Huh. So, this is going well, isn’t it. So much for regular updates. I blame a heavy regime of saxophone and piano practise, combined with trying to add in a bit of guitar as well, plus all the other usual stuff that Gets In The Way. So this is going to be a catch-up bullet pointy set of things kind of post. You have been warned.

Hadar’s album launch took up a lot of time lately, but we ended up having an awesome night at the 12 bar last week. We had eleven other acts as well as Hadar’s first full band set in a while, so Muggins here volunteered to stage-manage, since no-one else did, which all boiled down to me spending the evening running around in stresshat mode telling people that they were on next and to go and tune up, as well as dealing with all the inevitable hiccups and burps that happen when you try and have that many acts in one night. It all worked out fine in the end, though, and people have said lovely things.

I am not going to any of the G20 protests this week, which is irritating me. Here’s why - I believe protest is important and essential but an unfocussed coalition of everyone against everything that does not have a strategy strikes me as a counterproductive waste of time. I will have no part in it.

My friend Daphna wrote an excellent if depressing article about the political situation in Israel over in the Guardian. You should probably read it.

I played piano at the Cross Kings the other Sunday in between acts at a one-off charity event. Haven’t been there for a while and forgotten what a great place it is. The musical highlight of the evening for me was seeing the excellent Roxy Rawson play again.

I also saw Daren Callow again at the White Hart in Whitechapel the other week, which was a fine thing. He is using more pedals than ever now - but tastefully - and is getting a huge sound controlled only by vocals and an acoustic guitar. Awesome to watch and listen to.

Oh, and I’ve been busking again. I’ll write more about that later.