulley system. There was also discussion of which keys it would be prepared to co-operate with, as if it needed to be pacified. Having settled that issue, Robert got up with me and the vast majority of the band for a couple more of my numbers. The baritone fitted right in, and yet another interesting combination of instruments was formed – this of course is one of the main points and great joys of the event.
Another impromptu combo was then formed for the evening’s final set – Ryan on guitar and vocal, Will on harp and Robert on baritone sax. A whole new set of moods was established, from the atmospheric slow opener, with Ryan’s sweet (in the best sense of the word) vocal sound complemented wonderfully by the harp and sax, to the final audience-participation song, which drew even more enthusiastic than usual participation from the audience. With this, the entertainment ended on a high.
A washboard and a baritone sax? A six-piece house band for people to choose from? An array of musical combinations and styles? Top-class musicians in a terrific venue? A listening audience? As the Cockney comedian Tommy Trinder’s catchphrase went: ‘You lucky people!’
Next time: Wednesday 14th July
Mark Harrison
Should anyone be in any doubt about the rather special nature of Blues at Green Note, and certainly its differentness from other musical events, there’s just one word that needs to be said to them: washboard. Yep, Dave Johnson, getting right under the skin of the event, showed up with one and it got a good outing throughout the evening. It was in pristine nick, suggesting that they are made and sold as musical instruments, which I guess I hadn’t known. Well, they’d hardly be sold as domestic products, I suppose.
Dave got right on with playing it in my opening set, as well as playing conga with me and the rest of the house band – Charles on double bass, Ryan on mandolin, Will on harmonica, Martin on drum and Dave Forristal on keyboards. Yes, that makes 7 people and some largish musical instruments all crammed more or less on the Green Note stage, which is approximately the size of the balcony of a studio flat. This, it must be assumed, is testimony to the svelte nature of said musicians, a result obviously of the peak physical fitness they maintain and their constant workouts. If there were just one or two beer guts among them, the whole evening would be torpedoed.
Well, this did answer a question I’d pondered before – what would happen if all band members showed up on the one night? Well, now we know. Magically, they are all able to play together. Charles may have had to get a bit too close for comfort to his bass, Ryan may have had one knee in his ear, and the washboard may have put itself in places it shouldn’t, but we managed. And managed to kick off what was generally regarded as possibly the best night musically so far.
About the right number of people showed up to do sets and there was a decent, and as usual, receptive audience. I started off, with this extraordinary seven-piece band, and did a few songs, mostly from the CD I’ve just put out. If there is actually anywhere else at all on the planet where that particular line-up can be seen, let alone joined, then I would be very surprised.
Owen Houlston was up next, with selected band members, and he kicked up quite a storm with what was a very popular set. Dave was giving that washboard some serious gyp at this point, and there was a moment in the last number when the ensemble was doing a pretty surreal kind of skiffle. Personally, I’ve always felt that skiffle was better as an idea than as a reality, but this wasn’t really skiffle as we know it. It was more like what Captain Beefheart might have come up with if only he’d done a washboard album, which is to say it was the kind of skiffle that would be considered good therapy for the patients on a psychiatric ward.
Phil Hughes got up and did his stunning solo thing next, the room totally silent as he did his a cappella and harp numbers, including a version of Skip James’ Hard Time Killing Floor Blues, a song so great that a thousand totally different versions of it could be done. No nattering while Phil was on.
Barry Jackson followed him, again with various band members for a set so laid-back it should be in the training video for Laid-Back Music-Making. Barry was playing a rather nice Guild, and some of us are now getting so old that we’ve seen Barry play some of his extensive collection of guitars at least twice.
Dave Johnson did his own set next, accompanied on slide by Barry Jackson, and the two of them gelled really well, very firmly in the category of ‘it sounds like they must have rehearsed this quite a lot’ – we like to think just about everything we do on these nights is in that category.
Then it was Graham Hinton, with selected band members for another fine set of his now familiar numbers, delivered with the usual polish. The washboard was now taking a well-earned rest, having made its point, but another first for the event was about to be unleashed, in the shape of a baritone sax, played by Robert.
The arrival of this monster created something of a stir, especially as it looked as if it could only be played by means of a complex pulley system. There was also discussion of which keys it would be prepared to co-operate with, as if it needed to be pacified. Having settled that issue, Robert got up with me and the vast majority of the band for a couple more of my numbers. The baritone fitted right in, and yet another interesting combination of instruments was formed – this of course is one of the main points and great joys of the event.
Another impromptu combo was then formed for the evening’s final set – Ryan on guitar and vocal, Will on harp and Robert on baritone sax. A whole new set of moods was established, from the atmospheric slow opener, with Ryan’s sweet (in the best sense of the word) vocal sound complemented wonderfully by the harp and sax, to the final audience-participation song, which drew even more enthusiastic than usual participation from the audience. With this, the entertainment ended on a high.
A washboard and a baritone sax? A six-piece house band for people to choose from? An array of musical combinations and styles? Top-class musicians in a terrific venue? A listening audience? As the Cockney comedian Tommy Trinder’s catchphrase went: ‘You lucky people!’
Next time: Wednesday 14th July
Mark Harrison
NEXT JAM: WEDNESDAY 9 JUNE
Wednesday May 12th 2010
The ‘house band’ at Blues at Green Note is quite a luxury item. Where else can you turn up and expect to be able to add your talents to an array that may include all or some of the following: mandolin, double bass, keyboards, harmonica, and a three-piece drums and percussion section? What’s more, where else can you get up and say that you’re going to do something that isn’t a 12-bar, without house band members pulling faces as if someone has just waved a freshly minted turd under their noses?
We have, I think most people would agree, a pretty good and in my experience unique thing going musically at the Green Note. And the above are the reasons why. In fact, such is the core of excellent and varied musicians on hand for people to play with that we were on this occasion able to manage with three men down and still produce a fine evening of varied music. For various reasons, Dave, Charles and Martin couldn’t make it, but there was still a wide variety of instrumental combinations on display.
Quite what will happen if all the above mentioned musicians show up on the same night is anybody’s guess. So far, we’ve not had quite the full complement on stage at the same time (with such numbers, someone is more or less bound not to be there). The full band would number something like eight people, and include some rather large instruments (oh, Matron!). This raises the spectre of musicians having to be off stage and blocking the way to and from the loo. Any advice on handling the repercussions of that will be welcome.
Anyway, we had a decent turnout and just about the ideal number of sets to make for a pretty relaxed evening. I kicked off with a slightly longer than usual opening set as Will couldn’t stay long and so I did all my stuff straight away. I played the National and the 12-string, and in addition to Will, was joined by Ryan on mando and Mick and Dave on percussion.
There were 8 more sets. Justin popped in to do one number on his own first up and Phil followed him, playing both solo and with percussion for some excellent pre-war acoustic numbers. He was followed by Simon with a typically rumbustious set. He had brought harmonica player Leroy with him, who he introduced as ‘the worst harmonica player in London’. Needless to say, Leroy was very good.
Ryan got up next for his own set, taking time out from the house band. For this he was joined by David, who gave a debut to his new dobro, played lap-slide way. We get quite a few ‘firsts’ at this event (how long till the eagerly awaited first appearance of a washboard, for example?) and this was perhaps the best so far. Those there would agree that David’s dobro playing in combination with Ryan was a highlight.
Mick and Dave did their guitar-and-harmonica set next – they always choose really good material and deliver it with polish. Julian followed them, playing in a folkier style on some sort of electronic guitar (exactly what it was did get explained to me but I have been unable to retain the precise information). Anyway, it sounded good and, in combination with various house band musicians, contributed something quite different to the evening.
Next up came Paul and Chris, doing their own material, their set also involving very effective use of one of those drum/box things you sit on and play by hand (another bit of gear ignorance there on my part, sorry). Their stuff comes across really well. The evening was then rounded off by regular James Daniel on vocals and harp, joined by the house band. James is always good.
So there you have it for another month. Another good one, enjoyed by all those present. No photos this time – anyone is welcome to take them and send them to me for any of the events by the way.
We’re getting decent turnouts but would always welcome more audience members. Now, if everyone brought two friends to see them play, we could pack the place out and make for an even better atmosphere when you’re playing ......
Finally, I might have my CD ready by the next one. At the moment it’s still delayed at the printers, who appear to be marginally slower than Caxton. But anyway, it includes songs and musicians familiar to regulars at Blues at Green Note and it’s called Watching The Parade.
Next one Wednesday June 9th.
Mark Harrison
Wednesday May 12th 2010
The ‘house band’ at Blues at Green Note is quite a luxury item. Where else can you turn up and expect to be able to add your talents to an array that may include all or some of the following: mandolin, double bass, keyboards, harmonica, and a three-piece drums and percussion section? What’s more, where else can you get up and say that you’re going to do something that isn’t a 12-bar, without house band members pulling faces as if someone has just waved a freshly minted turd under their noses?
We have, I think most people would agree, a pretty good and in my experience unique thing going musically at the Green Note. And the above are the reasons why. In fact, such is the core of excellent and varied musicians on hand for people to play with that we were on this occasion able to manage with three men down and still produce a fine evening of varied music. For various reasons, Dave, Charles and Martin couldn’t make it, but there was still a wide variety of instrumental combinations on display.
Quite what will happen if all the above mentioned musicians show up on the same night is anybody’s guess. So far, we’ve not had quite the full complement on stage at the same time (with such numbers, someone is more or less bound not to be there). The full band would number something like eight people, and include some rather large instruments (oh, Matron!). This raises the spectre of musicians having to be off stage and blocking the way to and from the loo. Any advice on handling the repercussions of that will be welcome.
Anyway, we had a decent turnout and just about the ideal number of sets to make for a pretty relaxed evening. I kicked off with a slightly longer than usual opening set as Will couldn’t stay long and so I did all my stuff straight away. I played the National and the 12-string, and in addition to Will, was joined by Ryan on mando and Mick and Dave on percussion.
There were 8 more sets. Justin popped in to do one number on his own first up and Phil followed him, playing both solo and with percussion for some excellent pre-war acoustic numbers. He was followed by Simon with a typically rumbustious set. He had brought harmonica player Leroy with him, who he introduced as ‘the worst harmonica player in London’. Needless to say, Leroy was very good.
Ryan got up next for his own set, taking time out from the house band. For this he was joined by David, who gave a debut to his new dobro, played lap-slide way. We get quite a few ‘firsts’ at this event (how long till the eagerly awaited first appearance of a washboard, for example?) and this was perhaps the best so far. Those there would agree that David’s dobro playing in combination with Ryan was a highlight.
Mick and Dave did their guitar-and-harmonica set next – they always choose really good material and deliver it with polish. Julian followed them, playing in a folkier style on some sort of electronic guitar (exactly what it was did get explained to me but I have been unable to retain the precise information). Anyway, it sounded good and, in combination with various house band musicians, contributed something quite different to the evening.
Next up came Paul and Chris, doing their own material, their set also involving very effective use of one of those drum/box things you sit on and play by hand (another bit of gear ignorance there on my part, sorry). Their stuff comes across really well. The evening was then rounded off by regular James Daniel on vocals and harp, joined by the house band. James is always good.
So there you have it for another month. Another good one, enjoyed by all those present. No photos this time – anyone is welcome to take them and send them to me for any of the events by the way.
We’re getting decent turnouts but would always welcome more audience members. Now, if everyone brought two friends to see them play, we could pack the place out and make for an even better atmosphere when you’re playing ......
Finally, I might have my CD ready by the next one. At the moment it’s still delayed at the printers, who appear to be marginally slower than Caxton. But anyway, it includes songs and musicians familiar to regulars at Blues at Green Note and it’s called Watching The Parade.
Next one Wednesday June 9th.
Mark Harrison
NEXT JAM: WEDNESDAY 12TH MAY
Running a jam is an interesting thing to do. It can be an oddly high-intensity thing, with all sorts of people and their needs and wishes to be accommodated over a pretty short space of time. To do it well requires the sort of management and people skills that are normally associated with fat-cat bonus scandals in major corporations. Perhaps some of the newer universities should be running degrees in Jam Running Skills. Graduates of these courses would all be knocking themselves out to emulate Niall Kelly, the doyen of jam runners in my experience, and discovering that his lines are mysteriously only funny when he utters them.
At the same time as getting everyone who’s come to play onto the stage, a decent jam host is trying to make sure that all the musicians get to enjoy themselves as much as possible. Even this isn’t always simple – you have to keep an eye on timing, hoping someone doesn’t go on for too long so that it’s hard to fit everyone in. Plus you’re trying to get combinations of musicians that will work and mean that every set sounds OK (and that at least some even sound brilliant).
I kicked off as usual and started with a solo instrumental. Then I was joined by Charles Benfield on double bass, Ryan Carr on mandolin, Will Greener on harmonica, Martin Holloway on drum, and Mick and Dave on percussion for two of my originals – Big Mary’s House and Hard Work. The three-piece percussion section sounded pretty damn good from where I was, and added a whole new dimension to the evening in general.
Next up was Barry Jackson for another solid set, the house band slotting in very nicely with Barry’s polished delivery. I’ve said quite a bit about Barry’s sets over the past few months and there’s nothing new to add here – it was high-quality business as usual.
Green Note, 106 Parkway, Camden. London N1 7AN
Wednesday April 14th 2010
Photos by Andy Hall
Running a jam is an interesting thing to do. It can be an oddly high-intensity thing, with all sorts of people and their needs and wishes to be accommodated over a pretty short space of time. To do it well requires the sort of management and people skills that are normally associated with fat-cat bonus scandals in major corporations. Perhaps some of the newer universities should be running degrees in Jam Running Skills. Graduates of these courses would all be knocking themselves out to emulate Niall Kelly, the doyen of jam runners in my experience, and discovering that his lines are mysteriously only funny when he utters them.
Actually, there are other analogies between this music thing and corporate life. How far up the executive ladder would Muddy Waters have got, for example, if he’d been given a shot at it and had had the inclination to pursue it? The leadership, the people skills, those things now called ‘vision’ and ‘emotional intelligence’ and the like – he had the lot. They should be doing his band as a case study on MBA programmes, and if they did, the calibre of management in this country might shoot up from subterranean to something approaching efficient.
I’m not of course making any claims for myself here – I’m just a civilian who does this once a month. But that experience shows me just what goes into being really good at running jams on a regular basis. So what does the job description include and what exactly does running a jam involve?
It is tempting to think that when you run a jam all human nature is laid before you, but this is not strictly true. As one mainstay harp player once observed to me outside a jam, the proportion of arseholes on the blues jam scene is extremely low in comparison to the number of them in the populace in general. It’s true that one might encounter the odd ‘difficult’ person, and the odd straight down the line prat, but these are very much the exception. And whenever they appear, everyone else closes ranks and mutters about them and makes damn sure they remain the exception.
With just about every electric jam, the set-up is that musicians have little or no say in who they play with. It’s of course true that regulars at various jams may be able to request musicians to play with, and may even get what could be regarded as preferential treatment – right and proper if you’re a regular I’d say. But even this isn’t always the case, because the jam host’s primary role is to make sure that everyone gets a go. And so the norm is that musicians wait for their name to be called out and they don’t know who they’re going to play with until that moment.
This event has tended to differ from the norm in that regard. Because it’s an acoustic event and not awash with guitar slingers, the attempt has been to ask the person leading a set who they’d like to play with and let them choose the ensemble for their set. However, it isn’t always possible to do this all the time, especially when a number of instrumentalists show up, and isn’t a cast-iron guarantee. So sometimes people play with who they’re put with, and the busier the evening, the more likely this is.
At the same time as getting everyone who’s come to play onto the stage, a decent jam host is trying to make sure that all the musicians get to enjoy themselves as much as possible. Even this isn’t always simple – you have to keep an eye on timing, hoping someone doesn’t go on for too long so that it’s hard to fit everyone in. Plus you’re trying to get combinations of musicians that will work and mean that every set sounds OK (and that at least some even sound brilliant).
Which brings you to the audience, who actually aren’t by any means at the bottom of a jam host’s list. At the Green Note, for example, the primary aim is to serve up an excellent evening of varied music for the people who have come to listen. This is of course largely dependent on who shows up to play and I’d say we’ve managed it every time, proving that there’s no shortage of really good acoustic musicians in a wide variety of styles in London (and visiting).
This time was no exception. It was a pretty busy evening, and another very good one indeed, with a good turnout of musicians and audience. It was characterised by two firsts – the first appearance on congas, bongos and other percussion of Mick Paley and Dave Johnson, and the large number of newcomers to the event aside from them who played. As Seasick Steve has been saying remorselessly for the last couple of years ‘It’s all good’.
I kicked off as usual and started with a solo instrumental. Then I was joined by Charles Benfield on double bass, Ryan Carr on mandolin, Will Greener on harmonica, Martin Holloway on drum, and Mick and Dave on percussion for two of my originals – Big Mary’s House and Hard Work. The three-piece percussion section sounded pretty damn good from where I was, and added a whole new dimension to the evening in general.
Next up was Barry Jackson for another solid set, the house band slotting in very nicely with Barry’s polished delivery. I’ve said quite a bit about Barry’s sets over the past few months and there’s nothing new to add here – it was high-quality business as usual.
Phil Hughes was next, a welcome first visit to the event from this highly respected and well-established London blues artist. The room got quiet and put its full attention on Phil’s two solo a cappella voice and harp numbers – the original Sonny Boy Williamson’s Welfare Store Blues and a Tom Waits number whose title escapes me. Several people had told me about Phil’s solo set before but I hadn’t seen it; now I could see what they were raving about, and it was certainly a highlight of what was another excellent and varied evening.
Then came Marsha Mellow, another newcomer to the event. She was accompanied by Danno Sheehan on harp, Phil on acoustic bass, and the percussion section. Danno was to the fore in this set, on what was becoming something of a harp fest, and the whole thing came together as a decent ensemble.
Mick & Dave did their own set next, Mick on harp and vocal, Dave on guitar and vocal. Their electric sets at other jams are always excellent – varied, nice choice of material, interest in playing as a band rather than endless loud soloing. Accompanied by Charles and Martin, they did a fine set that was exactly in keeping with the spirit of this event. Fine musicians both, they fitted right in.
Julian, another first-timer at this jam, then got up and did a couple of solo instrumentals that added further variety to what was on offer during course of the evening. His set included Angi, the seminal Davey Graham piece that could truthfully be said to have changed the face of English folk music, and certainly folk guitar playing. The audience got quiet, keen to hear the something different he was doing. This people listening thing is one of the many good aspects of the Green Note as a venue.
Will Greener got up for his own set next, starting off with an excellent voice and harp solo piece that had the audience’s full attention and went down extremely well. It was delivered with Will’s trademark compelling style, and followed by an equally compelling duo number with Phil on acoustic bass. Ever up for spontaneity and thinking of interesting combinations, Will does just what this event is about, trying out new things on the spur of the moment and making them happen with total success. This voice, harp and bass combination rightly went down really well too, everyone sucked into the atmosphere created.
I got back up with the full band then and did some more of my own numbers – Sneaking Away, Highgate Hill Blues, Early In The Morning and Easy Does It. Well, everyone else had had their go by then, apart from .....
Laine Hines, good friend of Blues at Green Note but sadly not able to come and play all that often due to other commitments. But he showed up for the last slot, this time bringing with him some gizmo that distorted the guitar and vocal sound to emulate the authentic sound of pre-war acoustic blues recordings. It was very effective and Laine again showed why he’s one of the most interesting acoustic artists around, as well as almost certainly the best performer of this brand of acoustic blues in London.
So all was well. The Green Note, as we have observed before, is a terrific place for an event such as this. The people who run it (Immy, Risa) and the people who work there like the event and are very supportive and helpful when it’s on. This is another way in which it differs from some (though by no means all) jams, where the beleaguered soul running it is battling against venue management who seem to think an event they requested in the first place is an annoying inconvenience. So running this is a perfectly pleasant thing to do.
Nevertheless, on a busy one it’s possible for me to see just what goes into running ‘normal’ electric jams well, and fills me with admiration for the people who do that. It may look effortless to most people who are there, but they’re like the proverbial duck - paddling like hell under the surface. And utilising an exceptional set of skills that could earn them fortunes in other walks of life.
So there you have it – blues jam hosts and band leaders in key executive positions, in the Cabinet, heading up corporations, running the show. That would bring about a real recovery in this bankrupt, shoddily-run country, I reckon. If Niall Kelly ran for high office, he’d be a shoo-in, I’d say.
Spare a thought for the next political party canvasser who rings my doorbell.
Mark Harrison
Mark Harrison
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