Here’s a fantastic review of My Friend Lester by Hope Wisechild for Brighton & Hove Free Press.
New dates and venue for My Friend Lester
Maria’s play “My Friend Lester” was a great success when we did it at the Jive Monkey in August. I am happy to tell you that we will perform it again, this time at the distinguished Marlborough Theatre. Get your tickets for either October 26 or 27! £8 Advance and £10 on the door.
My Friend Lester
My wonderful wife got all creative when we got back from our honeymoon and wrote an amazing play about the music and relationship between Billie Holiday and Lester Young. She’s Billie and I’m going to play Lester! It’s probably the first time the world sees a Swedish, bearded Lester Young. It has been so interesting doing the research for this. I have dived deep into his music and I feel like it has made my own jazz playing better. What a great man!
The show has so far only one performance, 3 August at the Jive Monkey in Brighton. Get your tickets here!
Music Transcription Service
I just added a new item at the top menu – Music Trancription Service. If you need sheet music of any kind, of any song, transposed into any key feel free to contact me. I’ve written hundreds of arrangements from lead sheets to big band and everything in between.
FishBulb – Björn Dahlberg Quartet live at the Brighton Blue Note
Here’s my tune FishBulb from the gig yesterday. Awesome playing by my friends I have to say!
Björn Dahlberg Quartet at the Brighton Blue Note
I’m super excited! Tonight I will be playing all my saxophones and clarinets at the Brighton Blue Note together with Paul Richards – Guitar, Jim Whyte – drums and Terry Pack – bass. Since I moved to the UK I haven’t really found an outlet for this material. The jazz I play have mostly been swing with the Magic Numbers and others and standards at the jam sessions. I love doing that and it’s been great exploring the earlier styles but to be able to play some of my own favourite compositions will be something extra. We will play several tunes from my old project Boogaloo B – A Technicolor soundtrack of twist and New Orleans funk and more. It’s 11pm-1am (jazz hours!) underneath the Greenhouse effect, 63 Church Rd, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 2BD.
Read more about it at Paul Richard’s site You can hear some of the music at my old MySpace site
“Brighton Boy” released!
Finally Maria McAteer’s debut single “Brighton Boy” is here! I’m especially proud since I wrote the music and plays a bunch of instruments on the track. Maria of course wrote the beautiful lyrics and sings with her gorgeous voice. Here is the video.
During a limited time you can get the single for free at mariamcateer.com
Made Up at Soho Theatre
I’m doing such an amazing show at the Soho Theatre at the moment. It’s an improvised play by three actors who call themselves Cartoon De Salvo and a four-piece band called the Adventurists. The title is given by the audience and then we as a band improvise the score and the actors improvise the story. It’s complete magic. You can book tickets here and read a great review here.
David Myhr UK release!
My old friend David (who used to be in a band called The Merrymakers) has been busy recording his Beatles-tinged power pop during the last couple of years. Finally it’s time for the release! I’m really proud to say that he asked me to play keyboards at his London date. Come along to Borderline 31st March and enjoy the Soundshine!
CD release – the Swing Ninjas
The Swing Ninjas second album “Stop Killing The Jazz Man” is out and I’m on it! The release was yesterday at the Mesmerist in Brighton and it was jam packed with swing lovers and lindy hoppers.
Check out the Facebook gallery from the night.