Friday, April 16, 2010

Django Bates

Great to have Django at the Vortex and such a packed house. Deservedly garnering 5 star reviews such as John Fordham in the Guardian. I was especially pleased by his playing of This World by Iain Ballamy. First because I love his ballad playing most and his focus on the piano.
But also because the recording of All Men Amen, where this was performed, was a turning point in my move to have a record label. I prodded Iain to take advantage of Peter Schulze's kind offer of recording at Radio Bremen and then recall how I did the classic jazz record label producer thing. The band flew out leisurelly on the day before, while I had to schlepp all the gear, from a Human Chain gig in Southend, by van. Arriving knackered (albeit after breakfast in Bruges and lunch in Amsterdam), having just had 3 hours sleep on the ferry, the band dragged me off to dinner. And then it was off to the studio to record what, for me, is Iain's magnum opus. So sad that it isn't more widely available, having come out on the B&W Label.
(It only goes to prove that there are certain rights that musicians need to have over their music that labels greedily retain.) Though I notice that you can buy it from Jazzcds here. So do it if you have a chance.
So hearing that gig on Tuesday, along with the others recently - and being reminded by Tom Cawley that Curios wouldn't exist were it not for the encouragement of the Vortex - is what makes me proud to have a part in this scene.

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