Never mind all that band stuff. I played guitar on a few numbers (including Charles Mingus' Nostalgia in Times Square) at the last jazz jam at Seymour's Family Club, which is being knocked down to build - yes - more flats! It was packed, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Alex Milne did a few sketches of the bands - I will try and upload them to the blog.

Now I turn up to Rob's new project at the Dockside rehearsal studios most Tuesdays, usually between 6-8 pm - odd timing, he says that's all he can get. The singer is nice to look at - tall, red-headed, but very young and with suspicious phrasing. The sax player is good, but a little morose. The guitarist is also good and young, but hasn't yet perfected Ben's trick of changing Rob's chords to something listenable. We work on various numbers and play a bit like Pink Floyd. I'm wondering if I'm only turning up so I can get a drink at the Orchard afterwards. It's nice to have a drink on Tuesdays.

Since my radio play Brunel and the Pianist was rejected by the BBC I thought I'd try something else. I had vague ideas of doing something around the film director/writer/producer Michael Powell. I've been reading his autobiography A Life in Film. It's a very engrossing read, but once he's started a film he often doesn't say much about it, he's too busy planning the next one. When he went to the island of Foula to film The Edge of the World (1937) he immersed himself in the island's culture and geography and lived with the people. He took this thoroughness to all his projects. He name checks all the technicians before the actors!

His career stalled in 1960 with Peeping Tom, a difficult but rewarding film much admired by Martin Scorsese, among others.

I thought of highlighting Michael Powell's contact with the London acting/glamour circles of the 1950s, he quite establishment, they mostly from the armed forces entertainment wing and the music hall tradition, such as the Windmill Theatre.

Funnily enough Rob asked me to drop in on 'Heaven in a Wildflower''s rehearsal at the Dockside studios on Monday. I was only able to manage the last half an hour as Sue had the car at work and I had to walk there (it's about half a mile, across the footbridge) carrying my Joe Pass semi-acoustic (Epiphone Emperor) and my small practice amp.

They were going great guns when I got there. Amy the vocalist sounded and looked good. They were disappointed I hadn't brought my bass but I told them I wanted to put it to one side for a year and see what happened. I said to Ben I could play deep and growly rhythm but he said 'There's only deep and growly rhythm in this band and I play it!'

But a lot has happened since. We have a rehearsal tonight which may be the last for 'No Frontiers' - in its current form.

Shirley (vocals) told Ben (guitar) that she wanted to do jazz (instead of 'Soul, blues and jazz covers') and would reform the band with Steve (drums) me (bass) and Mary (keyboards/piano) - effectively without him (Ben). She said he sounded disappointed 'but not that disappointed'.

In jazz bands the vocalist tends to look to the pianist to cue in and manage the arrangements. I don't think Mary would be able to do that effectively - her strengths lie elsewhere, such as in her very strong sight-reading.

Therefore I will tell Shirley I don't want to do it. Tonight. In the Orchard pub, opposite the Dockside rehearsal studios, where we normally go for a drink after rehearsal.

See my related posts on our MySpace website about Singing and Tromboning:

http://www.myspace.com/nofrontiersbristol