28/04/2009
It has been a little while since any updates have gone up so I'll try and put a 2009 spin on things. I have a Myspace page where there can be more recent or topical things, though I am bad at updating that page too. In fact if you are reading this, you probably came from there. Woohoo.

May 2008 saw the release of Sophie Bancroft's 'Handwritten' CDand a couple tours around to promote it. The band started out as a duo and became a quartet with the inclusion of Amy Geddes on fiddle and vocals while my old mate Ross Mitson came up from Norwich to add voice and guitar to the group. Four voices sound fantastic and Sophie's new material really takes off.


Dates include:
Friday 12th June: Three Harbour Arts Festival.
Tuesday 23rd June: The Hub, Penicuik.  
13th + 14th August: Acoustic Music Centre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
23rd, 24th + 25th October: Skye Jazz Festival
30th October

December 2008 saw the launch of the new Dave Milligan Trio cd 'Shops' . It has been a rocky road for the trio over the last 2 years and we struggled to get this CD finished while working through some of the murky quagmire that is the Scottish jazz scene. Dave has recently become a new dad so he is currently climbing the steep learning curve that is first time fatherhood. But in the meantime we have fired up a trio blog space where there is a very nice photo of the young Ella Milligan. All things being as they should be, there will be some dates coming up soon and there is talk of a Tune Up tour in April 2010, but I'm not going post that.

The Band Lyne is sleeping peacefully and may be revived at a later time, but not just now. I am writing for voices and strings and a few new tunes for the trio, and find myself short of time for my band just now.

And finally, I have been quite busy working with a range of new projects, well, they're new to me and my freelance side.

Kevin Mackenzie and I have been working up a duo over the last while. Double bass and acoustic guitar. It is a laid back jazz project and we play a few traditional songs where it seems appropriate. We have also bee out with a quartet playing jazz and having fun in different line-ups with the likes of Phil Bancroft on sax, Tom Gordon Drums, John Burges Sax and Tom Bancroft Drums.

A new group called Red Shift is one of the most exciting additions to the UK contemporary jazz music scene. The group includes; the legendary performer Rick Taylor (Elton John,George Russell, PeatBog Faeries), John Kenny (Steve Lacy, Chick Corea),Chris Greive, Phil O'Malley and Patrick Kenny. The rhythm section features Tom Lyne on Bass, Tom Bancroft Drums and Chick Lyall on Keyboards.

2009 and recent gigs include the mad and wonderful Martin Green Machine and the Kirkintilloch band. Imagine a sort of experimental explosive 7 piece electric folk band joined by a 40 piece brass band and let you mind imagine things you couldn't imagine (I know its asking a lot) and there you have it. I believe reviews from the first gig at Celtic Connections include comments such as 'indulgently loud' and 'crazed schoolboys' cropped up somewhere. Certainly worth a look if you like wierd and wonderful, and I certainly had fun.

Early 2009 and my run in with large folk groups continued at a Luxembourg date with The Unusual Suspects. It was a wonderfully mad experience and look forward to doing another one.

Perhaps less frantic but certainly beautiful will be some upcoming dates playing with Karine Polwart and also Kim Edgar.

And finally, the Pathhead Music Collective Ceilidh band has done a few more family Ceilidhs in the Pathhead village hall and the crowds of kids arriving seems to grow as much as the kids do. Its great to be able to do stuff in your own village

And that is about that, thanks for listening.