Jazzy D's Soul Notes

Well, it was going to be a quiet day at home, but then Amanda called and asked if I wanted to have an evening with her at her home and have some curry. So, I caught the 2.50 pm bus into town and then catch the 660 bus at around 4 pm to get down to Painters Forstall. I brought a bottle of Shiraz red wine and then we had dinner at around eight in the evening. We had a very good chat and when we finished the wine and so on she rang for a taxi to take me home and she gave me the money to do so. Arrived home at around ten.



Amanda's fireplace.

She intimated that in a few weeks’ time we can have a few days up in London around her haunt of Chelsea and the Kings Road. She would also pay my expenses. I think she just needs a good friend. Looks like I am that friend.

One could not be in thrall to our mercurial weather which even on this first day of May continues to disappoint. The chilliness that has been the mark of the week is still around. However, despite my prevarications, I did venture out today to meet up with Ewart for a few drinks outside the Bull Inn.



We both look forward to May 17th when we can actually enjoy our beers inside.

Before the meet-up, I did whip around the charity shops to see if I could pick up some bargains. Found a reissue of the Beach Boys Pet Sounds for fifty pence and a Pam Ayers poetry book for the same price. The Beach Boys CD has both stereo and mono recordings of the album and an extensive booklet.

My brother coming42 asked me what Stravinsky Editions I need to complete the set. These are - Vol.VI Miniature Masterpieces and V Concertos - also there are Edition XII Robert Craft Conducts and these may be still available or if not easily second hand like on eBay or Amazon. In fact, all are around £6 - 10 on eBay right now.

Oh, it is time to listen to late-night radio three.

A whacking big IPSOS pay arrived today. Plus two sales from eBay amounting to thirty quid.
Also, last night during our three pints at my local Phil gave me this !!



I now have ten cards on my wall. One from Phil and one from the lovely qwentoozla all the way from California.

Just three visits today. One in Maidstone, one in Hempstead Valley and a pub in Chatham.

We had loads of snacky foods and sandwiches for the get-together, plus loads of mince pies, bucks fizz, mulled wine, tea or coffee and cakes,  profiteroles, and a choc eclair. I had a couple of Christmas Ales to help down all the food. I was sitting close to the Denon CD player and they had an album by Bandy Manilow on, so I sneaked on a jazz funk and soul mix CD and "The Quiet Revolution" by Ronny Jordan. I don't think anybody blinked an eye much when I put my cool tunes on lol!

 We then had the raffle and I won an item. a pair of JVC Headphones. Cool and stylish too.



I tried them on the mp3 player. Nice bass sound too!

The raffle raised £227 towards the cottage hospital in Faversham.

I took some pics during the festivities.



The lady to the left is Anna. She lives above me and is Thai I think.



Next to Anna is Joyce, my neighbour at number 38.



A few of the other senior citizens with Sue and Carol in the background, the support workers you could call them.

I must have had an afternoon siesta because I opened my door leading to the hallway to find an Amazon package from my brother. He warned me something was coming in the post yesterday. It was this -



Wire magazine reviewed this book in 1998 and said "As with Charlie Parker and Art Pepper, Evans's was a jazz life thoroughly shaped by drug dependence. So was the music - I'm sure the febrile, frantic uptempo of the last trio owed a lot to Evans's "cocaine period".He was mostly on heroin or cocaine, and Pettinger is clear on the squalor that resides alongs~dethe beauty. He is also not afraid to discuss the reverse racism that Evans suffered from. It certainly added to the pressures on this sensitive musician, notably during his tenure with Miles Davis. It IS a heart-rending, tragic story - one of his friends called it "the longest suicide in history". Reading this book brings it into close focus and, for those who love Evans's music, it will be almost unbearably poignant"

Also, the same review said that this " is a marvellous book. Pettinger is always stimulating, full of good sense, and eloquent about his subject's achievement. His book is an exhaustively researched labour of love. It is a continuous biography, and the musical argument is developed along the way."

Just got back from Herne Bay.I missed the last train back at 23:17 but due to rail works elsewhere there was a replacement bus service that left Herne Bay station at midnight.It took an hour to get here.

Still, the late evening visit has been done and the report finished. As it was steak night and that they had sold out of the Angus steak i had to have the sirloin. till, it was an enjoyable meal and all paid for by the research company.

Yes, i am 16 again in reverse.

Thanks to acelightning for sending me a virtual mixtape. Looks like i better do one today.

Thanks to all those who have wished me a Harpy Birthday.

Bro sent me a CD ,birthday cards with money in then to buy some beers. So here i am on this wet dull day having beer in my local Spoons pub.

We had a good journey down to Brighton today.We arrived half anhour before the Evening Star pub opened,so me and Phil went round for a little walk in the North Laines.

The lads had the usual Hophead and i had the Dark Star American Pale Ale.Then for the second round i decided i must try the Kissingate Murder of Crows barley wine on draught.A whopping 10 % ANV!





The likely lads in The Evening Star pub.





After that we all walked down to Bella Italia for the lunch.

I am in Spoons Whitstable doing my covert visit -just had a chicken vindaloo curry with garlic naan washed down with a real ale and a craft beer. Food was delicious but the curry could have been spicier, tongue numbingly hot as vindaloos usually are.

Mind you having hot spicy food on a muggy hot day does tend to cool you down.

Here is a venue we are going back to in September, Bellota in Brighton. This was taken August 2014. Mike and Graeme propping up the bar.

Well folks, what a wonderful evening we have had. We had booked th tapas place a good month or so ago. It was a festive tapas extravaganza. We had a starter, eight different tapas each for the main and a choice for dessert. Followed with coffee and a beer afterwards to ring in the New Year.

Fact is, there was too much food and it all cam put at the same time. Would have preferred it more staggered and even with my appetite i started to flag towards the end. I ended up finishing most of the olives from the starter and we had way too much bread with the starter. I ate all the octopus tapas because nobody else really liked it except for Lesley. I then devoured two bowls of the potatos bravos.

Then finished it all off with cheese and biscuits Spanish style.

Washed down with red and white wine and a Spanish Estrella beer to see the chimes of midnight,
But great food. I was stuffed!




The crowd, left to right are,  me of course, my bro and his wife Rosalind, then Annie and Graeme, and georgina. Lesley arrived later (as usual).



And here is the wonderful selection of food we had. Lesley had arrived by then, extreme left in picture.

Note my multi-coloured Dr Who scarf in the first picture redolent of the Tom Baker years.

I have other pics to put up but i shall do that in the morning. We are going over to Eastbourne first and then i have two mystery shops to do in Brighton.