– – –  or am I ? Over the last year i’ve been continuing to consolidate my technique on the kit, enjoying the fortnightly challenge of being the house drummer at an Open Mic ( playing everything from Folk to Jazz, Blues to Soul, Pop to Cockney !) and constantly on the look out for a band to join.  This is an interesting & time consuming process  – – – it seems to be more a process of finding out your own limits & what you don’t want to do.

I recently met up with the very talented songwriter, Richard Townend , the man behind The Mighty Bosscats . With a bagful of new songs he was on the lookout for a new drummer to join the band to record a new album & Gig regularly. We played through quite a number of original songs & managed to get the retsrained JJ Cale style of the music together – – Cool ! On the face of it the ideal ‘next step’ for me, recording & gigging with an established band – – – – BUT the band are based in deepest  Essex & the travelling involved for rehearsals etc. would have been too much for me on top of work & other time commitments – so , even though Richard was extremely kind & complimentary about my playing, we agreed that the travel was an issue long term & we’re staying in contact for any future possibilities.

The moral of the story is that by pushing myself i found that i’m more than capable of playing at that level – i’m not being arrogant with that statement, just that, as individuals ,we need to find out where we are in the general scheme of things with our chosen pursuits, and  also, although my ability on the kit was up to scratch, the shear practicalities of  getting to rehearsals etc has made me re-evaluate my search area for a band.

In other words – – if you don’t have a go – you’ll never know !

So now, alongside the search for a band, myself & a really good local Bass player, who has the same motivation as myself, have put out an ad looking for guitarist & vocalist who are up for playing for the song.

I may be a “Rebel without a clue”, but for me, the methodology of learning styles of music rather than particular songs is paying off – as, if a song is called out, i may not know it , but i can, generally ‘get the style’ of it. Music is a joy, a universal language and, in my opinion, great music comes from the soul & creativity of the person playing it , including the ‘mistakes’ ( is there such a thing in music ?) – not just copying what’s gone before.

So, get out there, make mistakes & have fun doing it !

It would seem logical to follow up a ‘Who am I  – -?’ post with a ‘Where am I  – – ?’ post.

It has been over 12 years since I started learning the drums and I do not see myself as a beginner any more – that’s quite a leap in attitude for me, and one that has been achieved through practice, quality support & personal growth.

The minor amendments to this website indicate a shift in my musical development over the last couple of years – to quote Italian photographer Franco Fontana ” – we must always change to remain what we are – that is what nature does and teaches” – – – I have become increasingly disappointed with the ‘mainstream’ UK Blues scene – – the needle seems to be stuck at the 60’s Brit. Blues revival ( Clapton etc) or some sort of ‘Classic’ Rock hybrid. It’s a pity that if you talk about Blues as a genre to most folks they will automatically relate to a trio with a guitarist doing endless twiddly solo’s – – -such a shame as Blues is about a state of being covering all emotions from happy to sad AND there are some very interesting  duos / bands doing some more unhinged, raw, real music out there ( Daddy Longlegs , Stompin’ Dave,  Kaz Hawkins & Giles Hedley for example).There is an open & genuine feel to what these guys do – – – – so a change in my musical taste has been going on – –

Over the last year or so  I’ve been out there at Open Mic nights and met some wonderful players who challenge me constantly with everything from Frank Sinatra swing to Folk – – -the beauty of playing music is not knowing where the next ‘connection’ is going to be – – and ultimately, for me, playing the drums is about making music, making a human connection , developing an understanding of, not just what to play on the kit,  but when  – – -thus adding to making music. Getting to grips with Jazz brushes has been a revelation  – – playing quietly  is a fabulous feeling – – Ed Thigpen ( Oscar Peterson’s drummer called it )‘ Expressing the melody with your hands’

There seems little point in slavishly copying what has gone before, sure it can influence you – but we have to find our own voices as part of a band of folks coming together to make music !

In summary, the drumming journey continues – meeting new people & music, gaining more independence on the kit with practice, understanding that not playing is as valid as playing, trying to spread the word that drummers are an integral equal part of a band who make music together .

New section added to website Video & Photo’s.