Toblog

1. v. The act of writing a weblog or 2. n. Toby’s weblog.

Soul Family at Ronnie Scott's

Natalie Williams and backing singers on stage at Ronnie Scott's Soul Family Night

Sunday night before a week of earlies is not generally a time that I would choose to go out. I’m glad I did. I’ve been meaning to go to Ronnie Scott’s for some time now so when my colleague Andrew suggested an outing to Soul Family I jumped at the chance.

Ronnie’s has been refurbished recently and is back to its former intimate opulence. Close seating and some standing area at the back is the order of the day but the compère Natalie Williams encouraged those standing to come and sit in the “Mosh Pit” at the front.

Normally I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Soul music – I don’t find it bad, just not something that, given the choice, I would listen to. But… Wow! This was great! Soul Family is live music as it should be: fun, lively and inclusive. There was a lot of improvisation going on all the time with The Ronnie Scott’s All Stars picking up music that they hadn’t heard before in a couple of bars.

As well as Natalie singing (and what a voice she has!) songs from her recent album there were numerous guests on stage all with their own unique styles. The performers were having a ball and thoroughly enjoying themselves, this proved to be infectious: even when the odd mistake happened everyone laughed with them.

It was with some regret that I left at 10 but I will go back. Be warned, though, the tickets sell out quickly!

Published on 2007/03/16 at 07:10 by Toby, tags , , ,

no comments

Canary Wharf at Dawn

One of the advantages of regularly getting so early is I get to see dawn. The weather in London this last week has been stunning so daybreak has been particularly pleasant. Camera phones don’t do too well in low light conditions (and I’m slightly shaky at 0530!) so these photos look better in thumbnail but they still give a good idea of the views that have greeted me on leaving the flat.




Published on 2007/03/15 at 07:08 by Toby, tags , ,

1 comment

TCSOTD 2007-03-13

Aide alleged Levy ‘lie’ request

Watch as advertising idiocy gets caught out and commented on
… it clearly isn’t the day yet when it is no longer amusing to watch advertising agencies completely fail to Get It.

Questioning Gill Sans
… ‘In 1928, Eric Gill set about to improve on Edward Johnston’s type for the London Underground. The result was Gill Sans.’

FACT Off: It’s time to say no to F.A.C.T.
… campaigning against those patronising, unskippable anti-piracy adverts on DVDs

Berlusconi and Mills back in dock in Italy

AI system cited for unlicensed practice of law

Published on 2007/03/13 at 06:33 by Toby, tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

no comments

Powered by Publify – Thème Frédéric de Villamil | Photo Glenn