Off to Melbourne this weekend for a gig with family entertainer and ukelelevangelist Mike Jackson. It's at midday on Sunday 21st, at the Waterfront City Piazza (Docklands), followed at 1pm and 2.10 by appearances from the Melbourne Ukulele Kollective.
At 1.30 and 3.30 there will be Uke'n Play Ukelele Workshops in which Mike and Di Jackson demystify this underrated instrument with a chance to get to grips with it yourselves.
I've made quite a few records with Mike: one even went Gold, which looks good on the wall when clients wander round the Blue Bear Studio complex. Most of my subsequent releases have gone Knotty Pine.
You can have a listen to what we got up to in days of yore: try this setting of CJ Dennis' The Triantiwontigongolope for voice - that's Mike - and clarinet quartet - that'll be me. The song also features the kids of Canberra's O'Connor Co-op School and my son Robin's recording debut: Tri.... Trianti.... Triantiwontigongolope!
And re clarinets and Melbourne: Clarity is recording my clarinet quartet Starling at Move Records' Eaglemont studio this weekend.
This month's Proverb of Hell ? — One for the newish year:
The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship. (Blake c. 1790)
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