Half-term holidaying and harmonies.

Half term used to be a time for sitting on a sofa, sleeping in, staying up late and trying to stop thinking about the children in my class.  Now it's a time for jetting around the country, visiting jazz clubs and catching up with family.

The week has started in Newcastle - for my return visit to The Cherry Tree.

Photo by Lance Liddle

I last was here in May, as part of a UK tour supported by Jazz Services.  I had brought my band up from London on that occasion, so this time I was a lone traveller ready to meet the local musicians - Paul Edis (piano), Mick Shoulder (bass) and Adam Sinclair (drums).  They were great - Paul was imaginative, listening and responding beautifully to my musical ideas; Mick was fast-fingered and fun and Adam created a wonderfully different timbre to a couple of ballads with soft sticks.  Ballads were a little bit lost on this audience - there was a large party of girls that staggered down the stairs at the end of the night a little worse for wear - but nevertheless we persisted!

The evening was reviewed by Lance Liddle - read his review here.

So that was Monday.

Tuesday = college reunion and relaxing with sister, niece and nephew.

Wednesday involved chilling out with another sister (there are 3 altogether: one identical twin and two elder), and singing at a new-ish jam session in Manchester at Indigo.  It's run weekly by Ed Kainyek - a terrific saxophonist that I met when I was living in Lancaster.

It is brilliant!  Packed to the rafters, bursting with students and older jazzers alike, and quality musician after quality musician getting up to jam.

On Thursday I made a short train journey to Wigan to sing with the Sounds 2000 big band at Wigan Cricket Club.  Run by Jim Ashcroft and formed in 2000 (hence the name), I've been invited to sing a few numbers as there is no regular singer with the band.

My first professional work was singing with NYJO, so I love the sound and exhilaration of singing with a big band - and I'd forgotten how much I miss it now that I mostly work with a quartet.

I'm announced in Wigan accent as "Sarah Helen Use" (reminiscent of Eliza Doolittle's elocution lessons about 'ertford, 'ereford and 'ampshire where 'urricanes 'ardly hever 'appen).

It's great stuff, but this gig is grossly unsupported considering the quality of music going on here.  Only 4 members of the band have full heads of hair - which includes 2 women (I've never sung with a band like this, having started out with NYJO, and subsequently performing with Military bands and and other big bands half full of the 'youth'), but it occurs to me that these are musicians that were learning their craft while the greats e.g. Sonny Rollins and Freddie Hubbard were doing their thing - so no reason why an older band shouldn't be a better band.

The quality of ensemble and the individual skill is excellent.  The band leader, Jim Ashcroft, is an advocate for little-known and well-arranged tunes, hence him selecting a handful of NYJO charts from my pad for me to sing.  The program is exciting, varied and current.  However, its excellence is not reflected in the disappointing patter that follows each tune from only a small number of hands.

I've unfortunately been involved in too many gigs where the band outnumbers the audience - more likely with a big band but still, so unfair.

An incredibly dynamic (not loud) band, Jim runs a tight ship performing the music he loves for only £2 entry including raffle.  The band rehearse here weekly and perform on the last Thursday each month.  If you're even a stone's throw away from Wigan, it's well worth checking out.

I was given a lift home to Manchester by the legend that is Ernie Garside - trumpeter with the band.  It was a hilarious journey with tales of Johnny Dankworth and playing with Maynard Ferguson, and as much effin' and blindin' as you can fit into 45 minutes.  A great way to end my enjoyable week of jazz.

A UK Tour - the final chapter

Darning the Dream promotional tour: North East Leg

Monday 28th June

I’ve been teaching all day in London, so the journey started with a mad scramble on my bike up to King’s Cross, with 4 days’ worth of stuff with me. I look a bit like a pack-horse.

The train stopped moving for about 3 ¼ minutes at Darlington Station. I did my make up in 3. A desperate dash into a taxi at Newcastle Station, and I pitch up at the gig with 5 mins before ‘baton down.’ There might have been less stressful ways to start the tour.

Lance Liddle – a man I met after doing an impromptu guest spot with Tina May at a Worshipful Company of Musicians gig and who put me up to this one – was there. A lover of jazz and food, he blogged the evening accurately and elegantly: read his review here.

Tuesday 29th June

What a lovely place Bishop Auckland is. Of course, it helps that we were treated to a full day of glorious sunshine but nevertheless, BA managed to fulfil all our needs: beautiful weather, charming streets to walk around, a Superdrug for those forgotten items, a library computer to catch up on my blog, and a pub in which to witness Japan being knocked out of the world cup.

We’re happy to be here – as you can tell from this picture – well, Rick is clearly happiest (I’m no cameraman – this was the only picture of about 10 where I managed to capture anyone off the ground. The rest look like the one below.)

So, as you can see, our gig is at Bishop Auckland Town Hall (BATH). I don’t normally sing in the bath but this gig was great!

Pictures of me EVERYWHERE – how many Sarahs can you spot in this picture?:

The gig was lovely - helpful sound guys, friendly staff and attentive audience.

Wednesday 30th June

We've spent the day sunbathing and relaxing in Rick's parents' garden. Check out this lovely picture, complete with singer's and drummer's feet, to prove we were actually there!

It's been lovely - time for relaxing, socialising and reflecting. We're feeling quite sad that this is the last day of the tour.

And what a last day!

We played the best gig of the whole tour at The Lescar in Sheffield. The crowd… well, I say crowd, but it was somewhat diminished owing to a fairly large jazz event happening in town. I commented on this to the audience – something along the lines of “I understand there’s a major jazz event going on in Sheffield today…” “It’s HERE!” piped up Darren. Of course!

Anyway, the crowd were attentive and knowledgeable, and cheering for more at the end. Gosh! Why hadn’t I planned an encore?! Perhaps it’s because on the last two nights we didn’t need one; perhaps it’s that our regular encore is the same style and tempo as the last tune of the set (appropriately: That’s All). So I chose to sing I Will Survive over a blues. Somehow it works (but don’t just take my word for it – check it out on my WEBSITE for proof…)

A reviewer came up to me at the end. “Excellent!” he said. I wonder if his review agrees – click here to view it.

Today would have been my mum's 65th birthday. The title track of my album is a song about her. When we got to that number in the set, I suddenly realised it was a hard ask for me to sing it. I welled up a few times, hoping that the audience would understand what was going on rather than thinking I was singing it badly. Afterwards, I explained to them the significance of the day. A fitting way to finish a tour promoting an album dedicated to my mum.

We had planned to stay the night in a hotel for a knees-up. However, Darren has to teach in the morning, Gavin is only a 20 minute drive from home, and Rick wants to go back in the car with Darren. So I’m left alone. Why didn’t I go home with them?! My hotel is… budget. An old bar of soap, no TV remote, but of course a trusty bible. I can’t get much sleep because there’s a pub on the ground floor and it sounds like the DJ is IN MY ROOM. I should have been suspicious at the two packets of earplugs on the bed. A good night’s sleep? No dice. A good end to a 2-month tour? Despite the noise and discomfort, I’m extremely happy, proud and satisfied to have been the organiser and performer of a successful trip in upwards of 20 locations all around the UK.