So far we’re up to 12 piano pieces ranging from the easier ‘Pickled Onions’ (Grade 1-2) to the more challenging ‘Jazz Cafe’ (Grade 5-6)…

I’ve decided that rather than hide them from the world, the pdf sheet music downloads are available free on the piano sheet music page at my-music-room.com together with the performance recordings.

Who knows, perhaps people will enjoy playing them?!? If you play the piano and fancy playing some fun music (or know someone who does), then do take a peek and let me know what you think!

Right – off to compose another one!

Cheers,

Olly

Wedding band Sound Techie's best friend

I’ve played over 500 wedding gigs (and have lost count) with many different bands – and in particular with my own wedding function band, The Jazz Soul Boogie Band.

Looking back, the wedding receptions that really went with a ZING were when I didn’t need to worry about the sound, because my Sound Man was on the scene.

Musically, weddings can be a balancing act – after all, there are quite often so many different age ranges to cater for (although ‘The Bear Necessities’ always gets a dance from the kids and a grin from the grandparents!) However, it’s not only type and quality of music (Jazz? Classical? Soul? Disco-Boogie?), but also QUANTITY of music that is a key factor.

People like to chat… and people like to dance too!

Which is when a sound technician is worth his or her weight in gold because they can tailor the volume to the right level for that moment. Even better the Best Man, Ushers or even the Bride or Groom can have a quick chat to the sound techie if they feel the music is too loud or too soft. A quick twiddle of a knob, and hey presto – all is well.

When there’s no sound technician at a band dancing event such as a wedding or birthday party, then the messenger has to try and communicate in a kind of frantic sign language to the band leader – who is in the middle of singing a number to the dancing crowd – that they cannot hear the saxophone… It’s a fun game of charades for a party, but not in a live gig!

So, usually, the number being played suffers a hiccup and loss of rhythm as the band members struggle to hear what’s being said… and invariably the communication morphs into a one-stage Chinese whisper… and the bass gets turned up instead.

Musician performers should perform for the dancing people and keep the flow of the music going.

Not twiddle knobs and deal with sound problems – which also by the way, leads to big gaps between numbers.

So there’s my little soap-box moment for all those bands out there who don’t use their own sound person! Let’s face it – for paying clients who hire a wedding band, having a dedicated sound technician for shows that need to ‘flow’ can only be professional,  less stress, and by jove, it’s worth it for everyone involved

Cheers for now!

Olly Plays for Jonathan and Anna's wedding ... with Sound Engineer!

Olly

(P.S. Of course, it can be argued that one of the brass players at the front of the stage could do the job while they are counting bars rest. However, that might have to be a lady-brass player in order to multi-task effectively? Any thoughts on that?

By the way – I did a quick ‘n’ dirty recording with a stereo mic recently during a gig with our sound man Stu Hellier – here is some audio from the evening: Jazz Soul Boogie Band – Carwash You can hear more at http://www.jazzsoulboogieband.com/boogie_setlist.htm :O) Enjoy!

Olly takes it easy outside the Royal Exchange, London after a corporate gig.

It’s a cold November’s evening and I have a background jazz trio gig at the Royal Exchange in London.

Driving into London is – more often than not – a test of patience, concentration and nerve. And then you have to unload (dodge the parking wardens – seriously, they appear when you least expect them!) and then find somewhere to park.

Oh, remembering to pay the congestion charge helps as well. Thank goodness parking meters take credit cards now…

Perhaps I should have stuck with just playing the trumpet rather than lug piano, amplifiers, speakers, cables, stands…? No way, I like the power of playing my piano too much. So I’m a control freak… Someone has to lead the band and I prefer if that someone is me! :O)

So anyway, the point of this post is to take a look at the behind-the-scenes activity that goes on during the ‘get-in’ and ‘get-out’ of a typical gig.

Is there such a thing as a typical gig? Well, probably yes. Bands that play at lots of wedding receptions like the Jazz Soul Boogie Band (my wedding function band) usually have the following stages in setting up:

1. Travel. Remembering to leave ample time for the unexpected to happen because it sometimes does. Having that extra time to fit the spare tyre reduces the stress all round – especially the client!
   So on the above mentioned Royal Exchange gig I got nicely lost in central London (note to self – must get a satnav for London. Why do signposts as you reach Central London just disappear?)
   Parking was… a nightmare as expected. So having left home at 3.45pm (from Aylesbury area), I still managed to set up as agreed for the 6.30pm start, thanks to the extra hour allowed for ‘what ifs’ (phew). Google said it would take 1.04 hours to get there. Yeah right – 2.04 hours later I still hadn’t arrived.
2. Arrive and set up. A piano-bass-drums background trio takes about 20min (at a push) to set up ready to play.
   A piano-bass-drums trio (or larger ensemble) for dancing at a wedding reception for example, however, is a different matter. The Jazz Soul Boogie Band always uses a professional sound technician wherever possible for ‘functions’ (dancy gigs) – as singing, performing, playing the piano and listening to sound levels whilst twiddling knobs on the mixer desk is multi-tasking in the extreme and does my head in (maybe it would be easy for a woman?)
   Hence a good sound technician is worth his or her weight in gold – and probably more.
   So, a larger ensemble for a wedding reception or any event where people want to dance and therefore require a larger PA system will take between 45min and 75min to set up (depending on the size of the band, lights etc)
3. Perform, play wonderful music, get the crowds dancing (unless it is a background function – even then sometimes you never know!) and have a load of fun.
4. Play the last encore number to rapturous applause, and calls of more! more! more! (This actually happened in the above Royal Exchange background gig!) Then it’s time to get packing pronto.
   A typical get-out tends to take from 20min (for a background ensemble) to 50min for a ‘dancing’ function band. All hands to the pump and no need for a gym workout this week!
5. Travel home (hint: stay awake). Most if not all the gigs I play end before midnight, which means we’re usually on the road by 1am, and back home at 2-3am. Sometimes we have a nice close-to-home gig. Other times it’s just not safe to try and drive the distance back home and we sort out a Travelodge or equivalent.
6. Recover the next day (or two) starting with a long hot bath :O).

Next public gig at the Gordon Bennet in Surbiton, 6th Dec 2010!

Bye for now,

Olly

So, we hired and constructed the staging (phew!), set up lighting and PA system, video camera and band (Michael Curtis Ruiz on double bass and electric, Bob Knight on drums – both awesome players)…

After a week of preparing parts and rehearsing, it’s amazing how quickly a gig creeps up on you! It was admittedly a bit of a crazy day setting everything up – but we got there and kicked off the evening at 8pm to a lively crowd (about 100 folks in all).

Our first couple of numbers were ‘Valerie’ and ‘Kiss’ with the full band - great for getting folks in the party mood.

Sam then performed his solo set, featuring a number of his original tracks from the album ‘Small Print’, using his funky looping machine (and his new toy – a Kaoss Pad …great effects!)

Then it’s my turn, after a brief battle with some sound feedback issues… remind me to hire a sound man next time we do a gig like this! We start off with our recent single ‘Remember Poppy Day’, as it is Armistice Day. It’s magic when suddenly everything goes quiet as people stop their conversations and listen in.

Then we’re moving off with ‘Moondance’ (Van Morrison), ‘Right By Your Side’ (from the album From the Heart), ‘Reet Petite’ (Jackie Wilson), ‘From the Heart’, and good ol’ ‘Sir Duke’ by Stevie Wonder – swing it baby!

Sam and I finished the evening off with our well-known a capella version of Route 66 (as featured on the album ‘Just Friends’), ‘Walking’ (From the Heart), ‘Billy Jean’ by the king of pop Michael Jackson, into ‘Everything I need’ and, of course, ‘Play that Funky Music’, yeah!

We’ve had some great feedback from the evening – if you’re reading this and were there, please leave a comment and let us know what you thought!

So, to shouts of ‘more!’ (thank goodness!), we finished the evening off with ‘Hey Jude’ – everyone having a good ol’ sing along :O).

I’m performing my next gig (with the Jazz Soul Boogie Band) at The Gordon Bennett, Surbiton on Monday 6th December 2010 – maybe see you there!

Olly

Chris Grace tells us how he was inspired to write the poem which started the Remember Poppy Day project.

“I was admiring the beautiful poppy field painting by Teresa Scannella (which is being sold as part of this project to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society) on the Surrey Artists website and it made me think more deeply about the sacrifices of those who fought in the wars.

Having watched the superb Battle of Britain programmes on TV showing the courage of just some of the many people who fought in the wars, it made me feel guilty that I rarely remember to stop for the 2 minutes silence and respect.

That’s partly through being so busy yourself, but also a change in habits and environment. If eveyone else is also busy and rushing around, they often don’t stop, and in most cases you do the same.
In the past, radio stations on all channels would stop to announce and observe the 2 minutes silence, which was a useful reminder.

What is a minute or two of our lives compared to the years they gave? That inspired me to write the first part of the poem; “

I remember when I was young
a strange day in a crowded town
everyone rushing and then a bell
people stood like statues and silence fell

Buses halted, although planes still flew
Factories stopped and offices too
And then I heard my Mother say
Remember, this is Poppy Day

We all live such hectic lives these days
As we rush around and round
forgetting it’s poppy day,
and forgetting those so still in the ground

So take a minute of your life to remember
a minute’s so much less than the years
of their lives, they gave for me and you
and remember the survivors and their tears
(this is a short extract)

A recent interest in Family Tree programmes like ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ gave Chris the ideas for the part about the survivors and for other verses. “The programmes made me realise that so many men didn’t speak of the past, often due to their awful experiences. So it occurred to me that although we have a day to remember the dead, they aren’t the only victims. The survivors are victims too and they should be in our thoughts.
The final thread of the poem is about the families and friends of those killed or injured. They need to be able to move on with their lives and be happy”.

But then after all the sad moments,
remember to be happy
It’s what they would have wanted for us
when they died for you and for me

For 4 years Chris has been a fan of two very talented Surrey singers and songwriters, Olly & Sam Wedgwood. “They are both world class but not well known, because they never had the break their talents deserve”. If you’ve ever had a piano lesson, the chances are you learnt from a piano book by their mother, Pam Wedgwood (sales of over half a million books). Their father Denis was Principal Cornet in the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for 9 years. With both parents being talented musicians, Olly & Sam started playing a multitude of instruments to the highest level from a young age,
So Chris could not have teamed up with better musicians.

“I’ve been working with both brothers recently with their separate acts. Everyone who hears their music is so impressed.
I was delighted when Olly was moved by the poem and wanted us to release it as a single.
Olly’s intricate but delicate piano playing and passionate and sensitive vocals are so appropriate. Further emotion and drama is added by the superb saxophone of Georgi Bartlett, who Chris recommended after hearing her performances with Elmbridge Big Band and Choir, of which he is a member. Backing vocals are provided by Sam Wedgwood, who for well over a year toured the world’s major arenas with Jamie Cullum as guitarist, vocalist and trumpeter”.

“It’s been an emotional roller coaster, since the poem and song are very moving and the subject of wartime loss is, of course, still so real for many families today. On the other side of the emotions is the pleasure from working with such great artists and musicians who have become good friends. I would be delighted if this helps Olly & Sam get some of the recognition they deserve. They really are two of the most talented singers and musicians in the country”.
“The video can be viewed at www.remember-poppy-day.com . You can also see the video on YouTube by searching for ‘Olly Wedgwood Poppy Day’ I hope you like it – please give it the thumbs up on Youtube and let your friends know.
But most of all, on 11th November, preferably at 11am, please take two minutes of your life to remember.”

Here you’ll find all sorts of stuff including:

• The trials and tribulations of an independent artist!
• Gigs I’ve been performing and gigs coming up
• Recent songs I’ve released and those in the pipeline

You can also find more information about my music and bands at http://www.ollywedgwood.co.uk and http://www.jazzsoulboogieband.com

Whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I hope you are enjoying some great music in your life!

Best wishes,

Olly