This and that - and thanks, Avner!

POSTED BY: jetbrennan

POSTED ON: 08/16/07 17:42:58

It's so good to get back home and know that I can relax now that the Brittany and Ireland gigs are out of the way. Don't get me wrong - I love performing - but sometimes the novelty of different towns and different hotels wears off and the life of a studio musician can seem almost alluring!

I've got a batch of new songs to work on and - thanks to wise advice from Avner Strauss - I am hunting for a good flamenco guitar. I haven't been able to find a decent one locally so the next travelling I will do will be to try and find one with just the right sound and feel for me. If any fellow artists in the UK can recommend a good stockist that would be great.

And finally, Hashish To Ashes was a semifinalist in the UK Songwriting Contest - the first time I've entered for songwriting rather than performance so I'm quite pleased. It's another way of building up an audience! Cheers, Jet

Hashish to Ashes

POSTED BY: jetbrennan

POSTED ON: 07/05/07 01:14:23

Hi everyone from a smoke-free England. The smoking ban in public venues started on 1st July and I can really tell the difference. Now that the pub isn't full of the familiar fug of old I can see that the audience is actually composed of one man and a very bored dog!

Still it seems fitting to launch my latest, Hashish to Ashes, at this moment. Keep on coughing!

Cheers, Jet

Meeting a hero - Wizz Jones

POSTED BY: jetbrennan

POSTED ON: 06/21/07 23:38:13

Picture a small town in Cornwall, SW England. We've driven 200 miles to get here -a surprise break arranged by my partner- basically I was told to pack enough for a couple of days and get in the car! We're going to stay in Polperro but we've stopped off in Looe to stretch our legs and look at the harbour. On the way back to the car, I notice a familiar face, and the game is up! The Boss had spotted that one of my guitar heroes was playing a gig in Polperro and organised the break so that I could finally see him live: Wizz Jones, the man Eric Clapton and John Renbourne cite as an important influence. And there he is, just mooching, killing time. A quick introduction - he was in on the surprise apparently - and we're off to Polperro with me wondering at the Boss' capacity for keeping a secret for so long!

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Cruel Coincidence - new track upload

POSTED BY: jetbrennan

POSTED ON: 04/15/07 00:00:38

Just uploaded Cruel Coincidence. This is a live recording, the first I've ever done in the comfort of my own home - thanks to the Boss - actually to both Bosses as I've been allowed to spread my music paraphernalia where I like. I'm no techie myself so I am lucky that I have help on hand for the PC side.
Anyway, Cruel Coincidence is more uptempo than my usual stuff and it was fun playing it at gigs in Brittany - the audiences seemed to enjoy chanting the chorus.

Just finishing off the next song: a country style track that I have been advised not to play within earshot of the newly bereaved or divorced - it has been described as a three handkerchief job! It's true what they say, it's much harder to write a happy song or maybe it's just my dour Scottish half being dominant.

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