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Bonjour mes amis! Ca Va? Right that's exhausted my French. Thought I would write a little and tell you about the marvellous Jam that happened on New Years Day at the Phoenix in Southsea. 'Tis a ritual of our Shep Woolley http://www.shepwoolley.co.uk/ to have a jam on New Years day in said hostelry although I am ashamed to admit I have not been before. So my first successful New Years resolution has been fulfilled as I attended this time! Twas a wonderous affair from Shep playing some lovely numbers and being funny and frolicsome as always, I do enjoy watching him. He got Andy and Tim (very cool bassist often to be found lurking in the Florence on the first Sunday of the month for Andy's jam) up to play too for a few more numbers then shouted me up. We did a couple of WB numbers with Tim on bass then a couple of bluesy ones that others could join in on. Notably Chris Shaw  http://shawsax.yolasite.com/ and Barry (owner of Street Level music exchange on Albert Road) on sax and harmonica. Then I left the boys to it and they played a bit more till Shep took up the reigns again. Very lovely afternoon indeed!

So, last night saw me and Andy trekking over to Simon's to continue our arrangement recordings ready to go into the studio soon. We had decided to work on Jazz n Blues Dinner, our usual closing number. I was thinking, that should be quick, maybe we'll get two songs done tonight, then at some point, which I can't quite remember, Andy suggested that three part harmony might sound good. So I thought, what the hell, let's see what happens. Fully expecting a train crash of a ride we ran over the song for a bit and I improvised over the top till something vaguely resembling respectability occured. It was such fun, I have not been so unnecessary for a very long time! Toooo Good!   The song now sounds like a sort of Andrews Sisters Soul track. It will be appearing on a website near you (this one!) very soon. No idea how we are ever going to be able to reproduce that live! Ah ha, a challenge! Right I'm off to learn to sing in three part harmony, that should keep me out of trouble for a couple of years!