Bum note

I read in Michael Ondaatje's The Cat's Table how soprano saxophonist Sydney Bechet - Le Grand Bechet or 'Bash'- was once accused of blowing a bum note during a session in Paris. Bechet challenged his accuser to a duel, winged a pedestrian in the fracas that followed, and was thrown in prison before being deported.

Great gardens and street performers

It's Ludlow, Shropshire Open Gardens this Bank Holiday weekend with street performances thrown in for good measure. I'd be playing too, but for a crippling bout of  "The Old Man's Friend", pneumonia. (It used to dispatch the old and infirm in a gentle manner.) worth dropping by if you're passing.

Starting Young

I took these two young guys off the blog because they turned silent on my iPad. Seems to be an iPad problem, not their's so here they are again, offering me a quick rendition before they took to the streets.

Red Kite over Talgarth

Talgarth Mill - a delectable cafe with scary accoustics

There’s a lone red kite flying down the main street in Talgarth. Otherwise the town’s strangely empty. We’re here for Mel’s Birthday Bash and, after being sneaked in the back door of Café Melin, burst into a saxophany of Happy Birthday. Straight into Ain’t Misbehavin’, Summertime and Careless Love to a bemused audience – it’s a small space and we’re loud. Biggest applause is raised by our duet of The Rose. Strange how captivating the voice can be (even from two guys on the wrong side of 65). 

Also 'on the street': my latest book

Sunday morning and a solo busk in lovely Ludlow. Takes me a while to build up steam so when a passer by offers: “Do you want this 20p or my lucky penny?” I opt for the penny. 

Afterwards nip into Castle Bookshop to tell Stanton about my latest title, just out. He promises to order a copy. Where would we be without small, independent bookshops like these?

The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors: a lovely place to play

Prevented from taking to the street all this year because of two book deadlines. So it was a relief to have a practice session with my fellow sax player in our local Asda underpass. Playing outdoors is good for the soul.
Frightened a small boy with the opening blast of Amazing Grace, but charmed a young mum with Ain't Misbehavin', a slow rolling version we're developing. We're building a set that includes Summertime, Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, Pennies From Heaven, Careless Love and our warm up, MD (short for Morally Dubious).
And it definitely sounds better outside.

Normandy piper Bill Millin

Bill Millin is the kind of guy who would have busked the streets of Glasgow.

Bill, who worked as a piper with a travelling theatre before becoming a psychiatric nurse in later life, is better known as the man who played the pipes during the Normandy beach landings on June 6, 1944.
The then 21-year-old was part of the First Special Service Brigade that landed on Sword beach under enemy fire. "I didn't notice I was being shot at. When you're young you do things you wouldn't dream of doing when you're older," he's reported to have said later.

Majorcan street music

A street performance with impromptu dancing at Soller in Majorca. The musicians (above, left) are playing the five-holed flutes or flabiol, the Majorcan bagpipe or  xeremies and the small drums or tmabori. The music is a little reminiscent of the Catalan sardana song and dance.
The guy (above, right) with his soprano sax and tiny amp played the bars along Port Soller.