The Sector7 tour commences

Sector7 on the road

The Sector7 tour is underway!  So far we have been to the  Scarborough, Leeds, South Devon, Cheltenham and Milton Keynes. 

Scarborough was amazing and thank goodness the weather was good.  The last time I had been there, the sea was so violent that waves had been crashing over the entire car park after our gig, and we had to leg it to the car to not get drenched (it didn’t work).

A stroll on the beach - the next album cover?!

I have to say that this was one of the best jazz festivals I have ever played at, and credit to Mike Gordon for organising such a fantastic weekend of acts and bringing jazz to a wider audience in Yorkshire.  The place was packed throughout the whole weekend, and it was a pleasure to play there.

Scarborough was the first gig for two new Sector7 members: Mayfair Arts Club resident Paddy Clarke and beatboxer Billy Boothroyd.  We incorporated beatbox for the first time in the set… which was brilliant!  And went down really well.  It took some people by surprise but I think, hope, that they loved it as much as I did!  We were interviewed later for a feature on the festival, and there may be some footage up on the web soon, so I’ll add it to the facebook page when it comes out.

After staying the night in Scarborough we took advantage of being in a classic seaside town, spending our morning on the 2p machines in the arcade and getting ice cream.  Then it was a journey to Leeds – which is relatively short – so we decided to explore north Yorkshire with a stop-off in gorgeous York, for a stroll down The Shambles and a look at the Minster. 

York Minster

Our gig in Leeds was at the Sela bar, which is a hip underground bar with an old-school vibe and the best pizza in town. 

The following weekend we travelled down to South Devon to my old stomping ground.  My Grandma lived in Dawlish, a very sweet little seaside town on the South Devon coast, and Ashburton is about 20 miles inland, on the edge of Dartmoor.  We were playing at the St Lawrence Chapel, a concert venue promoted by local musician Andy Williamson.  It was a fantastic night, not least because we were treated to a home-cooked meal from Andy’s wife (including the best cheese-cake I’ve had in years!)

The Daffodil.  This view is from behind one of the old
cinema projectors - both antiques are still in situ in
the gallery.

Next day we travelled to The Daffodil in Cheltenham, a converted cinema, now a posh restaurant.   They promote jazz every Monday, and attract some fantastic acts from all over the country.   Then this small section of the tour ended with our first ever performance at The Stables in Wavendon.  I’ve performed there before, with NYJO at one of the “Jazz in the garden” events.  We were lucky enough to have Sir John join the band for a number of tunes.  This was couple of years before his death, and even as an octogenarian, he was as sprightly and amusing as ever.

The tour continues on WEDNESDAY at Swansea Jazzland, followed by The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham on Thursday.