Thanks to a colleague at Our Price Records, Basingstoke c1984, was introduced to the brass & harmonica sound of Sugar Blue. This is a tribute from a bedroom demo a couple of years later, two-track - bass/chords + "blues harp" - on keyboard (which also happens to rip off one of his bass riffs).


Blue, With Sugar

From Medway's finest The Claim's second album "Boomy Tella" (but sadly not included on the "Black Path" compilation cd) - honoured to have provided the trombone riff!

Beneath the reach

First track on the full six song four-track demo The Big Outdoor Type recorded in 1983, an up tempo live favourite (of mine, at least, even if C# minor made it probably the trickiest keyboard part!) and a rare darker mood for the band. Powerhouse percussion, too...

Last Man In Brazil

Three short pieces for saxophone, violin and piano recorded by S.V.P ("S'il vous plait" - see what we did there?!) at a performance in Matsuyama, c.1994. 

Midweek - Sunday Afternoon - Monday Morning

Recorded performance by members of Bristol University Music Department, Steven Mead (who went on to big things, particularly on the euphonium) on 1st trombone, myself on 4th (bass), and can't remember 2nd or 3rd except that the latter made a valiant effort as only a part-time player!


Trombone Quartet No.1 (First Movement)

Another university performance, but think I was conducting (coordination was even trickier than usual in this piece) rather than playing...

Trombone Quartet No.2 (First Movement)

The fantastic flugelhorn of Pete Judge (Get The Blessing, Three Cane Whale etc.), accompanied by myself on piano, playing 10 minutes worth of miniatures to start proceedings in the Classical Tent. A rather lo-fi recording from onstage MiniDisc (remember them?) - don't forget to turn the volume down again at the end!

The Openers at Ashton Court Festival 2000

Apart from soprano sax siren (the closest the synth got to the imagined oboe) and organ/sax ensemble diversion, all other parts played on electric piano presets, recorded in single takes on 3-4 tracks. 

Siren Song

Playing trombone on the A-side of the 1984 debut/swansong 7" single. 
Listen to the IMHO better (not just for the self-written brass parts!) B-side "Seventeen" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf6HmEM39ZM 

Big Outdoor Type - Call You On Sundays

First of a pair of pieces written to match the greater piano-playing prowess of my partner (duet and otherwise) and requiring considerable synergy (synergeticism?)  to pull off! Repeat performances (a rarity!) in various venues around Matsuyama including Espace 21, the Prefectural Art Gallery and Aono Hall. 

Synergy I

A bit of jazz, a bit of reggae, and more of the usual... actually realised years later that there are similarities to two Stevie Wonder songs in there, Higher Ground and Masterblaster Jammin'!   

Synergy II

An attempt to extend the usual one-minute wonder into a longer piece, hoping to cover a range of emotions in (one-minute wonder) variations on the original romantic-minimalist theme. First performed at Matsuyama Bansuiso Villa in 2012, difficult to get the full dynamic range from a digital piano in this recent home recording (= poor workman blaming tools).

Perpetual (E)motion Variations

First performed at Matsuyama Shimin Kaikan Chu Hall, celebrating the New Year in January 2013, this is a digital piano demo of the piece with the two parts double-tracked in single takes by yours truly. The bells, the bells...!


djpaterson

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