Gig alert!!! Saturday 6th August

You can see the Rachel Brand Quartet ie. me, Ken Henderson (piano), Amy Baldwin (Bass), Les Webb (Drums) at the All Inn One - Foresters Bar, 53 Perry Vale, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2NE on Saturday 6th August, 8pm and it's free! Can't say fairer than that. It's just opposite Forest Hill station or, for fellow bus fans, the 185 bus drops you nearby.

New set list so get on down to hear some fab new tunes.

See you next week!

Rx

A corker of a weekend for music...

It all started with The Gay Men's Chorus at the Cadogan Hall on Friday night. Excellent. A fantastic evening - although I managed to blub through the vast majority of the second half. At least I had a good ten minutes of belly laughter in the first half as the chorus gave YMCA its full due. Hysterical. The programme, entitled You'll Do For Now, was "a musical evocation of gay lives in London since 1951". I really didn't know what to expect but it was just fab. I'd recommend you go but it was only on for three nights and the final performance was last night. Unlucky. They are doing a Christmas show in Birmingham, Brighton and London, though, and I for one will definitely be going along. You can check them out at www.lgmc.org.uk - I think that's enough bigging you up now, Ciaran...

Sunday afternoon was a workshop with the astonishing Frank Holder. He's 80 going on 45 and has the energy of a 21 year old. Quite mesmeric - an awesome singer and percussionist who has worked everywhere with everyone and has some amazing tales to tell. His tips and advice are a performance in themselves and as a result are very memorable. The highlight for me was when he got up and traded a few improvised choruses of Straight, No Chaser with me. A total treat and I loved it. Thanks Frank, it was excellent.

And Sunday evening, the stupendous Liane Carroll at the 606, fresh from her success at the BBC Jazz Awards. Fortunately she hasn't changed a bit following her glorious success and was just as funny, witty and brilliant as ever. I didn't realise Donald Fagin's Walk Beneath The Raindrops has 'arse' shouted loudly, a la Father Ted, to introduce the solos. I must remember that. And as if Liane wasn't enough, she got Ian Shaw up to give us a sneak preview of a duet on her new album which is to be released in September. Standard Issue I think she said it's going to be called. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Definitely a best pants moment.

Anyway, enough superlatives. I do get rather carried away and should probably tone down my use of hyperbole. I don't think I overdid it really - they were all that good.

Better go to bed - training session in the morning and I think it's an 'outy'. That's as opposed to an 'inny'. An 'inny' means boxing, running up and down stairs, press ups, squats, lunges and abs things. That might sound bad but it's a walk in the park compared to an 'outy' which is running round the Common - that's Clapham Common. I'm not really ideally proportioned for the longer distance - that would be anything over 100m. I've managed to bolster this body disadvantage by creating a quite remarkable mental block over running. Still, I've got a new word for my exercise - willingness. No point doing something and begrudging it, it only makes it worse. And let's face it, I've lost 8kgs since March and that's not bad. Neil, you're a superstar.

Willingness... a good word for many things I think.

Rx

Go and see Joey Calderazzo

If you're in London this week and you're at a loose end, or even if you're at a tight end, head down to Pizza Express to see Joey Calderazzo. I've just come in and feel compelled to write down just how completely excellent he was. He just oozed music out of his fingers. It's a solo gig - he's a pianist in case you don't know him - and he's fantastic. I've never actually seen someone dance and play the piano at the same time but he did. Brilliant. Make plans now and get on down there. Brilliant - did I say that already?

Rx

What goes with prawn...?

...and I don't mean baguette or mayonnaise. I'm talking prawn, not prawns.

I was out shopping with a good friend of mine when I rather boldly plucked out a swishy, some might say girly, skirt to try on while he tried on some trousers. I have to say I thought it looked it a bit young and a bit girly but when I came out of the fitting room for an opinion, my friend was very positive and I got carried away with the moment and bought it. I do like this skirt, it's very nice, and it's a size down from usual which is extremely good news. However, it has become increasingly apparent that this skirt is prawn pink. There is no other way to describe it - maybe shrimp at a stretch. I'm becoming slightly concerned that there is actually no colour that goes with prawn... certainly not next to my skin anyway. For example, pale yellow or cream have a tendency to make me look like I'm laid out on a slab, and while I have tried my summer staple pale blue with prawn it's all a bit Pippy Longstocking. Any suggestions would be welcome - remember, we're talking something that could go with prawn and dark white (that's me).

My cousin is a fashion designer and she always says think about colours that go together in nature. This is solid gold I tell you, and I'm beginning to think that perhaps I should be thinking green, as in pink (prawny) flowers and green leaves... Work with me on this one. There is as a counter argument to this; the fact that I would probably get locked up if I walked out in Clapham in prawn and lettuce green. You can see I have big things on my mind. You have to remember that it's taken me a while to move on from beige...

Anyway, I went for a run this morning so I'm feeling very virtuous. There is now clear daylight between my buttocks and the top of my thighs where they used to sort of merge in to one giant mass. Very pleasing. And I'm about to set about major filing issues so I could very well deserve a Frappucino by the end of the day. That would be a Frappucino Light of course...

Rx

I have a bag problem

No - I don't crave them, I don't dress up in them, I don't have to store all my leftover food in little ones - I just seem to need to buy them. I'm having post-purchase pangs of "that really wasn't necessary, was it...". I bought another bag today. A pale blue leather bag - possibly not the most essential item I have ever purchased - but at least largely in keeping with my capsule (entire) summer wardrobe. You'll need to be keeping tabs on my diary to follow that one. The lady in the shop said "We all like our bags and shoes don't we". Well this could be where my problem lies...

You see, I have such large feet that it is nigh on impossible for me to buy really nice shoes in any leisurely, carefree or spontaneous manner. I really need to have built myself up for quite some considerable time to visit the one street in London where I can buy large shoes. This Street has become a sort of leper colony equivalent for women with large feet. I don't want to knock it - oh no! At least there are three shops on this Street which cater for those of us who are well endowed in the foot department. I have bought some very nice shoes on that street. I do, however, tend to get a little stressed in the knowledge that now's my chance, go get 'em, it's now or never. The result? In a frenzied, panicky state, usually accompanied by a not inconsiderable sweat (again, refer back), I buy several pairs at once which I then store in my hall cupboard with my other boxed, very attractive shoes. I really haven't cracked the 'just say no to inappropriate shoes' thing. So, it has been known in Summer for me to become rather predictable in my footwear as I do rather heavily rely on one source for my cobblery (is that a word?). I have a variety of Summer shoes - I have casual Birkenstocks, smart Birkenstocks and dressy, evening wear Birkenstocks. Come on, they're comfortable, they come in gorgeous colours AND SIZES, and they let the air circulate!

Anyway, as a result, I have perhaps over compensated in the bag department. It's as simple as that.

I've been putting a new set list together today so those of you coming along to my next gig will get a whole new selection. Such fun. And I had a mint choc chip ice cream - yummy.

Have a great weekend. I like my bag...

Rx

So sad

After such a wonderful, happy day yesterday, today's events seem all the more hateful. I love London and feel lucky to live here. So sad.

Totally brilliant day!

What a day. I've been on tenterhooks all morning listening to Radio 5Live and the build up to the announcement of who would host the 2012 Olympics. I was listening live when they finally said it was London and leaped up and cheered in the middle of - you guessed it - Starbucks. Still, they're very used to me there so they didn't bat an eyelid. And I thought I was dreaming this morning when I woke up to hear that Stevie Gerrard had decided to stay at Liverpool. Brilliant. What a day. And I got a free cool bag at M&S with my shopping - the icing on a lemon muffin.

I went to see Oscar Peterson last Friday at The Royal Albert Hall. What an emotional experience, largely because I thought he was dead - I'm sorry but I did. It was really quite moving when he walked on to the stage. What a reception. It was absolutely packed. Unfortunately I can't see too well so didn't get a great close up - I think we were about 2km from the stage so I don't think I was alone in that. But it was a lovely evening and I particularly enjoyed Milestones. Thanks for the ticket Ken.

And I can't go without mentioning the fabulous Liane Carroll. Not just Best Vocalist at the BBC Jazz Awards, but the Best of Jazz award just to underline it. About time too. You're brilliant missus. Only best knickers from now on.

Time for a quick shot of pink grapefruit squash - one of my very favourite drinks in the world. Not necessarily the most sophisticated but...

Rx