We have now hit the southwest of england for some serious Rural Touring where we are performing in mainly local village churches! (an idea put forward by Mark Wallace from Beafordarts in the southwest)… this is a part of the world that is very dear to my heart as its the first place i ever visited outside of london as a ten year old boy.

 

A place called Bridgewater, Somerset! in a pub owned by the parents of my former Primary School teacher (knowned to us then as Miss Hawkins)! this pub called ‘The British Flag’ was where me and about half a dozen kids spent the six week summer holidays of 69.

This experience was life changing on so many levels! 1st, it gave me a love and appreciation for the country side and open spaces! now as someone that was born and raised in hackney east london, from a big family of eight, where everything feels so cramed and stacked, Somerset was like a heavenly place to be.

2nd, we had so much adventure and fun with our school teacher’s Miss Hawkins (who we now call by first name Georgina…Remember? we could’nt call our teachers by first names as a mark of respect! hope that has’nt changed!) and another teacher Sally who had taken us all.

The folks there made so much fuss of us! i even remember doing my Louis Armstrong impersonation for them all..( i guess that was one of my first live gigs).

There’s also a poem i was taught by the pub landlord George that i remember most of still today! its called the ‘Black Bird poem’ “I know where those black birds be” etc….). i’ve been telling this story and reciting it each night of the tour hoping to perfect it before we get to our last stop in Wonstrow, Somerset.

First stop, Cornwall, Calstock! we are playing in the village hall where it seems like all the local folks are on hand to help with the set up, ( as we have to bring and install most of the equipment like sound and lights etc….) we have a first class soundman on board with us ‘Paul Bull’ who was born in the southwest, Exeter! which was very handy for us all.

I just love it when you turn your equipment on and it just does what its suppose to do ( i.e meaning it works and sounds great)….paul has hired some really great equipment so this little village hall sounds fantastic accoustically.

The stage did feel a little insecure though, (i think in retrospect it would have been better if we had just played the concert from the floor level)..all the same, nice concert and very warm and freindly people, made even more special by our hosts Martin & Tish.

A friend of there’s Mellissa, kindly allowed us to eat and prepare for the gig at her splendid lake side house.

All the remaining dates were performed in beautiful old village churches, most of the time in the middle of a field. it was such a great sonic experience to hear my music in this setting! having Accoustic bass player Mark Hodgson and Drummer Shaney Forbes who are part of my regular Trio (CWT) and Sound Engineer Paul Bull really allowed me to explore my musical palate as they play with such great sensitivity and really listen.

Stockland, North Devon, St Michael & all Angels Church really set the tone for these village church dates! we had been warned by our host Wendy that this event was soldout and the scheduled Vocal Improvisation workshop to be well attended with new local vicar Alistair McCollum up for the workshop.

Local Hero, Wendy (an artist in her own right) who organizes a lot of events in this church and around north devon was so key in making this such a successful workshop and concert! it was during the workshop that vicar Alistair McCollum enlightened me to the fact that these old churches around england have the design of the Ark from the story in the bible of Noah’s Ark.

That info really lined up well with my workshop introductions where i describe us all going on a journey out to sea on a boat.

One of the great things about doing these type of voice workshops is to see people young and old rediscovering there voices and really going for it. 

In all, we were fortunate to visit seven villages in the southwest! the two mentioned above plus: Heaton Punchard, Crediton, Chulmleigh, Asbrittle, and Wonstrow. 

In order to get to our final date in Wonstrow we had to drive through Bridgewater, so i was really exited by the prospect of Re-visiting the pub i mentioned above The British Flag, Chilton Street, Bridgewater Somerset, (i can still remember the exact address from all those years ago) for the satnav, making it real easy to find. it looked exactly as i remembered it, shaney had the video camera in hand as i was knocking the pub window to get someones attention! ( it was still only about 11am) and i guess we looked a little suspicious.

I was able to get one chaps attention (who was reluctant to open the door) as i was telling him the story of visiting this place a long time ago)! he then said “the lady that owned this pub still lives across the street at the blue door”! (WOW) .. as she opened, i mentioned my name, and she said Cleveland Watkiss? and with a big smile on her face invited us inside. Thus to say, the gig that night was one of our best.

Now at the end of this tour, its given me some of the best musical experiences of my career. i strongly endorse Rural Touring! its been a great way of bringing my art of vocal improvisation to people that love and appreciate it.

A’cappella Groups don’t come much better than TAKE 6, so when i was asked to open there show (with VocalSuite)  as part of LJF 2008 in the now refurbished RFH i was more than delighted. I’ve been a big fan of there’s from way back in the day when they were first called ‘Alliance’. a student friend of mine had a cassette tape he played me and not since hearing Bobby McFerren had i heared A’cappella music with such soul and precision.

My freind and sound man that night the great Nixon Rosembert did an amazing job in the sound check! as i walked on this massive stage (probably the biggest stage for VocalSuite to date) it hit my how grand this really was….i did my thing within 40mins and got really great support and encouragement from the crowd. As Take 6 opened there show ( as you can imagine if you were not there they were awesome) gave me the biggest complement by saying ” was’nt he awesome?  what it take’s us six to do this guy does it all by himself”

Respect.

Between oct/nov 2008 for a six week period, in conjunction with Serious (music promoters) and as part of the london Jazz festival (LJF) 2008, I’ve been working on a vocal workshop program for two Primary schools in Barnett north london (Colindale and Holly Park) called ‘Vocal Express’, with up to 120 children teaching them the Art of Jazz and Scat singing.

This ended with a concert @ the Artsdepot with the children’s Re-Written lyrics to standards like ‘A Foggy Day In London town’ and ‘Pick Your Self Up’ and some of the most adventurous Scat Singing i’ve ever heard and a fun time had by all.

 My Trio was also programed to play a week later as part of LJF 2008! we had a soldout show with a lot of elderly folks in attendence. after the first solo voice piece i began to describe the process and the technology i was using i found it quite amusing how hip this audience was to this kind of technology! this is a newish venue with loads of potential for great live concerts in the future.

7th november 2008! only 3 days after what for me is the most exiting day of my life,America Elect’s Barack Obama as there next President, so thats all the talk on this journey btw me shane, and driver dj le Rouge….a man for all the people? well at least nearly 200 million in the USA and millions around the world think so! at long last, a shinning torch of hope and promise of Change. only three weeks ago the worlds finance system looked like it was gonna crumble!

and now, the prospect of real change! an opportunity maybe to wipe the slate and start again (The  Real Revolution).

all the crap our so called leaders have been doing ( esp over the last decade)….and now.. a chance for world unity.

Unlike most people’s predictions,i believe Barack Obama will do a quick job of fixing the problems…sure! he’s got a heavy task ahead, but has the support of the people on an un-presidented scale.i felt i had the support of the people @ the Cube on the 7th nov, playing to a full hse of listeners and supporters, knowing that for the next two hours they will come on a journey! our journey through sound, text and visual.

Needless to say tonight’s performance is dedicated to the new President Elect! i’m thinking right now how Jazz has transformed my life in so many ways, meeting many people from around the world…forging long and lasting relationships,getting a perspective of the world though a jazz lens. Before we hit the stage i challenge shane (who has taken up boxing) to a sparring match..he’s much younger and faster than me but i’m hangin in there! he’s moving around like a whippet…i can’t get a fix on him..ding..ding!….he’s saved by the the bell! its show time… i’m out of breath and have to start the set! solo voice.

its one of those gigs where there are no direct monitors only out front speakers,so the ears have to work much harder so i can project the right vocal sound.Two great musicians in the house! my special guest Corey Mwamba and Dennis Rollins, Vibes And Trombone Respectively.There is a spirit of celebration in the Cube to night!

Oh! by the way, did i mention Barack Obama is the first Black President?

On Arriving in sheffield, it strikes me again how messed up the road system/signs for directions are for most places in England. can’t make a U turn anywhere in the city of sheffield it seems! as we where just an hour away from huddersfield, there was plenty of time beforesound check, so had a wander around the city centre! ( mainly looking for a charger for my phone)….

Our drummer for this date (Winston Clifford) has taken a serious interest in my looping device, taking every spare moment to create vocal loops…we leave him looping and having loads of fun with the (Looperlative) as me and Bassist Mark Hodgson head out for an evening meal before the gig.

I start the first set with VocalSuite (always like to start my shows with something completely improvised) as i get into this baroque type improve piece i notice the light on my radio mic saying ‘Goodbye’, the battery is completly dead! i look over to Winston and see him bowing his head in embarrassment!

is it me or are these 9v batteries we buy today not as powerful as they were years ago? this was a new one i put in at sound check (6pm), and i could’nt get 2hrs use from it! well all was’nt lost as i had started to capture some of the ideas and quickly replace the battery.This is the beauty about live music (especially Improvised music)….completely different from the day before! sound of the hall, accoustics, people, and we played the two 1hr sets accordingly.

First time I’ve been on the M1
heading up north of a long time
and….you guest it! major accident..long
delays etc..but we all still got to the venue in good time.
Felix and the tech crew @ the Lawrence Batley Theatre were extremely helpful!
even riggin up my portable video and hardisk recorder from the the lights!

(which ended up not being such a good
Idea as there was loads of noise from the lights on the recording).

The setup I bring out on the road is:

Looperlative (looping device)
Portable mackee mixer
Lexicon reverb
Cordless mic
Beringer Foot controller.

Gig went really smooth being the
first one of this tour!
nice appreciative crowd.
Had a couple there that saw
one of my performances over
twenty years ago…wow time fly’s.

 CWT  features: bassist Mark Hodgson and drummer Shaney Forbes.

VocalSuite: is a Solo Voice performance.

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