August Round-Up

It's been a good August, although perhaps not as hot as we would have liked!

I made my first visit to the Princess of Wales, Chalcot Road in Primrose Hill.  There is jazz every Sunday with the Pete Chapman Trio + guests.  A very enjoyable gig followed by a very good roast.  (Incidentally, the Princess of Wales is the site for the latest Banksy (or is it a fake?) and I forgot to go down and take a look!  I guess I'll have to return for some more jazz)


On Monday 16th, I was invited to attend the 2010 London Jazz awards, to report on the evening in my role as a contributor to the LondonJazz publication.  It was a wonderful evening, and you can find the report here: http://londonjazz.blogspot.com/2010/08/london-jazz-awards-winners.html

My quartet's August gig was at the Bull's Head in Barnes.  A wonderful venue, and well-attended (which can be unusual for a weeknight here), it was great to be playing again with the band.  We haven't performed all together since mid-June when we were on tour, so it was fantastic to get an hour or two of playing together.  The gig was recorded by UK Jazz Radio, and will be broadcast on Sunday 12th September at 8pm.  Visit www.ukjazzradio.com to listen.

And finally, August saw the birth of my new jazz group Sector 7.  A jazz trio fronted by 4 vocalists, we're still in the rehearsing stages as yet, but it will be going places soon.  Watch this space.  It's going to be filled magnificently.

July round-up

July started with a sleepy train ride home from Sheffield after our last gig of the Jazz Services tour (read all about my exploits over the last 3 days of the tour on my previous blog by clicking here.)

Then back to the reality of teaching... 
No time to go home - I rushed straight to a school for a recorder concert, squeaks aplenty.  Eventually at 18:30 I finished my day's work and could sit down on my sofa - which I'd been wanting to do for 2 months! - and do nothing - again, something I'd been waiting to do for a long time.


July 4th saw the start of a beautiful relationship.  I appeared as a guest singer with the Hot Orange big band and we had such a great gig that they asked me back to appear with them whenever I can - a terrific pleasure.  I have some big band arrangements in the pipeline, so I'm hoping to try them out with this band.  
(On the same note, I'm working again with Mark Armstrong's big band on September 25th in High Wycombe - well worth a trip - and I'll be showcasing my very own big band at Ruislip Manor in December.)  The next Hot Orange gig is in Whitechapel on Sunday 22nd August.


So you must have noticed this article by now:? (I know the caption says 'and trio' but you just have to imagine the other two musicians!)


On July 10th, my quartet appeared at Marlborough Jazz Festival.  We had a short set just after lunch, which was part of UK Jazz Radio's "Women in Jazz" feature.  The other women were Verona Chard and Linley Weir (they played their sets after mine.)


Hopefully we'll be back next year.


I couldn't get a lift to Marlborough because my entire band had to set off to different places afterwards, so I decided to take the train.  The nearest station is Swindon - a mere 13 miles, so I merrily set off with my bike in tow, imagining an enjoyable 1 hour cycle ride at the other end.  Unfortunately, google maps hadn't chosen the best route for me, so - despite the road being pretty much a straight line from Swindon to Marlborough - I had an epic hill which made my bike feel twice as heavy as normal, then the downhill appeared to be a dirt track for approximately 4 miles.  Now, 4 miles usually takes me about 20 minutes - and that's with London traffic lights.  After 35 minutes I was still bumping and jumping along this track which could only have been made by a tractor in wetter conditions, then baked over the last few good-weather weeks.  Argh!  It was already soundcheck time and I was in the middle of nowhere with a great big yellow trail stretching into the distance in front of me.  No choice but to keep going.  Eventually I found a diversion through some woodland and somehow made it onto the road - and miraculously I was on the outskirts of Marlborough.  Brake pads in questionable condition.


So after the gig, I continued my journey to Andover, where I was staying the night with friends.  Only another 22 miles!  So basically, I had cycled 35 miles in one day and done a gig in the middle.  That breaths new life into the song Workin Hard!


As well as all this, I spent a lovely day in my home town of Hitchin at the Rhythms of the World festival, and had a very enjoyable gig at the Archduke.  Jazz at the Archduke is well-worth supporting.  It's the best quality jazz you'll get for free anywhere in London, and I'd go as far as to say the entire country.  A stylish setting, excellent food, and free music with some of London's best musicians.  I'm next appearing there with my duo for the early set on a Saturday evening - check my website listings for exact dates.

Press and media coverage

This month, my album has been reviewed in two publications: Jazz Journal and Jazzwise magazine, where it was given a 3 star review.

Jazzwise says it's a "wonderful showcase," and includes comments about a "coruscating duet... on Devil May Care," "a head-nodding Love For Sale," and "a dreamily floating You Go To My Head."

I love the way they comment on my song Workin Hard: "... the first of two classy originals, offers a salutary survival-on-a-shoestring tale of Tesco value meals and cycling to gigs which doubtless rings painfully true for many of her fellow jazz artists."

I'm proud of that song, and like the way that Jazzwise portray it. In the past, Dave O'Higgins (who recorded on Jamie Cullum's first album) said that it reminded him of one of Jamie's songs. The song also seems to invoke a sense of sympathy in the jazz audience - I have many a time received a bonus (a £5 note or some such generous gesture) from a compassionate audience member in response to the song's poignant lyrics. It's usually my Dad, but never mind!

The whole Jazzwise Magazine review can be read on my website: www.sarahellenhughes.co.uk/reviews or, of course, you can buy the magazine! It's available from most music shops, and WHSmith.

Jazz Journal was less generous in its description and opinion of the sound of the album, but said "Clearly a talent to look out for." Again, read the whole thing on my website, or the magazine can be purchased from some music shops or online: www.jazzjournal.co.uk.

This week I was played on Blast Radio, courtesy of the lovely singer Kate Winter and the wonderful pianist Alex Hutton. www.blast-radio.co.uk

Last month I was featured quite a bit on Fylde FM by Paul and Lucy, and the great new UK Jazz Radio. Well worth tuning in to!

www.fyldefm.com

www.ukjazzradio.com

I got a lovely write-up in my local paper The Comet. It's online here: complete with photograph of me on an un-made-up, windy Monday afternoon. http://www.thecomet.net/content/comet/news/story.aspx?brand=CMTOnline&category=News&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=newslatestCMT&itemid=WEED29%20Apr%202010%2009:59:39:547