Peter Williams Musik

Henrik Larsen’s Djangomania were back in the studio yesterday recording Henriks latest album.

Djangomania hit the unsuspecting town of Middlefart last Friday night with three sets of fine Django Jazz. There was a very pleasant and mixed crowd in Holmes, where this recording is from.

The following day we were treated to great hospitality and a very appreciative audience in Arne B in Svenborg where we played a three hour lunchtime slot.

Many thanks to Kurt Mortensen violin for arranging these two jobs.

Just before I catch my flight to China tomorrow I would like to share with you this recording of Swing Size by Henrik Larsen.

Jakob Svensson on Vibes is one of the many guests that will be appearing on Henrik’s Album.

Right, now I’m off to see if I can buy me an ERHU.

Henrik Larsens Djangomania have just finished a second 3 day session in the studio working on the long awaited CD featuring Henrik’s fantastic compositions. Jørgen Martinsen and Jan Runge were amongst the guests, I’m very much looking forward to hearing the final product, but it will be some months and sessions away.

Well, Djangomania made their appearance at the Django tribute festival on Sunday, making their appearance right after Gadjoswing.

I’m glad to say we went down really well, though it was obvious from the atmosphere that it was the last day of a festival which had involved late nights and some heavy partying.

I’m also pleased to announce that I’ve managed to get www.beautymakeup online and able to take orders, the site still requires the kind of pampering and manicuring that is appropriate to a beauty salon, so if you take the time to visit the site please let me know if there are any issues you see I need to attend to.

Equally if you need a webshop, give me a call.

Don’t worry though, I will always be a bassist first, then a programmer.

Djangomania will be appearing at the Django festival in north Zealand sometime this coming sunday.

Hope to see you there!

Despite Henrik’s high temperature and cold fingers, despite constant rain and puddles forming around our music equipment, despite not being able to find the reception and driving around Hundested for 30 minutes we thoroughly enjoyed playing for Steen’s wedding reception yesterday. We hope they enjoyed it too.

• Henrik Larsen: Guitar
• Robert Pilgaard: Guitar
• Peter Williams: Bass

We (Clamshake) again had the privilege of playing at Huset in Copenhagen last night. We always seem to go down well in that venue, and thanks to our friends, and the fans of the bands we were supporting everyone had a wonderful time. Particularly as there is now a no smoking rule in the entire venue. Fantastic to play a gig and not come home smelling and feeling like an ashtray.

Clamshake

What can I say, despite not having met up for two months prior to the sound check we were brilliant. A fairly small but perfectly formed audience was even more brilliant than we were. They possessed the admirable quality of hearing the music and not the mistakes. But then that is what clamshake’s sound is about.

We gave the usual set; a mixture of surf, rock & roll, country and spaghetti western, mariachi and, and, … well, isn’t that enough in a 40 minute set?

Please forgive the recording quality, it came straight from the desk. Which reminds me, I must thank Kristian Berg (sound engineer) for what I am sure is the best sound we have had so far, both on stage and out front.

• Tollof Miadegul: Guitar
• Craig Wood: Drums
• Peter Williams: Doghouse
• Dr Oyster: Trumpet, clamshells, xylophone and monkey noises

Wherewolf

They’re musicianship was faultless, they had energy and presence. I have to say they were much more heavy rock than surf, although I could hear the surf crashing in there when I listened for it.

Read more about wherewolf’s hardcore sound at http://www.myspace.com/wherewolfband.

The Palermo Surf Experience

What can I say..

Surf, surf, surf. A polished, musical, entertaining and stylish end to the evening. They had more pedals than most music shops, sunglasses and a theremin and all were used to good effect. Kristian (sound engineer) was on drums. That explains why he knows how to get the right sound, sometimes it takes a musician to know what a musician needs.

Read about Palermo Surf Experience’s gigs and recordings on their rather slick looking website.

My friend Johnny asked me a couple of days ago.. ‘When are you playing next?‘ ‘The 28th April, Huset’ I replied. ‘What kind of music?‘ He inquired. ‘Mariachi meets spaghetti western‘.

I was not trying to be glib. Classification is always a difficult thing. A pianist recently shared a quote with me which covers the problem… ‘Talking about music is like dancing about architecture‘. Still, this attitude does not help me enlighten my friends about the sounds that Clamshake produce. Mariachi is a music originally from Mexico Usually involving violins, trumpets, Spanish guitar, vihuela and guitarrón (a small-scaled acoustic bass). That does not describe Clamshake at all, but mariachi was originally a street music, and it’s there that parallel is strongest.. there is a loose, honest, under-rehearsed feel to our music which in truth could be described without reference to Latin America. We do have a trumpet player though.

Spaghetti western is closer to the mark, but it could also be described as punk-ish, Country, Surf, Rockabilly, strepitoso, barocco, Tarentino – soundtrack-esque, instrumental. The guitarist, Tollef Mjadigal, (I’m sure that’s spelled wrong), is into Ump ah, and plays the banjo. The horns and percussion are covered by music journalist and Balkan music enthusiast Mikkel Hornes. Drummer and motivational force Craig Wood is keen on Surf and Skifflel, among other things, and is a talented artist (paint). Finally me (Double Bass), and I’m a jazzer, with a Circus and Indie music history. So it should be no surprise that our music is beyond classification.

If you dare to find out what it is, come down to Huset on the 28th of this month. (Don’t know the time yet.)

I was in rehearsal again yesterday evening with Denmark’s great Django guitarist Henrik Larsen and the renowned Gypsy style rhythm player Robert Pilgaard. We’re still working on the much promised new album of Henrik’s. I have heard that the Accordian player Kurt Larsen will be making an appearance on the recording, along with some more of Europe’s leading musicians. Meanwhile here is a taste of what is to come…….

La Gitane

Henrik Larsen: Guitar
Robert Pilgaard: Guitar
Peter Williams: Bull Fiddle