23.11.07

If you delve back thru my past blogs on this site you will see pictures of the late great Barry Morgan who passed suddenly this month. Every occasion I was fortunate enough to meet or play with him it was a real treat for me he was such a nice bloke a really great Musician (if you didn’t already know)

I will leave these pics up because it was a happy day at our house when they were taken and Barry looks so well and was in great form.

From the sublime to the ridiculous…………

Three recent ‘You Tubeings’ with me on the Kit:

Bearsville Records Garden Party This took place in Woodstock New York State 1977

The singer is Elizabeth Barraclough who was signed at the time to Albert Grossman’s Bearsville Records Albert can be seen talking to Paul Butterfield.

Paul Butterfield played harmonica on a couple of tracks on the Album that I played on for Elizabeth at that time...



At a recent Chris Jagger gig at The Bulls Head Mick Jagger go up to join us for a song...



Various TV recordings and Rockpalast Concert Broadcasts with the great Frankie Miller...





In June/July I toured the east coast of Canada with Chris Jaggers Atcha playing the Toronto and Montréal Jazz fests plus other dates much fun and Maple syrup. 

Lynn and I have just returned from another wonderful Gorrg in Denver Colorado. We met many new friends and did lots of sightseeing, which when I played in Denver I didn’t have time for.

I had great pleasure in meeting Cheryl McCarnahan who gave a very entertaining and informative talk on the music of Gentle Giant including my contribution on Three Friends

After Gorrg we visited San Francisco while staying with friends I had the great pleasure of meeting one of my heroes the great Drummer from The Count Basie Band Harold Jones, we had delicious meal at his house and he was kind enough to show me round his Drum Studio...

It’s been a busy an interesting year us and I feel very fortunate to continue to lead this sort of life considering all trouble around the world.

Bye for now.

Merry Christmas and happy and peaceful New Year.

Malcolm

21.06.07

Video clip of MM playing with Arthur Brown Live in Manchester 2007

12.04.07

Zurich Express is album I have recently recorded and soon to be released, with my good friend and Bass master Spike Heatley.

The first track 'Fourth Parallel' is a composition by the great English Pianist and composer Brian Lemon, on it I was given an opportunity to play in a free'er style, much fun.

The second 'Callam' is by the wonderful percussionist Jim Lawless who is also heard here on doing great work on vibes and sounding not unlike Cal Tjader.

Finally 'Ran Ja Na' by Spike Heatley inspired by an acquaintance he made when in foreign parts.

Watch this space for audio clips of Zurich Express

MM

09.04.07

Just back from Jersey Jazz Fest 2007 everyone, musicians, audience; friends old and new had a great time. We launched the new Spike quartet cd. We recorded this cd over a couple of days at my house.

The GORRG held and hosted by Jose Carlos in Portugal was wonderful and at the same time tragic with the sudden death at the convention of a very good friend.

Looking forward to a mini Gorrg with John W and Kerry in later this month. In May I’m touring in Germany with Chris Jagger, End of June/July the band launches the Act of Faith cd in Canada we play various gigs including Montréal and Toronto Jazz Festival’s, we play the same day as Trio Beyond of whom I am a big fan.

August, I’m playing again with Frankie Millers Full House reunion featuring Henry McCullough at some UK festivals and gigs.  I’m also looking forward to some gigs in France in August with Tony Marshall and Bruce Adams.

MM

14.09.06

I was very happy to be teaching again in August at The Dartington Summer School, a beautiful place with lots of great Concerts to attend plus many great musicians and students to meet and chat with. The course I taught was again put together and led by Bassist Herbie Flowers with new boy to Dartington Chris Spedding on Guitar.

the new pic's are from a gig/project I did in August which went under the name of Frankie Millers Full House Reunion.
The man in the hat is Henry McColough like me an ex Frankie Miller Band member, when the pic was taken Henry was singing his version of Frankies great song Drunken Nights in the City, because of Frankies great singing/songwriting and the other musicians playing in Frankies Band, I always had a great time, and this reunion gig with Paul Cox on vocals I also had a great time.

Spike Heatley,Jim Lawless, and Andy Williams and myself are shortly to record a new cd as a tribute to the music of Bill LeSage, I looking forward to this.

MM

01.07.06

Hi all hot few days or what? Sorry about my poor updating of my news page but I have been involved in a lot of travel in the past few months. I have been out in Europe playing a club date tours with CJ's Atcha, We as part of one of the tours played two nights at Joe Zawinals club "Birdland" in Vienna, fantastic sound and sound person. ( see pic taken of me there watching Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, arr to be sure they were all in that night).

Just back from France where played gig with Spike Heatley and a great Guitarist Tony Marshall. Spike, myself and the great trumpet/flugal player Bruce Adams have just made a CD for Tony, it will be out soon.

I very pleased to say that I have been asked by Guitarist Martin Taylor ( who has a place in France) to get together with him and Spike to play.

Hugely looking forward to GORRG this October 2006 to be held in Lisbon (don't mention football) where Linn and I will see many friends, fans and ex-members of Gentle Giant and play.

Finally big thanks to Chic Keys player Rich Hilton for the invite to see, hear and meet Chic at the recent O2 fest in London, a really great show.

MM

MM

26.06.06

Much fun was had April just past at the Jersey Jazz Fest. I was playing in Spike Heatley's group and we had with us the great
tuned percussionist Jim Lawless who brought his own compositions as well as pieces by Victor Feldman.

On Guitar was Andy Williams a fine player who wowed the punters with his exciting and soulful playing, also later in the festival when he traded phrases with the fantastic Martin Taylor.

Spike was brilliant on Bass and led and presented the group as only he can. There was much good music at Jersey and I think the feeling was that it was a particularly good year. We have just heard ( Spike's group) that we are back again next year.

The gig's with Chris Jagger's Atcha have been going well and we are due to play Joe Zawinal's Club "Birdland" in later in June.

The Band "US".... Big Jim Sullivan, Herbie Flowers, Derek Austin, and me, play The Adur Festival in the South of England this month also.

I have been practising my "obrigardo's" for GORRG which will be held in near Lisbon in Portugal.

Jim Mortimore getting much praise for his playing/mixing/production of Chris Jaggers Atcha new cd 'Act of Faith' ( SPV records) in the shops now so they tell me.

MM

20.06.06

These pic's were taken last year it is, Myself, Herbie Flowers, and Barry Morgan at my house before going to do a Gig at the Komedia in Brighton.We were playing something from the Art Blakey Drum Suite...

19.06.06

Here is a couple of bits of the new Chris Jagger's Atcha! CD which is to be released on SPV records in March 2006. We all had much fun recording this CD and hope it does well.

'Cream in my coffee' Play Real Player clip

'15%' Play Real Player clip

'DJ Blues' Play Real Player clip

Click here to find out more

MM

26.12.05

Well it’s Boxing day here at Berry Cottage we/I have narrowly managed to avoid death by chocolate and now must rouse oneself to perform at the Komedia with Messer’s Flowers, Sullivan, and Austin with guest J Mortimore.

I’ve just had a nice couple of days in France just before Christmas recoding a CD for Guitarist Tony Marshall nice straight ahead swinging material, featuring Trumpet ace Bruce Adams with Spike Heatley on Bass.

The Gorrg event in Quebec was great fun meeting friends and old colleagues from Gentle Giant  and then playing Giant songs that I had not played since recording Giant’s Three Friends Album back in 1971.

We had a great time in Canada I love and plan to go back. We stopped off in Woodstock NY for Halloween meeting with ex co-band member Johnny Average, always so underrated, maybe he should have changed his name again?

The old Bearsville Records Barn recording studio is up for sale, just a few dollars! I left something in there twenty-nine years ago, still couldn’t find it.

On a more commercial front C Jaggers new CD Act of Faith will be in the shops early this spring released on SPV Records. A good record with some very useful songs by CJ.

Quite a few guests on this record on which I play Kit and Perc however I want to mention Jim Motimore's work on it, all of which is very good, playing production and arranging. I have a couple of new sound bites taken from it for your perusal.

Have to go now breakfast is calling, a happy and peaceful new year to everyone.

MM

20.07.05

Nice to meet the folks who came up to me recently at the Marlborough Festival, they had seen me with Spike's Quartet at the Jersey festival last year and then had seen my name in the program at Marlborugh I was playing very different music, nice to see people keeping an open mind to music.

I am doing a week's teaching with Herbie Flowers at the Dartington summer school this August,will be fun.varions gig's in the London all the time,

Looking foward to GORGG in Quebec City in October then some dates in Germany with Chris Jagger whos new CD should be out then, check out the sound bites from that record on my sight (these will be up shortly) I hope shorty enjoys them!

Bye for now

MM

21.03.05

Catch Malcolm playing live at the following dates...

6-10 April 2005 The Jersey Jazz Festival - The Spike Heatley Quartet

22th April @ Dorchester Jazz Club - The Spike Heatley Quartet

28th April @ Lewes Jazz Club - The Spike Heatley Quartet

29th April @ Big Jim Sullivan club Coolham Sussex - Spike heatley Quartet

25th March at Big Jim's club Coolham, Sussex - Herbie Flowers, Big Jim Sullivan and Derek Austin in 'US'

14th April @ Chichester Jazz club - Herbie Flowers, Big Jim Sullivan and Derek Austin in 'US'

11th May @ Walnut Tree, Yalding, Kent - Herbie Flowers, Big Jim Sullivan and Derek Austin in 'US'

25th May @ The Komedia (Brighton Festival) - Special guest of Herbie Flowers

11.01.05

Hi all and happy new year.

Spike heatley's latest studio albums One For Cliford... And Another One For Tubby and The Other Side Of The Coin are out now on Renella Records.

Click here to listen to track samples and find out how to purchase Spike's latest studio releases.

13.11.04

Great time in Wales at the annual Gentle Giant convention Gorgg hosted this year by John and Carol Wheathers
I played with Kerry and Gary, great fun, first time in thirty three years!

The CD I made for Dammed guitarist/songwriter Brian James has been re-issued as part of a two cd set on Pilot. If you like it raw this is for you.

The recent shows for songwriter/singer Tony Macauly went very well, a night of hit songs sung by the bloke what wrote them!

The 70's G.T. Morre And The Reggae Guitars album Move It On Up has also been re-issued.

New jazz pieces have been arriving in the post, written by Laurie Hollaway and Alan Barnes which I will be playing with the Spike Heatley group at next years Jersey Jazz festival, if not before.

Chris Jagger & Atcha new cd is sounding funky and also has good stuff on it contributed by celeb guest's. it will see the light of day soon.

21.08.04

Check out an interview I recently had with Mike Keneally at Progsheet.net click here

01.08.04

Hi and thanks for dropping in. Please click on Media and check out the audio and video clips. If you wish e-mail me with your comments please do. Thanks for your time.

MM

26.07.04

I've recently been talking to Gary Green from Gentle Giant and am looking forward to meeting up again with him, Kerry and JohnWeathers at the Gentle Giant Gorgg thing in Wales October 2004.

Throughout August and September I'll be working with the British Tenor Sax star Danny Moss.

The "US" band that is, Herbie Flowers from Sky, Derek Austin from Caravan and Big Jim Sullivan from everyone.

The Chris Jagger Atcha band. Coming soon to this site. I am just finishing a CD for Chris Jagger and I think it's his best yet. I will put some samples on this site for your dinning and dancing pleasure.