Jersey Weekend

I wasn’t looking forward to a weekend of singing in Jersey - having lost my voice on Thursday evening I still hadn’t found it, and 3 gigs over the weekend wasn’t going to help!  

The first gig was at Roberto’s jazz bar in the Savoy Hotel, St Helier.  I had played there once before on my UK album tour in May this year, and had returned to see the bar fast becoming an official jazz venue - a stage area, plans to buy a piano, and black and white pictures of the jazz greats adorning the walls... and there was me!  A little picture amongst the Monks and the Ellas and the Coltranes. 

The following morning I found my way to the Merton Hotel, where the Jersey Big Band play every Sunday.  I was their special guest for the day which was a great privilege - they were a good band, and fronted by two very competent singers.  Voice not improving, I drank copious amounts of tea and tried not to talk to anybody during the breaks.  Luckily, they had an advantageous set design: sing one song, rest for two etc.  This certainly helped.  (I still had the ‘diva’ comment when someone said “Ooh, you don’t sound well,” and I said “No, I’ve lost my voice.”  How that’s a diva I’ll never know!)

Anna in foreground enjoying
a dance lesson.

Anyway, the songs sounded fine - they must have done because I sold out of the CDs I had taken - but I had lost all ability to sing in my head voice so had to belt out the tunes in my tiring chest voice.  Singing in this loud voice is tiring at the best of times, but coupled with the fact that I was having troubles anyway, I ended up totally exhausted.

The evening’s gig was a struggle.  Luckily I had identical twin sister Anna on hand to sing a few songs to give me a rest.

Overall a lovely weekend - good weather, good food and good company - but much more husky and definitely quieter than usual!