All music is beautiful (Billy Strayhorn*)

While most of the Desperates dodged the rain to assemble at the Bedford Hotel on Sunday 2nd March, band members Geoff and Felicity were basking in the gentle warmth of Gran Canaria.  We pictured them there, knotted handerchiefs on their heads, trouser legs rolled up, skirts tucked into their knickers, as they dipped their toes into the pool and sipped the local rum.

We knew we would miss them, but we had the consolation of the presence of Piano Pete - a one-time member during the formative years of Desperate Measures who has now moved on to fame and fortune with the Cuckoo Collective where he plays in black and white.

But today, he was in colour.

Purple haze

We were greeted by a restaurant extensively tabled - the Sunday lunch was fully booked.  Obviously the DM fan-base is growing.  Although they may have just come in out of the rain.

Fully be-tabled restaurant

We did however recognise a few familiar faces among the audience.  And with a possible regular audience, we have to change the set list a little each time.  This time we debuted “Come Sunday”, “Something Cute” and some new pieces for the small combos, including anothe chance for Charlie to practise his vocal skills on “The Very Thought of You”.

After two and half hours of playing and watching people eat, we were anxious for a well-deserved drink and looked forward to our own finely cooked meal.

Hunger Games

 

*Billy Strayhorn, beside being another candidate for nominative determinism, was a jazz musician whose compositions/collaborations include Satin Doll and Take the A Train. 

Ever up and onward (Billy Strayhorn)

To infinity, and beyond! (Buzz Lightyear)

Double Measure

As an added bonus to the initial blog entry below, here's a few more pictures from the Bedford gig on 2nd Feb 2014.  These were taken by our excellent alto sax player Richard Linney who has revealed himself also as no mean snapper.  Thanks Rich!

Also check out our page on the hotel website http://www.bedford-hotel.co.uk/events/jazz-sunday-lunch

A good year for the roses

 

Half measures - small combo plays while others take a break

I only have eyes for you

I'll handle the paradiddles thank you

One two three - Le Trio concentrate on their walz time

A Measure of Success

Desperate Measures continued their run of gigs at the Bedford Hotel with another jazz lunch offering on 2nd February 2014.

Publicity for the band in the bar of the hotel

 

Turn again

Debbie’s absence (tenor sax) was planned but was nearly compounded when Felicity (who was to play tenor this time) and Geoff (piano) found that the A390 at Gunnislake was closed in both directions because of an accident.  The detour took them almost into Launceston before they could get on the B3362 down to Tavistock, while the band waited anxiously and diners started to arrive to silence.

And where was Debbie you may ask?  A picture is required...

Debbie acts a Dick

Yes, Debbie was rehearsing for her starring role in the Meavy AmDram production of Dick Whittington.  Oh yes she’s behind you, or something.

So, meanwhile back at the Bedford, the band was pretty much ready.  Charlie warmed up his instrument...

A Bone of contention

Mick the Bass - worth his weight in gold

So, this time,we featured an additional "vocalist".  Our dynamic band leader Charlie has been practising his skills, so we allowed him one duet and one solo number.  His duet on 'Stompin' at the Savoy' went down well and 'Makin' Whoopee' continued his penchant for songs with present participles in the title. 

The audience seemed happy enough with the band, applauding the tunes and also many solos.  And soon it was time for our own meal.  Like all Bedford blogs, we have to include a picture of food.

I had the Lion of Pork (pride of the hotel)

 

 

 This singing lark might be starting a precedent. John tried to convince us he could do an Al Jolson song......



How I Love Ya, How I love ya

Desperate Times

It’s been a record breaking year for the Desperates.  This year, our total number of gigs reached a total of nineteen - more than any year since we started.

Fittingly, one of the gigs took place in Tavistock Town Hall - the very venue where we performed our first gig back in May 2009.  The last one this year was our third time supporting the Plymouth Santa charity run.

Concentration was in tents...

Mike wears a jumper for a bet
 

Tribute Band

Our fans are dedicated.  One fan turned up on Sunday with Desperate Measures tattooed on his arm:

OK, you can't read it, but it's there....

OK, OK, you're right.  The lads here aren't fans - they just used to be in a band with the same name as us.  Well, it's too late for us to change; we've just had our banner made.

Merry Christmas

Gigs are being lined up for next year - watch this space or visit our website dates page.  In the meantime, y'all have a great Christmas.

Desperate Secrets

An inside look at some of the things you might overhear the Desperates say, and even some of the strange signs they make to each other....

Code words

When I was first introduced to learning to play some jazz, it took more than a little while to understand what all the strange chords names meant, let alone play them.  But having made a bit of progress with that, it’s nice to think you can join in with other people.  That’s when you learn that jazz people aren’t normal.

For example, when jazzers talk about a chorus, they don’t mean the bit in between successive verses of a song.  They’ll say things like “Take a solo over two choruses”.  So what are you supposed to do?  Keep quiet in the verse part and solo on the middle bits?  No, what jazzers mean by ‘chorus’ is the whole caboodle, the whole tune.  Unlike normal folk, they talk about the A section, the B section and often several other letters.  So a tune consists of maybe A, followed by another A, followed by B, followed by another A.  So a tune has a ‘form’, such as AABA.

What’s worse, you might hear them talk about a verse.  “Are you doing the verse?” they might ask the vocalist.  And what they mean this time, is the bit at the front of a song that is only done once.  So for example, in “At Last”, you’ll hear some freely sung (no strict rhythm), scene-setting words: 

Then the band starts in rhythm and we are into the song “At last, my love has come along....”.  So that’s what a verse is.  But it’s not part of the chorus of course...
You know, even the Beatles did this.  You remember “Here, There and Everywhere”?  It starts “To lead a better life, I need my love to be here.....”   I bet they didn’t call it the verse though!

Even more confusing to me when I first played with a jazz enthusiast, he started talking about a “C part” for me.  What’s he talking about?  Doesn’t he realise I can play in other keys than C?  And then, slowly, from my school days, I remembered that wind instruments, trumpets and saxophones were set up in different keys.  Don’t ask me why.  I’ll leave that as your homework. So if you were to sneak a peek at the Desperates’ music stands, you might see the same tune written out in different keys on each one.  And occasionally you might hear a plaintiff voice saying “Has anyone got a spare B flat part?”
Oh, and if you hear someone talking about a vamp, they mean a simple repeating chord sequence and they are not referring to our female vocalist.  Usually.

Secret signs

Maybe you’ll see the band leader rotating his finger, or even his whole hand at a band member, usually while they are soloing.  This could well mean the band leader is thinking “What’s this guy’s name again?”
In fact, it usually means “Carry on doing that, it’s great!”

Sometimes you might notice someone tapping their head as band members are performing solos..  “Ah”, you might think, “they’ve just made mistake - it can’t be musical (this is the Desperate Measures!) - maybe they’ve realised they left the gas on at home...”

In fact they are indicating “go to the head”.  The head is the beginning of the tune - so they are telling the band to stop soloing and play the tune from the beginning, for the last time.

Maybe we should publish an ‘I Spy’ book....or Jazz Band Bingo.

November jazz lunch

After a late night gig near Fowey on Saturday 2nd November, the following morning DMs dragged themselves from their beds to play November’s jazz lunch at the Bedford Hotel, Tavistock.  Intrepid bass player Mick Johnson reports:

“This Sunday was a sell out; 60 covers as they say in the restaurant business and we were in pretty good form (considering the winged state of the rhythm section). We had a couple of very short intermissions to rest your correspondent ‘s left hand which had seized up late in the evening the night before, necessitating a substitute electric bass. I could feel it beginning to go on a couple of occasions but avoided melt down through resting for only a few minutes or using the guitar bass. Afterwards a delightful couple came to our dining room and congratulated us; Debs and Tess in particular as they knew them from childhood, having looked after them at their house many times.

During dinner John was waxing oratorically and it then it struck me so I told the assembled company that with a few more heavy dinners in him he could pass for Winston Churchill... that did it... off he went into several impressions to the amusement of all.

We divided up the absent guitarist’s dinner between us having neglected to tell them we were one short! It was very good:  rare roast beef , yorkshires, cauliflower cheese, roast tatties and excellent swede. Which wouldn’t have suited the missing guitarist’s fat free regime at all.”

 

The band played on

Despite your usual scribe being slightly hors de combat (insert your own joke about femmes de guerre here), Desperate Measures have continued with their busy schedule through October 2013.

Sunday 6th October saw the band appear again at the Bedford Hotel in Tavistock for the regular jazz lunch, held on the first Sunday of each month.  A couple of weeks later, the band made the long trip to the wild regions of north Devon for a gig in Lymouth.

While all this was going on, the eternal quest for variety added two new tunes to the repertoire - ‘Sermonette’ and ‘You and the Night and the Music’.

Playing in a bigger venue in Lynmouth - a town hall - highlighted some PA problems for the band which, although not a problem for the audience (who were very happy with the music), created some difficulties for the band. 

There are well-known irritations for musicians in a band, such as the inebriated audience member asking a jazz band if they “know any Oasis”, or a guest vocalist handing out parts written in faint pencil, just as the lights are dimmed so that they can be in the spotlight.  Another, perhaps more common, is being unable to hear what other band members are playing - a particular problem with larger venues.  And it was the latter problem that led to some discomfort at Lynmouth.

We only have a simple PA, with limited monitoring facilities, even if the complexity of cables might give another impression....so, some experimentation may be required to improve things.  On the bright side, the experience has only served to increase the determination of the band to provide a polished performance.

Coming up this weekend (2nd/3rd November), a hard weekend for the band with an evening gig in Fowey on Saturday night, followed by the November lunchtime gig at the Bedford.

Meanwhile, your scribe continues with an enforced low-fat diet.  The other day, a girl stopped me in the street and said she’d seen me at a vegetarian party.  I thought, that’s funny, I never met herbivore.