Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Seventeen songs...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Souvenir XIX

November away...



Up at an unfeasible 4:30am and updating the blog, helped of course by Meg the Black Cat...



I'm quite busy right now and updating has slipped...

Also, a first stab at choosing seldom heard recordings or working on remixes to include in the new version of "Souvenir XIX" - the one recorded for the aborted Melville gig has been shelved and this new version reflects the ten CBQ songs which will be aired on Friday evening...

At 10, a call from my mum...

When she was visiting Pam last night with her friend Janette and Pam's old schoolchum Liz, sadly, another big seizure occured - her first for a couple of weeks at least - from my mum's description it was similar to those she had five weeks ago while staying at our house - and which led to her being admitted to The Western...

Having experienced this, I know it's not something my mum will have wanted to see and the memory of it will haunt and be unable to be forgotten...

I called the hospice immediately and received an update which advised Pam was ok this morning, slept a little later but had managed to eat breakfast...

The occasional medication being administered to keep tremors under contriol and seizures at bay has now been increased to hourly doses and this has the consequence of increased sleepiness...

Dreadful, terrible stuff - and the worst thing is, we all know it's not going to get any better...

Trying as best I could to put these thoughts out of my mind and with Anne out for a meet with chum Theresa, I made my way to Kat McKenzie's place for a trio rehearsal for Friday...

A good night's work and things are in place - or as in place as they can be with just two rehearsals (thanks to my leg problems) and some playing along with recordings...

Some issues were ironed out though and Ian and Kat each learned one more of my songs while I learned another of Kat's...

All in all then, I will play six CBQ songs solo (including four from the upcoming LP which soundtracked the rest of my day), a further three as a trio and one more as a duo as well as being a duo with Kat on one of her songs and a trio on three more of Kat's and three of Ian's...

So seventeen songs in all - the most I've played live for a good while...



Back home and a reassuring call to my mum before some telly then off to bed, very tired after the early start...

Highlight of the Day : Pam ok after a rough evening yesterday...

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Paintings and songs...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight

To HMV at lunchtime - no purchases...

In the early evening, along a gradually becoming festive Princes Street...



...for a private view of this year's Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition...













...including this work by our old chum Eona Aitken...













Other old chum Alan McLaren was also in attendance...











...as were ex-colleague Mark and his partner, seen through the doorway below, Galia...



Around seven, up to Out of the Bedroom to meet up with Ian and Kat...

Ian and I took the third and second slots respectively...

I debuted two songs from the upcoming LP, "Too Good To Be True" and "If I Fall", before Ian and Kat joined me for "I Re-Arranged the House"...



Kat also joined Ian on "San Francisco"...



All in all, an enjoyable evening and we hung around for headliner Jim Bryce's entertaining act before a lift home for me, Kat and her boyfriend Dave was supplied by Ian - even though we all live way over on the wrong side of town for him...

Going through No entry signs and red lights seemed par for the course but I was home much earlier to Anne and Meg than I would have been...

Highlight of the Day : Performing and Art viewing...

Monday, November 28, 2011

Walking and talking can be taken for granted...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Cloudland Blue Quartet - December Set

Up early and some quick mixes carried out on the two versions of the new song and on "Starlight Starbright"...

Possible final version of the LP mocked up and soundtracked the day, as is the norm when working on new stuff - the six song set for Friday was also listened to...

An unmentioned run through the set on Saturday evening had proved I am still not au fait with the others' work...

To physio first thing...

I entered, not able to walk very well and on crutches...

After a long consultation and much probing and testing, a long strip of plaster was applied from the sole of my foot up, the back of my ankle and calf to just below my knee, whilst the inside of the heel of my shoe was built up...

I exited, able to walk and my crutches were left behind...

Back in a week for more - I may need a stick - we'll see...

Took a bus to Fopp at lunchtime...


...no purchases but a chance meeting with Count Brodski was enjoyed...

Walked back to the West End successfully...

In the dark of the early evening, a bus to Fairmilehead for a two hour visit to Pam...



A better pic above than of late but it shows her at her best during the visit...

Post was opened and read out and pictures shown - Pam's first Xmas card, from chum Julie and family, a cute dual self portrait from Pam's "nieces" Olivia and Megan - daughters of chum Suzanne, a letter and pics from France from our childhood friend Lindsay and a card and jokes from pam's work colleague Pat were all enjoyed...

Sister Sheila, brother-in-law Andrew, nephew Andy and fiance Tori all arrived for the second hour and Pam enjoyed listening in to the chat...



A lift home was offered and accepted - the two bus journey back to Crispycat Towers would have seen me home around 10 rather than the more convenient 8:50...

Telly, then bed...

Highlight of the Day : Family visit to pam - and, of course, being able to walk again...

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Bookending...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Dar Williams - Promised Land
K D Lang - Hymns of the 49th Parallel

Another day of distinct parts...

Up super-early and to the back room with Meg the Black Cat to rework the lyrics for the new song...

Then, once the time was reasonable, singing them quickly over yesterday's music...

Previously they were too upbeat, now they are perhaps too downbeat - though the tune itself remains the same...

At 10, sister-in-law Jane arrived and took us down to our neighbour's restaurant for a charity coffee and cupcake morning...





Raffle tickets were purchased along with various other bits and bobs...

Funds are being raised for the Neuro-Oncology unit at The Western, where Pam was until a week ago...

This particular fund for the overall charity (there are many efforts going on simultaneously) has been set up in the memory of a young girl who turned out to have just 11 weeks to live when her tumour was diagnosed...

http://www.justgiving.com/Rachel-Appolinari

Pam's plight was also mentioned at the end of the event...

In the afternoon, Anne drove us over to brother-in-law Keith's to pick him up as we made our way out to Fairmilehead to visit Pam...

Today she was "ok" - asleep when we arrived but woke up and took her usual tome to really come to...



As always, it was so hard to take that she will never be able to speak again...

I can't really describe just how terrible all this has become...

After an hour and a half, during which I didn't manage to capture any of the smiles or laughs which Pam managed, we said our farewells and drove over to Anne's mum's for tea...

Here, the mood was more upbeat, raised of course by the kids...



Olly worked on a drawing just before they left...



The result...



..and off they went...



Back home, some quick work on the new song before and after "Garrow's Law"...

Two versions will now bookend matters and the CD track count rises to 12...

To bed...

Highlight of the Day : Making the new song better...

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Too good to be true, just a song title, not reality...

Playlist
McKenzie, Sclater & CBQ - December Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet - December Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight

Writing this five days on, it still ought to be simple as the day was split in three...

And I did not leave the house or take any pics (till last thing)...

Having finally retired around 2:30, part one commenced just after 8 as I went to the PC to work on parts for the others' songs for Friday...

Texts from Anne advised Bryan Adams having been very enjoyable...

Negotiating the stairs still required use of the crutches...

By the time Anne arrived home just before midday, I'd completed a cheeky wee six song solo recording of the trio setlist, using Kat's I-Phone recordings as a starting point and then finally removing them...

Still not sure though that I actually know the songs...

Part two commenced on Anne's arrival and we lunched together before she set off for Tynecastle for today's Hearts match versus bottom club Inverness (a glorious 2-1 win)...

As usual Queens threw away two points, drawing with Morton 2-2 after having been in the lead, away at Greenock - still rooted to the bottom...

Meanwhile, I was back at "Starlightnight" - meaning it's not finished - indeed I worked for a few hours on a new song, "Too Good to Be True"...

By early evening I had a final, reasonably upbeat, happy-go-lucky piece about the perils of internet dating, to take final spot on the LP...

It doesn't fit in though with the overall downbeat nature of the collection...

In the evening, it was mostly telly...

No driving yet meant no visit to Pam but we will see her tomorrow...

Meanwhile, last thing, Meg the Black Cat was, well, black...



Highlight of the Day : Music work...

Friday, November 25, 2011

While the cat's away, even though she's still here...

Playlist
Wilco - Kicking Television
Various - The Blue Note Box
Isaac Hayes - The Very Best of Isaac Hayes
Sclater, McKenzie and Cloudland Blue Quartet - December Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Bill Evans - Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah um
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
Miles Davis - In Person Friday Night at the Blackhawk
Various - One Album a Year 1951-2011

Awoke and thought my ankle was a bit better but walking was still a non-starter without the crutches, so I stayed in all day and all night...

Won a 3CD set on e-bay for £2 - jazz from the late 50's - turns out I have every note included already...

Idiot...

The day started horrible, stormy, windy and rainy...



Got slightly better just as Anne's chum Michelle and sister and niece popped round to whisk the Exec Producer through to Glasgow for tonight's Bryan Adams concert...

Left to my own devices, I proceeded to waste much of the day compiling a list of an album a year from 1951 to 2011 and ripping those from said pile of discs not already on the hard drive in a possible project for an upcoming 60th birthday celebration...

Other than a break to cook and eat some tasty chorizo based spaghetti whilst watching "Dad's Army" - and a cheering call from Count Brodski - I spent the entire day at the PC...

By evening time, I noted the pain in the achilles dissipating somewhat, allowing me to make my way around the house (except for upa nd down the stairs) without the use of the crutches...

Hopefully, my recovery will be closer to the two week estimate rather than the six to eight week estimate...

No doubt Meg the Black Cat and I will be staying up unfeasibly late tonight without the Exec Producer to Executively Produce us into bed at a reasonable hour...

While the cat's away, erm, even though she's still here...

Highlight of the Day : Pain receeding a little, let's see what it's like tomorrow...

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Not too mobile...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Live Set 20/11/11
Yes - Yesmix 1969-2011
John Coltrane - Trane's Blues
Ben Christophers - The Spaces in Between
Various - Electric 80s

Achilles tendon still not right...

Consequently, nothing much done today...

Horrible, windy, stormy day outside...

So, good to be in a cosy living room with Annie and Meg the Black Cat...



Managed a few steps today without crutches but, venturing out to visit Pam put things into perspective - I could hardly walk at all really...

Pam slept for the first half of our visit and woke of her own accord - but it takes a while for her to "come to"...

When she eventually did, communication was at an all time low other than a couple of laughs at some jokes from your correspondent...

Back home for "Rev" and "Big Bang Theory" which were funny enough but, unfortunately, reality is never far from the forefront of our minds...

Onwards and upwards though...

Highlight of the Day : A smidgeon of progress re the foot...

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Not the way to celebrate an anniversary...

Playlist
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Ben Christophers - The Spaces in Between
David Bowie - Toy
Yes  - The Ultimate Yes
Dutch Uncles - Cadenza

Once again awoken early doors (3:30am) with pain in the achilles...

A doctor's appointment just after 9 - took 10 minutes to make the minute or so walk from the bus stop to the surgery...

The doc advised nothing she could do for me...

A taxi to the Western General and to the Minor Injuries Unit around 10...

I was diagnosed with inflamed achilles tendon - mighty sore it is too...

And so, six years to the day after this, I find myself once more reliant upon these...



No driving, rehearsals for the gig cancelled for the time being...

Unbelieveable...

It could take six to eight weeks for this to sort itself out (or it could take two weeks)...

The cause?  It's a mystery but the nurse advised it could have been something as inocuous as standing on a small stone whilst walking...

Physio booked in for Monday...

Home to bed for the entire afternoon - and an evening in front of the telly with my foot up...

A consolation Chinese was ordered and the new CBQ LP soundtracked nicely the latest episode of "Frozen Planet"...

To bed slightly earlier than usual with extra pillows under the right foot...

Highlight of the Day : Well it wasn't being back on crutches...

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Pain is my achilles heel...

Playlist
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
Kenny Dorham - Blue Spring
Graham Bond Organisiation - The Sound of '65
Graham Bond Organisiation - There's A Bond Between Us

Awoke this morning around 4am with a horrendous pain in my achilles tendon...

No discernable reason...

As Meg the Black Cat settled down inside the guitar bag...



I soldiered on through the crisp, sunny day...



...and, soundtracked by the recent Kenny Dorham acquisition, brought home some flowers from a friend for sister Pam...



A new arrival from e-bay or Amazon or some such - two not great, just OK albums on one CD from Graham Bond...

In the evening, despite the painful leg, I even managed to give Anne a lift to the new Chinese restaurant opposite the Zoo for a belated birthday night out with her mum and sister Jane...

Back home, working on the set for the upcoming gig...

The expected call took me back to the Chinese and I ferried the ladies home...

To bed in much pain...

Highlight of the Day : Anne enjoying a night out...

Monday, November 21, 2011

The abstract expressionist feelgood factor...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
John Coltrane - Coltrane's Blues
Sclater, McKenzie & CBQ - December Set
Impossible Songs - Wild West Lothian
Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare

First thing, to the dentist to hopefully have my wayward molar fixed at last - alas, part of what remained of it sheered off when Dr Fenny was trying to remove the four week old temporary filling...

Mucho pain, sorted again for another couple of weeks with something called Fugee and some judicious planing down of the remains of the tooth to avoid it being pressurised too much...

A frozen face when, mid morning, a call from the hospital to advise Pam was to go to the hospice before mid-day...

A call an hour or so later to advise it was happening and could someone go to the hospital and collect all her stuff which they weren't able to take in the ambulance...

The Exec Producer duly obliged, before picking me up and driving us out to Fairmilehead...

A call to my mum and texting sister Sheila...

At the hospice, Pam is in a good sized room with one other lady whom we've not met yet - and a TV - Pam was enjoying Corrie and Emmerdale while we were in and we gave her her lunch...

The nursing staff are very attentive and it's a lovely relaxed atmosphere...

Pam seems quite happy here and it was a good visit - she even managed a few words - I'm just so glad and relieved she's not upset about coming here from the hospital...

In all the flurry of questions and form filling, I forgot to take any pictures but I can advise that, as is now the usual for Pam, she took it in her stride and was giving people smiles as appropriate - if only she could communicate more than this - I internally chastised myself for all the times in the past I've told her to stop talking so much - I'd give anything to hear her chattering away now...

All in all, not an easy day in the least...

Back home, we relaxed as best we could with some Tivo'd telly - "Harry Hill", "Merlin", "Curb Your Enthusiasm" then a sit in the back room with John Coltrane...

In the evening, with Anne at Keep Fit, I played along to the recordings of yesterday's rehearsal, put together our info sheet...



...and typed up my own versions of the others' songs to make things a bit easier for me...



Later on, on BBC Four, an excellent programme on American art in the 20th Century - Abstract Expressionism makes me feel good - preceeded an enlightening interview with Alice Cooper by Mark Lawson...

Even a forty year long Cooper fan like me gleaned some new snippets of info from this conversation...

Which reminds me - why do politicians and the media now use the word conversation when they mean discussion?

Very annoying...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Pam settled again...

Sunday, November 20, 2011

The trio progresses...

Playlist
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
The Divine Comedy - Regeneration
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Sclater, McKenzie & CBQ - December Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Acoustic set

Up at 7:30 with the intention of compiling a mix CD a la Murray's from last night - but got caught up instead with sorting out the wires under the computer...

Around 10, out with Anne in the car along to Roseburn and then a walk along the Water of Leith to the Gallery of Modern Art for breakfast...



































Back home around 12:30 and working on the possible songs for the setlist on 2 December...

At 2, down to Kat McKenzie's place for the first trio rehearsal with her and old chum Ian Sclater...



We're each learning two of each other's songs for a six song "trio" set...

An enjoyable afternoon's work...

In the evening to the hospital to find Pam sleeping - I did not wish to wake her...

Eventually though, she came round and we had a good visit, interacting with the other three ladies in the ward...



Back home and some telly enjoyed - "Garrow's Law" a particular highlight of a Sunday night's viewing these days...

To bed with a CBQ acoustic set on the cans...

Highlight of the Day : A new trio...