On Tuesday 20th September, five of us plus our injured guitarist met in the Dirty Glass. The previous practice was intended as a run-through of new items for the monthly session in the Dubliner. This practice was more band oriented and more organised in that it was our first effort in a while during which we attempted some light orchestration (if that doesn’t sound too grandiose). It was successful but we could have done with more than five present.
At the moment, I’m feeling a little pessimistic about being able to get a band together. Simple practicalities like finding a practice venue and a time that suits everyone are a nightmare. Finding a parking space in Thessaloniki adds to the difficulties. Even outside the city centre, most of the streets now have signs saying KATOIKOI (RESIDENTS). I thought this meant designated parking, but no! It’s still dog eat dog. “RESIDENTS” just means that residents with a pass have the right to park there IF they can find a space. Madness. There are some designated parking spots for people with disabilities, but – Greece being Greece – someone with athlete’s foot could have wangled one.
Before Tuesday’s practice, Andy came round on Sunday morning as I wanted his opinion on some new items I was putting together for future sessions. Andy has excellent taste, so I value his judgement on the tunes in question, on the transitions from one tune to the next, and on the set as a whole.
One new set will be Mayor Harrison’s Fedora & The Cup of Tea. They are the first two reels in this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toJSo4CukqM