Filming trip - in Higham

Just got back from Higham / Cliffe where Matt and I have made a little film for the call for artist movies by Sarah Sparkes, subject 'Haunted Sea'. Have to view it now and see how it came out. We found a beautiful little spot in a very strange, spooky part of the estuary and I wore my black crinoline in a 'Piano' homage to Holly Hunter and Jane Campion.

Tony Fletcher

Thanks Tony for my favourite presentation at the British Silent Film Festival today. Whole music films to which John Sweeney played piano.

Autobiographical sketches 40 - Blanaid's piano concert in Hampstead

She was very good at the piano you know! Still is ...

... her teacher was called Felicity ... she was very nice ... wish I still knew her ... she was from Australia.

Banjo Jim's

Had a wonderful gig last night at this very cutesy red-painted bar. First on was my lovely friend and great songwriter, Daniel Carlson and his amazing band. I last played with Daniel in Nottingham last summer, at the Folkwit gig.

I have to say Daniel is great on stage. And so are his band. The sound was brilliant. The guitarist had painted his guitar with swoops of colours that seemed to echo the sonic textures of his solos, and in his camel dungarees and with his long hair tucked into his cap, he looked very dapper as he kicked his leg emoting and expressing with his instrument. The drummer as right on it, into and out of the swells, the keyboard player I so enjoyed, with his Wurlitzer and Minikorg.

So kind, the band members stayed with Daniel, and so did friends of his during my set so it felt really good in the room. I loved performing, I played piano as well as uke again, and Daniel was kind enough to help me with the mic, when the one by the piano didn't work for some reason. I entertained with songs from old London town and demonstrated an old-fashioned knees-up (kind of). I have discovered that I love singing my setting of William Blake's London, you can really give that song some welly, and the words really help you lash it out.

My good friend, the amazing poet Shannon Elizabeth Hardwick schlepped over from New Rochelle, where she's living (Norman Rockwell lived there as well I found out yesterday during my visit to the Brooklyn Museum). Amos then gave us all a lift to a cool shop that serves flavoured rice pudding, called 'Rice to Riches'. I had almond and cheesecake flavours with roasted cherry topping. And we drove back over the Brooklyn Bridge, so I got to see night time city scapes. Awesome.

Sidewalk Cafe

Ooooh, I played piano for the first time ever at a gig last night and it was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. The piano was at a right angle to the audience, and I found it so strange to turn my head towards the audience and look at them while I was playing.

The sound was so good and professional in New York, felt different to London gigs in a good way. I think I would really like to play some Open Mics here, but doubt I have time. I have two more gigs this week at Tillie's Cafe here in Fort Greene on Friday, and at Banjo Jim's on Thursday.

I'm having such a cool time, and Debs is a great host.

First piano open mic

It's the beginning of a new musical era for me! I'm going to do my first piano open mic on 13th October at the Victoria, 110 Grove Road, London E3. Awesome! As my friend Lola would say. It's a while off, but I have to get my Wednesday choir commitment to the Monteverdi concert out of the way first.

The Hairy Rabbit

Writing some more jazzy noodles for piano. A quiet piece called 'Blue Rain' and a rather silly bouncy one 'The Hairy Rabbit'.

Alina Orlova

I'm just listening to Alina Orlova. I like her. She's very inspiring. She sings in Lithuanian and English.

I'm inspired to do some work with the microkorg.

Here she is singing and playing piano at the Cafe Oto. Sadly I missed her summer gig, and she's not back again this year.

Blanaid said she likes this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nzo_6NC42Q

I like her song about the last mammoth.