February Round-up

My February started with a trip up to Blackpool to play at the new Sands Venue.  My journey was not without problems... a cancelled train service to Manchester resulted in my traversing the country on 5 different trains to make it to Blackpool for the sound check.  Thanks to a reliable East Coast service, I made it, and was even in time to take these pictures:

The glitz and glamour of the Sands Venue

And the view behind - Blackpool pier and the North Sea

The gig was great - The Sands Swing band lead by trumpeter Neil Shatliff, playing a typical selection of jazz standards from the repertoire of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Matt Monroe.  I was sharing the stage with world-class singer Matthew Ford and it was a pleasure to meet him and also to play with some musicians that I hadn't played with since I used to live at this end of the country.

Something else about the north - and something I miss so much that I make a special concession each time I travel up this way - is the cuisine.  Here I am eating my favourite snack for the road...

Chips, cheese and gravy!

Later this month I'll be at the Sands again, this time with vocalist Mark Porter.

February continued with a lovely relaxed evening at Sam's Brasserie (if you haven't checked out this sophisticated Chiswick Sunday night jazz haunt, then do so), and an incredibly up-market set or two at The Savoy, a few games of netball, a jam session without a mic (I sang loud and high for about 2 minutes before leaving the stage!) and a session at Belgravia's Boisdale with Jools Holland himself at the bar.

And my album was launched!

My quartet and I had a fantastically successful gig at the 2011 Parliamentary Jazz Venue of the Year, Hideaway.  Read a review of the gig here.  It was during half term, and I had not had to teach that day, so as a special treat I decided to get my hair died and curled at a Salon.  The hairdresser dutifully put my curlers in which was a great idea until I had to get on a bus home and was the subject of much pointing and muttering from every single child that saw me!  And it didn't stop there... when I got to the venue - with 5 bags on my back, and hair still in curlers - the manager saw me at the door and turned to her companion, muttering, "Uh oh, look at that crazy lady.  I hope she's not trying to get in here!"  She was quite apologetic when she realised it was me turning up for my soundcheck!

Photo by Mark Channer

Music photographer Mark Channer took some super shots (his website is here), and there are still copies of the album available on my website: www.sarahellenhughes.co.uk/discography