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.

Farewell to Paul and retro wedding

This month we said goodbye to Paul Fitzgerald, our regular bass player for the last two years. Of all the places to emigrate to he's chosen Cairo. We wish him well.


Paul's replacement will be unveiled in a future post. Meanwhile, we are fortunate to have the incomparable Dave Pullin standing in on a temporary basis.

Yesterday we were in the deep south of Suffolk. The wedding speeches finished well over an hour behind schedule, giving Andy a chance to check out the featured automobile.



"Yes, the unmistakable smell of a Morris Minor!"

Sunny Afternoon

A sunny afternoon in June and a trip to Denham, near historic Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. We set up prior to an outdoor humanist wedding ceremony. Then, grateful for the shade it provided, played sunny summer sounds beneath a spreading copper beech. I didn't make it into the picture but left my clarinet in the frame to give a sense of scale.

The site was owned by an old couple who kept horse drawn carriages. The carriages were all away at a show, temporarily replaced with the tents of guests from far-flung parts. I don't know how long the property had been in the same family but the couple must have been in their eighties and had inherited the place from the male half's father. They have a wedding party every week in the summer, feeding them in a large barn. The property, not pictured, dates back to the 17th century but I suspect the kitsch statue (no judgement intended) is a little more recent.

People said such lovely things about our music that I wanted to say 'Can I have that in writing?' So, inspired, I have sprinkled the pages of our clunky old website with some of the accolades people have troubled to commit to paper in the past.

Weddings and the like

Just before I went off for a week to celebrate the summer solstice in glorious sunshine and nature's abundance the Straynotes drove down the road to a village just outside Stowmarket in Suffolk to perform for pre-lunch drinks. The daughter's wedding had coincided with the parents' wedding anniversary so the marquee, a grand affair with many rooms and 'windows' was pressed into service again.

When we arrived the carpet in the porch was being replaced and as this was where we were to play we had a few moments to peruse the grounds and use the facilities. These included the swankiest mobile toilets I have yet seen; they had carpets on the floors, prints on the walls and various sprays and bottled soaps by the faux-Victorian wash basins. It was the kind of loo where I have to go back and check the picture on the door. While I was in there I was treated to a little of Elgar's 'Nimrod'. Paul and Andy both heard Beethoven piano works emanating from from the 'in-house' sound system.

The hand-warmers came out for the sound check but by the time the guests arrived the day had warmed up sufficiently for the gloves to come off and for the diners to drink cocktails on the lawn. It really did go down very well and one elderly guest, obviously enjoying the band told me how this was 'real music' and you could keep all that pop music, thank you very much. Perhaps he had forgotten that this was the pop music he had grown up with, still sounding fresh today.

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!

The Summer Season Begins

Glorious weather for May with temperatures set to reach 26 in the shade in Norwich. The summer season has kicked off with Rose's charity plant sale on Friday evening followed by our first outdoor wedding of the year last night.

Every year my friend Rose has a charity plant and book sale and, having a garden worthy of the name for the first time in over twenty years, I took a keener interest in the array of seedlings than usual and Paul was quick off the mark with the purchase of a tray of pepper plants. But we were really there for the music and played up on the balcony overlooking the garden. Two sets; a mix of jazz and klezmer. Hugh's accordion lends atmosphere and fire to the latter while his trumpet is a fine addition to the jazz.

Last night we played a wedding with the towers of Wymondham Abbey behind us. A beautiful garden behind a house on the High Street, more origami than I've seen for a long time, wonderful food and even a hog roast for those of a carnivorous inclination.

We played two sets with some cameos from the guests in between. These included a set from the Pancakes - deadpan humour wrapped up in skiffle form. Very funny but sublimely understated - quintessentially English. There was also a lad of about 12 playing some rather fine jazz piano. And Henry, a former band-mate of Andy and Hugh and one of the guests at the wedding, sat in on drums for our second set. His unusual kit includes biscuit tins and an upturned sink and he plays the whole thing with soft-headed beaters. It gave the sound a real lift (I should say now that we don't let just anyone sit in) as evidenced by the enthusiasm of the dancers.