Ringing endorsements

Verbal compliments everyday fare for Eastern Straynotes but, sadly, written praise is rarer.  So it was lovely to receive this card from Denise Denis who runs a care home for the elderly in Norfolk.  The band went to play some jazz for the residents there.

It reads: "Thank you again for the lovely concert on Sunday morning - valiant in view of the weather! - everyone really enjoyed your music."

Pinocchio's

On Thursday night Andy and I found ourselves in Pinocchio's, a restaurant on trendy St Benedict's Street in Norwich.  The restaurant has live music every Thursday from 7pm until 10pm.  It is the perfect way to unwind after some late night shopping.  Eastern Straynotes have the power to both calm and invigorate and we'll be back there on March 15th.

Out on the Town, part two

Once a year, for the past year or two anyway, we have arranged a gig at Norwich Arts Centre as a showcase for the band. In the past we have invited other musicians including local heroes Cakes and Ale. This time we were joined by songwriter Alan Southgate and cabaret performer Lucy Enskat in her 'The Gypsy' persona. To add colour to the band, Paul brought along three batik shirts from his extensive collection of clothes and the whole evening passed off rather well, though I say so myself.

Alan Southgate has to be one of the most inventive songwriters around at the moment but, like many of the great artists I have met in my live, appears completely unaware of the fact. This makes watching him perform all the more rare and special.

Lucy's gypsy act has become far more assured since I first saw it when she and the Straynotes shared the bill at a burlesque night last year. She really inhabits the role and knows how to work an audience to comic, but never unkind, effect.

And of course Eastern Straynotes are rather good at this performance thing themselves.