Look what Nadja just posted on Youtube today: another beautiful version of Joe's tune "Sword of Whispers", performed on July 13th at the Royal Academy of Music in London... I love this version as it's played in duet by two friends, on two beautiful instruments. Enjoy! :o)

A nice shot of the band last night at Dolans for our first gig of the small tour lines up...workshop gig tonight..Sligo Jazz Project gig up the west of Ireland tomorrow where some of the heavy cats are teaching for the week. Then on to Dublin Sunday for our final gig at JJ Smyths. Its been a great week and everyone has enjoyed it thoroughly.

John

A solo version of my tune Waltz for Tomorrow.

Rusty

Some more pics from our great workshop with Tony. We are having a great week, working hard and getting to play some tunes with great players

John

I've had the busiest summer in a while I think. But it's starting to wind down. I've travelled for a big chunk of it. This is good and fun and also tiring. Esepcially if you're getting old! <;-)

Hi everybody,

does anybody know which felt (Musser, Yamaha etc.?) fits and works on an old Premier vibraphone damper?
Which kind of felt I should use if I have to create my own replacement?

Thanks

Jürgen

I first heard this piece, titled Adagio for Strings in the early 1970s. I was so moved by the music that I decided to try to score it out for 2 marimbas and try to play it. My duet partner was Stu Balcomb, who older Berklee students may remember.

We worked it up and got a chance to perform it in concert around 1975. It was in a big hall for a large audience. The marimbas were an excellent choice to capture the beauty and simplicity of the music and our performance was very well received. I will always remember that night as one of the highlights of my musical journey.

I have just taken delivery of a 3.2 octave Vanderplas GigVibe - and a beautiful thing it is too. I am trying to work out the best way of protecting it when I move it out of my studio to gigs etc. I originally ordered a 3 octave one but have ended up with this larger instrument so I have to dismantle it to get it through doorways. Moving it in one piece is not an option. It also has pickups on each bar which plug in externally to the frame. I have toyed with the idea of moving the keybed with bars attached but this makes it VERY heavy.

Some pics from our first day at workshop we had a great day.

John