DECEMBER
is the month that we are in.
'local girls with their castanets and their swinging hips'
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| photo by Danila Olmi |
The Kings Cross Hot Club have set off slightly accidentally, and in association with Nikki Santilli, a trend of 'Gypsy Jazz & Gin' at LASSCO in the very appetising Maltby Street Market on the Ropewalk, Bermondsey. Listen to them/dance to them on Saturdays/Sundays from about 2pm, usually in the beautiful wood-panelled 'Eisenhower Room' which has been resurrected inside the warehouse. Very good food and gin being sold in the market both for eating immediately and giving as presents, as well as reclaimed furniture such as lunatic asylum doors and old cinema seats.
Speaking of lunatic asylums. Some sort of feminine offshoot of the Kings Cross Hot Club is occurring consisting of Bruce Beach (the big girl) on rhythm guitar & singing, Anisa Arslanagic on viola, Surya Anita singing and me on clarinet/sometimes singing. Kings Charles I pub on Northdown Street in Kings Cross is our current hole of choice - first gig there on the 28th November went swimmingly (no-one can remember a thing) and we have been asked back this Thursday 6th - playing all sorts from gypsy swing to cumbia to klezmer to Jonny Cash to Tom Waites to tango to things that Bruce suddenly and unexpectedly comes out with.
Joined by the elusive/illusive Dave Aird on the tuba we are also really looking forward to playing at the Andre Laug Vintage Haute Couture Exhibition @ Millana Atelier on Friday 14th - curated by the amazingly energetic, imaginative and incredibly focussed Gemiliana Assorgia. Gemiliana is tailoring dresses for Anisa, Anita and I to perform in at a retro hair salon on Cheshire Street just off Brick Lane at this event, part of the launch of CENSUS. If you come between 6.30 and 8.30pm you'll be able to see us play amongst vintage salon equipment and bright retro orange colours. Do come a bit earlier or stick around after to see and enjoy other happenings at neighbouring studios, shops and cafes. This is really a special street of new designers who are coming together creatively, worth a visit any other time too.
CIRCUS
'I was thrilled by the annual visits of the circus'
On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th for some bizarre reason that I can only blame myself three months back for, I'm going to be performing some chinese pole moves on a metal swinging boat quite a lot of metres off the ground. A fantastic group of others will be doing trapeze, corde lisse, aerial hoop, and contortion in a net... We are directed by Alex Frith, who was, notably, circus specialist with the Lord of the Rings theatre spectacular for four years. Check it out at Greenwich Circus Festival - the tickets include taster circus workshops and access to professional and semi-professional circus performances as well as our brilliantly bizarre shipwreck show...
'Expect to be urged to take second helpings'
Finally, Anisa Arslanagic and I have also started playing with Senegalese singer Biram Seck, very enjoyable debut with him at the Baobab Fundraiser in St Ethelburga's on 11th November alongside Ulises Diaz & Tsivi Sharett, followed by a great gig at Nomad Jazz Venue on Old Street on the 14th November with a group of Senegalese musicians including the illustrious Kaw Seck on percussion and le tres gentil Abdoulaye Samb on guitar. Gig at Nomad to be repeated on Tuesday 18th December, and the same line-up on Friday 21st at the Waterline Bar in Haggerston on Regent's Canal. Biram's voice is addictive and his songs uplifting - also look out for him singing with Fofoulah - absolutely fantastic & rousing band. Saw them play at Vortex a couple of weeks ago and the windows were steaming, the crowd sweaty and hot from jumping around (sadly, despite having 'fearlessly' negotiated my way past the twice-my-size bouncer at the one-in-one-out stage of the night, I was so tired I could only just about stand up against the wall. Next time I'll have to try and get some sleep and a dinner in me before seeing them again...or maybe just in general). Read a review of them - by Kit Downes - here if you like.
'the richest character in the world'
In other news, a Big Issue seller who currently stays around Waterloo area popped into Tsivi Sharett's very wonderful jam (ish) session at the Bonnington Cafe and loved it so much that he insisted very warmly on giving me a pound of his change. I was a bit bemused & amused at the way round this ended up being but he was adament... thank you oh mysterious man.
Actually if anyone is reading this still and gets the chance, do go to the Bonnington (near Vauxhall or Oval tube stations) on the first Sunday of a month - amazing israeli food, pomegranate lemonade, mint teas, turkish coffees, made mostly by Anat Elhalal. Lovely music played fairly randomly by an assortment of relaxed musicians who turn up - a session led by pianist Tsivi Sharett. Candles and bring your own wine etc. add to happy welcoming atmosphere. Then go home and sleep well - you will :)
so somehow chaos has come out of the general disorder, and in very good spirits, have a happy advent x x x
