My Christmas Message

 If Christmas is the season to be grateful, then boy am I grateful !

 I`m grateful for the help I`ve received from friends & colleagues, old & new. I`m grateful for the support & encouragement they`ve offered me. I`m grateful for the laughs & the ribbing. And, I`m grateful for their kindness & warmth towards me. For, these friends of mine have inspired me to keep going, to keep at it, to make it work &, for anyone, that`s priceless.

 Happy Christmas to each & everyone of you...You know who you are !!

The Rolling Stones ~ Lonesome & Blue, 2016 ~ A Review

Its an album that`s been in the making for years. In my opinion, we have had had glimpses of it on b -sides & odd album tracks over the years, but nothing like this. The Stones are clearly enjoying themselves playing the Blues. Its fairly obvious this album has only really happened due to a recent upsurge in the popularity modern Blues is enjoying. There`s not a Jagger/ Richards penned track included, which is odd, & a little disappointing, but Eric Clapton guests on the finale, making the album sound even better. On a lasting note, I think the album is exciting, well recorded & produced. But, most importantly It highlights just how good The Stones really are, fundamentally, as a band. Like everyone else here, I really hope they gig this album soon !!!

Little Geno - The band The Never Was

A while back, some time last summer, a band came into existence that many people within the industry thought had great potential. This is a similar story the world over, but what made this a different story was that all three members really never wanted to make a difference to anyone, but just enjoy playing.

 All three members, Matt, Paul & Dave hailed from London, North & South, decided one afternoon to go into the studios to mess around & see what, if anything, could be achieved. The guys were seasoned musicians with interesting musical histories within the film & music industry behind them.

 Matt, the drummer, decided to take the initiative & record one of the better tracks of the afternoon session.

 Sit Tight was the track & once it was uploaded onto Youtube it created quite a stir with other musicians. Little Geno were invited & asked to take part in a few other projects, festivals & the like, even being asked to support other established bands.

 But, sadly, after just one session, & with plenty of good opportunities in their midst, Little Geno, called it a day & disbanded.

 So, here is that video of the band that never was....

 https://youtu.be/cHdTpq23W90

Great Jam Sessions Jimi Hendrix All Along The Watchtower London Scene Dove Jones House Blues

Feeling as though there really is something to bestow within the London Jam scene.

For example, here is a clip of a jam that I chanced upon a few weeks back in the West End, mid week, on a Tuesday night.

 Have a listen & I`ll get on the case with posting up somemore.

 Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower / The Dove Jones House Blues Band


https://youtu.be/akcYz5BQxyA

Los Angeles ~ A Poem, 1968

I looked up, straight into the sun & once the glare had subsided I saw hills, the sun & an Angel. Then the Angel came down besides me, looked deeply into me & then pointed in the direction of the east. " Go this way, if you want to not be lost any longer ", said she. Then I stirred, woke & began to realize that I had indeed arrived at home for, I was already where I started...in the city of The Lost Angels ~ Anonymous -1968 ~

GREAT LIVE BLUES JAMS. THE ART OF SOHO, LONDON, MY TRAVELS AS A DRUMMER

HERE IS ANOTHER FINE EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE GREAT LIVE MUSIC TAKING PLACE IN LONDON AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

 OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS I WILL POST UP SOME LINKS OF QUALITY LIVE MUSIC THAT I HAVE PLAYED IN A DRUMMER

https://youtu.be/AuV0wCgzF5g

~ Nathan Higgins ~ 1999 ~

Once again its that time of the year when I run around searching for the right photo to share of someone that`s real important to me. Its today, the bank holiday, that I also like to write a few words on how cool this person was, how much I still miss them & how much they still inspire me. 

But this year I shan`t do that. Nope, this year, I`m going to let my little Brother, Nathan, do the talking.....

 

Brexit; A Personal Account.

Now, you, the reader of this, may see me as naive, uninformed or even silly, but either way I felt it important to write a little bit about why I, as a British citizen, voted to leave the European Union. And, of course, in the true democratic fashion, please feel free to comment below. 

 I voted out, not because of immigration, because I'm not a racist, I voted out because the Common Market has evolved into something entirely different to what we as a people, signed up for originally

 I'm not one of the older ones who voted us "IN" back in the 1970's. Back then the Common Market did not seem to appear to make much difference to the British people then. The economy was booming, there were plenty of jobs and it was way before "The Winter of Discontent", so it was, by all intents & purposes, the right thing for people as it t was all about trade.

But, now the EU has evolved into a huge bureaucratic monster, which clearly has empire building aspirations, it has eroded our ability to self-determination, our independence, even our ability to make our own laws. It has also taken away the voice of the man & woman on the street. 

 For a long time now the normal man & woman has felt unheard, ignored & ridden roughshod over by an uncaring, austere organisation that takes almost none of their feelings & traditions into account. 

And, that is the reason why I voted out. 

GYPSY -THE MORNING DEW -1971 ~AKARMA RECORDS ~

`Gypsy `, the first track on side two of, Akarma`s, The Morning Dew, which was originally released in 1971, is, to put it mildly, out of this world. Its solid late 60`s, Psychedelic Rhythm & Blues at its best. Floor stompin`, lots of good drumming & plenty of Hammond Organ. Its got the lot !!

When I first heard this great track I was instantly floored by Mal Robinson`s masculine overtones that bit deep & threw me about like a rag doll all over. More than once, as he sang of his unrequited love for the elusive gypsy, who tantalizes him with her crystal ball & tambourine, was I put in mind of those that I myself have loved & been drawn to along the path, but only to have gotten myself into a hopeless mess over.

He implores her to return, but all the while knowing she has gone for good. Just for a second one is left wondering whether she has really vanished. Hoping that perhaps, just maybe....then suddenly Mal`s pained, rasping, solid vocals, smash that fantasy & you know that she, the dark haired beauty off yore, has indeed gone.

And so she must, as all beautiful, tantalizing shadows must, because, like the song, she is the all-powerful, all-seeing beautiful enigma of the night.

Have a go on the Psychedelics of this, but tell them Gypsy sent you....

https://youtu.be/sPoq06jozwU

Samson & Delilah ~ A Modern Interpretation

Everything negative, everything that was once healing & helping, is now leaving me. Everything that I once thought was good has now gone. Things, people & situations that I once went to are no longer a part of my life, my dimensions, my scope, are nowhere to be found any longer. And, although somewhat confusing, I really do feel positive about this dynamic change that is affecting me today.

 Yesterday I found myself in the hospital having an lump removed from my back after just going there for a consultation. The Doctor deemed it serious enough to have operated upon it immediately. Naturally, I was a bit taken aback, but knew it was right for this to happen. So, in the interim I chilled out, laughed with the girls on the reception & meditated until the time came for me to `go -under`.

 After returning home I slept, ate a little & went to bed. My usual meditative practices helped me to understand basically what had happened & its relation to all the recent changes that have been taking place in my life. I was able to see that, in short, everything has left me. The presumably, cancerous, lump has gone, just like my long hair went a month ago, exactly, the same dynamic took away my quiet, contained life & put in its place a better, healthier existence that includes other people, more music, more love.

 In the short term, these losses have touched me & now I am beginning to see just how profoundly I have been affected by them. No Father, for a long time, to fall back on, to go to, to ask & then the shock of having my hair cut off, & seeing just how closely associated that is to the relationship with my Mother.

 Like Samson, I too felt the trauma of allowing someone close to make such a major sacrifice on my part that I did not think I would get over it. And, like Samson again, I too experienced the loss of my masculinity to the matriarchal feminine.  For, I had perservered for nearly a year to get my hair to a length that I had always wanted. But, showing the confidence to stick at something that I wanted showed tenacity, self -love & focus; Mother wanted control back so saw & used my achilles in the moment.

 Not feeling wholeheartedly confident in my new look, she took no time in telling me how awful, shocking it looked & how my life would be better if I had it cut off & returned to not looking like Jesus. I fell prey & had it cut off the next day. Oh, how I wish I`d had the confidence to say No to her, but, I did not, alas, & now can see that I have to start again.

 Contrast this with the removal yesterday of the lump & I can see that all things I no longer need are leaving me. Although I loved my hair I did not know this whilst I had it. It had to leave, be sacrificed, for me to understand my passion. Like Delilah, who cut off Samsons hair, she took into account no consideration for her future &, in that act of selfishness, set about the fall off her people. But, not dramatically, in my case, Mum took my hair so that I could see the symbiotic connection, break it off & free myself of the blockage her love has caused in my life. And, since coming to understand this situation within me I have been able to see the symbolic side of yesterdays operation & see that life is returning to me away, but away from her.

 Life is returning to me now, through the shock of being without my hair. I have learned to appreciate it so much more. I`ve bought products that will help & enhance the type of hair that I have. I have got in touch with my locks & made friends with them so that they can help me, like Samson. But, most importantly, I have had the wherewithal to include my Mother in this process.

 She felt bad after realizing that the exact opposite had happened when I explained to her that I wanted my hair back even more than when I had it. And, if she did not like it then that was that. For her act, had given me back my voice, my strength & my masculinity. She realized that the matriarchal figure had, in the end, set about a process of letting go of her Son by taking his hair for a sacrifice so that he could return to the life she had intended for him, but without her interference.