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Gary's May Blog April was one of my busiest months ever. Finland in Lahti was a lot of fun. Ben Pope conducted the Lahti Symphony Orchestra for "Night and Day", a tribute to Fred Astaire with myself and Rachel Weston singing. Everyone is always so very friendly in Lahti and in between our three concerts we visited their enormous Olympic ski-jump and enjoyed two more ice swimming sessions - 20 seconds in freezing water sets you up for the day like nothing else! The link below is me singing "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra.
Then it was Olympia with the James O'Carroll Big Band, up to Hull to present a film for the NHS, back to London for Boisdale's, then the next day to Lisbon to join the Queen Victoria. She's a great ship and we had a wonderful time. Back for a day, and that night I was thrilled to catch Eliane Elias and her band at Ronnie Scott's. I think of her as Brazil's answer to Diana Krall, only much more fun! Along with Robert Fowler's "Tight Lines" (available on Amazon) Eliane Elias' "Three Americas" is an album that's always getting played in our house. Then it was to Dublin for "Big Band on Broadway" with the RTE Orchestra, Rod Dunk and Emma Kershaw. This was the premier of our new show and a real thrill to hear many of the songs from the Swingin' on Broadway album with full orchestra. Back home to see The Black and White Ball, a new musical play at The King’s Head with our friends Chris Stanton as one of the leads and Joe Pettitt in the band. The play’s great and weaves some great Cole Porter songs through the plot. We rounded off the month with a day at Ascot - a real treat. BBC Radio 2 was kind to me. Russell Davies played It's a Fine Day for Walking Country Style from Swingin' on Broadway, and Desmond Carrington played Anything Goes from the In The Lounge album. Highlights for May include Opus One's Anniversary Concert in Hatfield, the Pigalle in Piccadilly, and two more concerts with the RTE in Dublin: "The Gershwins in Hollywood" with John Wilson, Kim Criswell and a new Sinatra tribute concert with Neil Thompson conducting. I am thrilled that a run of five shows at Ascot has been confirmed for December this year. Watch out for more details. Concert to watch online! My recent Fred Astaire concert with Rachel Weston and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ben Pope was filmed, and is available online for you to watch in full until 2nd May. Titled “Night and Day” the concert featured some of the many great standards that Astaire introduced in his movies, including Cheek to Cheek, Dancing in the Dark, Puttin’ on the Ritz and They Can’t Take That Away from Me. You can watch a clip of I Won’t Dance here:
Gary’s April Blog March got off to a great start in Ireland with a new program of movie music with Rachel Weston, and John Wilson conducting the RTE Orchestra. From there I flew to Chicago for a week of sightseeing with the partner, Mark, to celebrate his 40th birthday. We had a great time but both came down with the flu – which only just cleared up in time for the Queen Mary 2 cruise from New York to Panama City. It’s so hard trying to perform with hardly any voice – like an athlete having to run a marathon with a broken leg! I missed my return flight from Panama so made the most of the extra day with a visit to the Canal museum. I’ve been through the Canal a few times and it was great to see how it all works shore-side. After having my phone nicked I asked my cab driver how safe it was to walk about the city on my own, he said "oh, it's totally safe... but don't wear any jewelry... or use a camera... or look anyone in the face because even the kids will shoot you." Nice. There are some great shows coming up – so I hope to see you soon! In the meantime we’ve put some new videos of our week at Pizza Express on YouTube. Click on this link for the show highlights:
and you can watch the whole of Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead here:
Gary’s March Blog It was great to be on the QE2 for her Farewell World Cruise, and to such nice places too like Tahiti, Tonga and Auckland - my first time in that part of the world. From there I went to Oulu in Finland with John Wilson, Matt Skelton and the Oulu Symphony Orchestra. We did the MGM programme and it was great to sing some of those arrangements again, like “I Like Myself” and “Almost Like Being In Love”, as orchestrated for the films. I was persuaded by some of the orchestra members to partake in the local pastime of ice-swimming. When we went to the local river, it was minus 12 degrees C - they spray the water around to stop it freezing over. The idea is to get in and stay there for about 20 seconds without dying. Bracing is the word. Click on the link to see a short video clip.
I am about to fly to Ireland for a new programme of movie music with the RTE Orchestra. I’ll be singing again with Rachel Weston. We last worked together on the Astaire concerts in Ireland last year. From there it’s to Chicago for a holiday and then… home! Gary's February Blog
Since I last wrote, it’s been pretty much non-stop. The new “Gershwins in Hollywood” programme with the Royal Liverpool was sensational. We performed the concert hall world premieres of pieces, which until then had never been heard in their original forms outside of the movie studios. It was great to work with Kim Criswell and John Wilson again. A big thank you to all of you who supported us at the Soho’s Pizza Express Jazz Club! We had a truly wonderful week – great houses everyday and sell-outs on Friday and Saturday. Reviewer Michael Darvell generously said “...not only is he a brilliant singer, he also puts the audience at ease. A lot of artists are not good at being themselves when not singing – Gary is as relaxed chatting as he is singing, and he’s funny too. Don’t miss him.” We’re working on a video clip of the gig and a few sound bites for the website. Today I begin a mission collecting as many airmiles as possible in the shortest amount of time… I first fly out to Tahiti to join the QE2. I sail to Auckland and fly straight on to Finland for two MGM concerts with the Oulu Symphony Orchestra, then from there to the RTE Orchestra in Dublin for a concert of movie music with Rachel Weston. From there I head out to Chicago to celebrate my partner’s 40th birthday, so that will be a treat. When I get back on the 15th March we're off to see Ellie Keanon's "Broad Band" performing in Hemel Hempstead - be there if you can! Gary's January Blog
Enjoying the world’s largest New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Madeira was little consolation when I should have been singing with Ireland’s RTE orchestra in Dublin. I spent Christmas on the SAGA Rose and instead of disembarking in the Azores, the ship was delayed, I missed the flight and missed the concert! Fortunately for everyone in Ireland, Matt Ford stepped in at the last minute – and did a terrific job (as usual). The new album ‘Swingin’ on Broadway’ was just launched on Radio 4’s ‘Loose Ends’ where I sang ‘The Street Where You Live’. There’s been lots of Radio 2 airplay from Clive Anderson, Elaine Paige, David Jacobs, Malcolm Laycock and Desmond Carrington. The album was featured on The Jazz and played by Anthony Davis and Jacqui Dankworth. We had a couple of great nights this month seeing Hairspray at the Shaftsbury, and Michael Feinstein at The Shaw. Michael was breathtakingly good and if you missed him, he’s back in September. I am seriously considering campaigning to make mandatory attendance part of the national curriculum…
Then it’s Pizza Express week! Come and see us at London’s premier jazz spot on Dean Street from 4th – 9th February. |
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I’ve just got back from a great week on the world’s grandest cruise liner – the Queen Mary 2 from New York to Barbados, and I’m now off to Preston and Liverpool (equally grand, in their own way) for a new programme: The Gershwins in Hollywood – with Kim Criswell and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic conducted by John Wilson.