Hot jazz for a cold day.

We played the Magdalen Street Festival in Norwich on Saturday.  The courtyard of the King of Hearts doesn't get much sun in October and we froze.  I had chosen my T-shirt with care but didn't even take my jacket off.  Nor did Cesar. Andy wisely kept his hat on. Or perhaps unwisely - opinion is divided. But a little hot jazz and klezmer goes down well in Norfolk and I like to think our audience was somewhat warmer for the music we played.

Thanks to Polly for accepting the offer of my camera and taking the pictures.

Radio Video

Well it's a busy time for Eastern Straynotes.  On Saturday we had our first video shoot and hope to get something onto Youtube very soon.  That was followed by a private party in the evening where we went down rather well, even if I say so myself.  We were more or less acoustic for that with just Andy's vocals given a little boost.

This evening I'll meet the filmmaker to select the takes we'll go on and use.  Then, tomorrow afternoon, I'm off to Radio Norfolk to be interviewed in relation to our next public performance.  Also there will be singer-songwriter James Frost who has programmed the King of Hearts stage in the courtyard of the eponymous café.  James is also playing on that stage.  If you tune into Radio Norfolk at around 3.30 tomorrow afternoon  (Tuesday 9th October) you'll probably hear us both.

And if you make it Magdalen Street on Saturday, look out for Eastern Straynotes at the King of Hearts at 11am.  You know if it's us playing because our infectious klezmer and swing jazz will make it impossible to stand still!

Y

Cathedral Wedding

Thanks to go Molly for this lovely picture of the bride and groom dancing in the Cathedral Close with with Eastern Straynotes and the spire of Norwich Cathedral in the background.  It really was a beautiful evening, certainly the warmest of the year, and this was the perfect way to spend it.

The happy couple are moving to Honeysuckle Rose - their choice for the first dance of the evening.  It wasn't long before others joined them as the band played one of their hottest, most infectious jazz and klezmer sets ever.

Another public appearance

Andy and I will be standing in for our friend Hugh at Pinocchio's in Norwich on Monday evening (23rd July 2012).  Unplugged and completely acoustic.  Our unique blend of jazz and klezmer kicks off at 7.30pm.

This is a foodie gig so you may like to book a table by calling the restaurant: 01603 613318.  Their website is http://pinocchiosrestaurant.net/

Just like playing outside

The backdrop for the stage at Kelling Heath in Norfolk really brings the forest into the room.  It's just like playing outside but warmer, dryer and with a better acoustic.  My good friend Rick took some pics during the second set and also a few movie clips which may (or may not!) appear in a later post.

I'm not sure what tune we're playing here.  Something with a lyric, that's for sure.  We go down well in Kelling, whether we play swing, Latin or klezmer.

Would Jubileeve it?

Eastern Straynotes didn't miss the party last weekend but, as usually happens, Jonathan was almost too busy to wield his camera.  At Forest Park, Cromer much of the time was spent setting up out on the new decking where we played our first set and pulled a fair crowd to the barbeque.  But then it began to rain so we spent our first break moving the gear inside for our second set.

And then out came the sun again.  So we spent the second break taking the gear back out.  Except half way through doing that it began to rain again so we brought it all back in.  By the time we had started our third set (indoors) it was sunny again and remained so.  Ah well, you have to laugh don't you? At least our jazz and klezmer-loving audience followed us on our meanderings.

And Andy still found time to check out the Jubilee spread.

 "Here's looking at you, cupcake."

Eastern Straynotes are pleased to be headlining this fundraiser for Norwich Green Party.  It promises to be a fine night with a variety of different cabaret style acts including comedy, theatre, mind reading, storytelling and performance poetry as well as music.  And Tom Foxe's pedal-powered PA is worth the admission by itself.

The trio is joined by Bazza Bizarre on drums and we will demonstrate our credentials as a full-on dance band by ending the evening with an irresistible beat.

All the details are on the poster which should blow up big if you double-click on it.

The summer break

A pared down line-up played at Earsham Street Café's foody night in Bungay, Suffolk yesterday. It was the last gig before a short summer break in which Andy will be doing some solo playing and Jonathan takes a puppet show to the Edinburgh Fringe.

We played a mixture of laid back jazz for eating and some hotter jazz and klezmer for between courses. The latter went down very well. We finished the set with a summery rendition of 'Stardust'.

The Country Wedding

Last night Eastern Straynotes, found themselves playing for a wedding deep in rural Norfolk. We had a wonderful evening. Either we were very good or the guests were very game but we had them dancing from the first number right through to the end of the final set. I will never think of 'Petite Fleur' in the same way again: we performed it as a very upbeat and rousing tango.

Of course it may have had something to do with our special guest star, Colin Brady, who came along to play drums. A rare gap in the Lee Vasey Band's calender meant he was free for the evening. With versatile use of a small kit he added colour, depth and extra texture to our unique mix of swing, klezmer and the like. I hope it isn't too long before we can play together again.

We also had Paul back on double bass, having missed the last two gigs, and it was clear how much we have gelled as a band since he joined us in November. I am already looking forward to our next gig.

One of the most satisfying aspects of being in Eastern Straynotes is playing music that appeals to so many people of all ages. It reminds the older folk of their youth while the younger crowd recognise a music that was, after all, originally written for the young.

Perhaps the greatest accolade of the evening was being asked if we would travel to north London to play klezmer for a fortieth birthday party next year. And that was a serious enquiry made before the champagne toast!

Jurnets last Friday

So the current finally made a gig together as a four-piece. Andy and me joined by Paul Fitzgerald on double bass and Hugh Stanners on the accordion. The picture is actually of the band before us (apart, that is, from Paul's back). Somehow I forgot to pass the camera to anyone before we went on. We played a short klezmer set, almost all new stuff, which was a little hairy at times. But it went down very well.

Jurnets, if not the oldest venue in the city of Norwich, is certainly situated in one of the oldest buildings and the crypt, in which the bar/club is to be found, dates back to the 1140s. A very special place to play. Incidentally, 11.40pm was the time we went on. And there was still a good crowd in spite of the great John Cale playing elsewhere in town that night.

Straynotes still at large.

You'd be forgiven for thinking nothing has happened since the last post. In fact we had a play with Hugh Stanners which went very well. We rehearsed again tonight, as a four piece, with gigs at Olives (30th of April) and Wensum Lodge (14th May) in mind. These are followed by a klezmer wedding later in May. The rehearsal went better than I could have hoped. We already sound very good, if I say so myself, and things can only get better

In the meantime Andy and I have been strutting it as a duo at Dunston Hall, a large hotel just south of Norwich. It used to be the country pile of someone very wealthy but I'm afraid I have no idea who that was. i'll take a picture next time we're there in the daylight (at the end of May) and you'll see it in all its splendour. This picture shows a rather mellow Andy half way through his first, and only, glass of white wine and just before we started the third hour-long set of the evening.

On Sunday we'll be down to a duo again at the Sainsbury Centre. Paul is elsewhere for that one but Andy and I will be filling the place with music between 1pm and 3pm.

Further grindings from The Rumour Mill

A reliable source close to the Straynotes camp has told this blog that Hugh Stanners, that shadowy figure from the Norwich klezmer underworld, is to meet the band this evening at a secret location for a 'let's see how it goes' jam session.

Hugh, accordionist extraordinaire, made an impromptu appearance with Eastern Straynotes at Cafe Marzano last November where the band rocked the Forum in a display that had fire engines in attendance. If this evening's session goes well the Norfolk Fire Service could be putting in some overtime this summer.

Off to Sainsbury's

Eastern Straynotes are playing at the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts on the University of East Anglia campus this Sunday.

Free activities for the kids, free Sunday papers and the free music starts at one o'clock. Take a walk around the grounds then come and enjoy coffee and cake to the sound of south-west Norwich's finest jazz and klezmer trio.

Expect the unexpected

'Expect the unexpected' was the phrase my eleven year old brought back from school the other day. Whatever the day had really been about was overshadowed by the fact that the kids didn't have to wear their school uniforms. To me the phrase translates as 'Be prepared!'- the scouting motto. To this end Andy and I have been digging out the Christmas tunes (and jokes- Yule love this one... just kidding) in case of playing at store promotions. We haven't had that kind of gig since the credit crunch began but one never knows.

One surprise is being asked to play for Adrian Ramsay's election campaign launch at the mediaeval Dragon Hall next week. It has to be said, Adrian has a good chance of unseating the incumbent, former home secretary Charles Clarke, in the general election. Charles has certainly taken him seriously enough to demonstrate a sudden interest in local issues. If Britain is going to get its first Green Party member of parliament next May then it will probably happen in Norwich South.

This will be our first gig with Paul Fitzgerald on double bass and will make a useful warm-up (no disrespect, Adrian) for a more public performance in Marzano's at the iconic Forum in Millennium Plain on Thursday. The shops stay open late on Thursdays and, given that there are only so many shopping days left before Christmas, there should be a few people about for that show. So many of our gigs involve being musical wallpaper. I'm not complaining - we take our wallpaper very seriously, especially the musical kinds - but it's great to really perform once in a while and on Thursday night we'll be kranking out the klezmer in ways only an acoustic trio can. If you can make it down, expect the unexpected. Mazel Tov! Jonathan.