Now that we’re well into 2004 it’s time for a short update, and thanks for coming to this web site and for taking the time to read the information below!

January and February which are usually quiet months in terms of gigs for me have been good this year. A lot of this is due to a couple of projects with the Apollo Sax Quartet. We’ve had the privilege of working with the Goldberg Ensemble, directed by Malcolm Layfield, premiering new works that the ASQ commissioned for saxes and strings from Howard Skempton, Graham Fitkin & Barbara Thompson. Hopefully a CD will follow later this year. Also, a couple of gigs with poet Lemn Sissay, who is a real individual, check out some of his writing. Concluding this run of gigs was a performance at Leeds Fuse 04 yesterday. Again check this out if you can, it’s a new festival with Apollo friend Django Bates as Artistic Director.

James Gourlay gave the world premiere of a new work that I composed for him entitled ‘Going Down’, for solo tuba with sampled tuba CD. He’s since performed this piece in USA. The tuba connection continues when later this year Tubalate will premiere a new work that they have commissioned from me. The tuba is one cool instrument!

A few months ago I made the rash decision to commission a new work for tenor saxophone and CD from composer Graham Fitkin, rash because I suddenly realised that there was no way I could pay him with my meagre musicians earnings! So along with my manager, Russell Gillespie, we’ve formed ‘The Worldwide Tenor Saxophone Consortium’ which means that Graham’s piece will be premiered worldwide by about 12 players in Europe, Japan and USA in March 2005 (and we all split the commission fee!). In due course there will a page on this site dedicated to the WTSC.

If you fancy listening to something different, great writing and very well performed, then check out Duo Mandala’s CD ‘Tapestry’ just released on the Black Box label. Lauren (my wife) plays harp along with Alison Stephens (mandolin) and they’ve worked exceptionally hard over the last ten years building a repertoire for the Duo. I was lucky enough to be the producer for this recording sitting alongside my Apollo colleague Tim Redpath who recorded and engineered the CD. Great pieces from a couple of good friends, Bill Connor and Paul Mitchell Davidson.

Finally, sometimes unexpected things happen that give you a boost, this was definitely the case at DeBees (the venue for my local fortnightly jazz quintet gig) a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to some great negotiating from my friend Jim Muirhead (Halle Orchestra), he persuaded Branford Marsalis who was in the UK performing with the Halle, to drop by on our gig! Branford was fantastic, he sat in for the whole of the second set!!

Best wishes until next time,

Andy