CURRENT PROJECTS

2010:

A highlight was the concert performance of Merrily We Roll Along at the Queens' Theatre, part of Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday celebrations.

In summer to Wimbledon, and the Childwickbury Arts Fair

Off to Aldeburgh in March for A Tale Of Two Souls, a new project composed by Peter Letanka, and performed by local students.

In February I accompanied Stephanie J. Block in cabaret at the Players' Theatre.

In January I recorded some tracks for the forthcoming CD by K-Groove.

2009:

In December I spent three weeks touring the USA with the Christmas version of the Ratpack show, in Dallas (again!) and Hartford.

In the autumn I did some performances of the show 'That's Amore', starring the excellent Mark Adams as Dean Martin.

In July a cracking concert at the Petworth Festival with the Burning Bush.

June saw the usual Wimbledon tennis bandstand music, with the Red Hot & Blue Orchestra.

In spring the inaugural gigs of a new project, the Tivoli  Cafe Band.

In late February I flew to the USA for some dates on the Ratpack tour, in Louisville KY, Dallas TX, Schenectady NY & Tampa FL. 

In February I played at London's Pizza On The Park with Jack Raymond & Friends, followed by  a production of a new opera, 'Tarantula In Petrol Blue' composed by Anna Meredith, at Snape Maltings ...definitely a highlight of the year. 

The start of the year saw a series of highly enjoyable gigs with Stewart Curtis's K-Groove.

2008:

In November I toured Denmark with the Ratpack show, and played in a RADA production of the musical Poppy, musically directed by Gary Yershon.

In July the Burning Bush played at the Buxton Festival.

WEST END ROCKS played a great outdoor show to several thousand people in Luxemburg in June.

To Abbey Road in May for a recording, along with members of the Burning Bush, of some music for the film DEFIANCE (dir. Edward Zwick), starring Daniel Craig. 

I also participated in a live DVD recording of the comedian Jimmy Carr's show at London's Bloomsbury Theatre. 

The Burning Bush played a concert with the RTE Radio Orchestra, conducted by Robert Ziegler, at the Helix in Dublin on 21st February.

In January I played with K-Groove. at Mill Hill Jazz Club, and with the Burning Bush at the Henrietta Barnett School in North London, followed by a week in Birmingham AL, USA!

2007:

In late September/early October I toured the US for three weeks, playing Atlanta and St. Louis...my first working visit to the US, and a thoroughly memorable trip.

The Burning Bush played at the Greenwich & Docklands Festival in August, and the Childwickbury Arts Fair in Hertfordshire in July. 

June was of course time for Wimbledon. As usual I played (bass, not tennis!!!!) in the rain and (occasionally) sunshine, while happy punters quaffed champagne and ate strawberries. 

In May I played in a workshop presentation of a new musical RAINDOGS.

April: some music rehearsals for MONKEY: JOURNEY TO THE WEST, the forthcoming circus opera, composed by Damon Albarn.

In March I played electric bass in TOMMY at the Wilde Theatre, Bracknell. Musical Director was Andy Smith.

In February I recorded some songs from a forthcoming musical by composer Dominic Harlan. My friend Barry Cook played drums.

Early 2007 saw a couple of gigs commemorating Australia Day with Chelsea Plumley.

2006:

In the summer of 2006 The Burning Bush recorded a selection of pieces for BBC TV's HEAVEN AND EARTH SHOW. They were screened in January 2007.

Early in 2006 I accompanied Chelsea Plumley, a terrific Australian cabaret artist, at London's Too2Much club.

2005:

In October 2005 I recorded 4 one-hour-long episodes of a new BBC TV series entitled THE SOUND OF MUSICALS as part of a 22-piece orchestra, accompanying a variety of artists singing a range of musical theatre songs from Rogers & Hammerstein to the present day. The series was screened in January/February 2006.

In February 2005 in Chichester THE BURNING BUSH played their second concert with the BBC Concert Orchestra. The first was at the Royal Festival Hall in London in February 2004, and both concerts featured, among other stuff, a collaboration between the group and orchestra of a suite of Jewish folk music arranged by Roddy Skeaping.

During the summer of 2004 I participated in the recording of a CD of music for wind ensemble by the late composer Geoffrey Stern. The CD MUSIC FOR WINDS features the excellent Galliard Ensemble, but Geoffrey added electric bass for rhythmic propulsion on two tracks. We recorded this challenging but evocative music live in a church in South-East London, and the resulting CD is now out.

December 2002 marked the end of a happy association, lasting some twelve years, as bass-player with the singer Helen Shapiro.

In 2002 I recorded the theme-tune and incidental music for the TV series NIGELLA BITES, composed by Barrie Bignold.

In 2001 I recorded some incidental music for a feature-length documentary entitled STANLEY KUBRICK - A LIFE IN PICTURES, directed by Jan Harlan.

Since 1997 I have been playing double-bass in the musical CHICAGO, currently at London's Cambridge Theatre.

In 1996 I appeared (as a member of a Tango ensemble!) in the Alan Parker film EVITA.