Escutcheon Media.

Escutcheon:           Newsletters: September 2011

Today, 8th October 2011 is my 63rd birthday!

Reviving our newsletter on these pages, we shall continue with Jazz,(page 2), Folk(page 3) and other mainstream music (Page 1).

Our main aim is to encourage our readers to keep up their music careers and, in so doing, to support charities of their choice. Non-musicians, however, with healthy tastes in music are all equally welcome to trawl through these pages.                       

04/02/11

As I was in Reading I went into Hickies Music Shop where, on display was 4 string bass banjo and now there is another one to keep it company!!!. Anyone who remembers my article on Bass Banjo in Escutcheon Newsletter when it was A5 printed paper may be surprised to know that these are currently being made in Whitstable, Kent.Picture posted on Acoustic page in Newsletters and elsewhere.

12/09/11, News in from PPL:- Europe has passed the bill extending performance royalty rights from 50 years to 70 years! Result!!!!!

Oxfam:- is currently involved in a number of emergency operations in the Third World and your support will make a big difference.

An excellent website from New York City:      Rich Keith runs Makin' Music which is a Networking website especially for musicians and music lovers. Jazz is at the forefront of this site and there are plenty of things to check out. To sign up is free and I recommend that musicians do not bypass or overlook this informative and interactive website. I am already making waves with alacrity.

   We have made contact on My Space with the legendary Peter Noone & Herman's Hermits. They are currently engaged on a year long tour of Canada & the U.S.A. They can be tracked through their website Type in the name in Ask or Google. Myspace too. Peter Noone informs me that they are going to keep on going for as long as possible.

   Jazz Services in London is run by Chris Hodgkins and staff in conjunction with the Association of British Jazz Musicians, promoting Live jazz in U.K. and then there is Jazz UK from Cardiff (Publication).

Godsticks are a mature 3 piece rock group from Wales with some interesting CDs. Spiral Vendetta is on its way here for a regular customer.

Makin' Music New York is a website to visit and JazzBlues Florida may prove interesting. Meanwhile RP Entertainments in Farnham promote Live Music at a regular venue.

      From Makin' Music, we follow on to a Jazz internet Radio station from  New York.

www.purejazzradio.org

    Jazz around Reading: is a service run by local Jazz Musician Stephen Wellings from Reading with gigs and venues in nearby counties.The address to contact is: jazz@wordhouseonline.com

   The Lute Society: Anyone interested in the intriguing world of Lute Music can visit the website: www.lutesoc.co.uk Other nations also have Lute Societies. La Societe Francaise de Luth, France: & Lute Society of America are 2 major examples.

Email address: Lutesoc@aol.com

      Flamenco afficianados can take a view at the website:- links to all kinds of related websites, especially in Spain, vary from Flamenco guitar makers to University degree courses.                                   www.flamenco-london.org.uk

      From the Songwriters Guilds of which I am a member, we have a myriad of contacts for all aspects of the Music Business. Collaborators may be easily discovered and advice on all matters arising from composition and lyric authorship. Direct contact can be made with both BASCA and G.I.S.C. if you type it in Google or Ask and click on "contact us". Copyright issues and royalty collection distribution advice can also be gained from P.R.S. for Music and P.P.L. I am also a member of both of these organizations. If in doubt, I can pass on advice and who to speak with.

 Work continues on the website here and also on the album at a mix-down stage. I have found some cables to connect the keyboards - Casio MIDI to the desktop computer. This company, www.cables2u.com accepts online payment only, so no cheques or postal orders are accepted. 

I can also include stolen instruments and equipment too. Since I had a whole crateful of CDs stolen in Wokingham in2009, I am very sympathetic towards victims of such crimes.    To lose an instrument is almost as bad as losing a part of the anatomy. Do not hesitate, if you want a stolen item placed on this page.  

Making Music NYC has events showing on the website. They convey their best wishes for 2010.

We have 6 websites now:- this one for Music, the second for Sports, the 3rd is autobiographical, the 4th is about anything BUT Sport & Music, the 5th is my poetry and the 6th is for Quizzes, Puzzles and cartoons. In addition to this, I have created a new website for publicizing those charities that I support. www.spanglefish.com/sketchpad4charity

Makin' Music and Jazz blues Florida are both involved in fund-raising for the Haiti Earthquake disaster fund.The latter is helping with Live music events in that State.

I have received another batch of CD albums and singles together with more Vinyl albums. These are being listed on Market Stall 4 and would appeal to younger people. I have kept pricing and shipping as low as is possible.  It  it would be a pleasantry to attract some buyers.  28/01/10  Yet more CDs and a few cassettes arrived today. 3 dozen. Some better condition items will be listed on the Market Stall. November: a batch of vinyl :- 67 LPs and 12 box sets containing over 80 discs. Another batch of used CDs 1st week in February. This week, 2 small batches of CDs arrived and I can donate more to Starlight Foundation.

Tony Burrows, singer, has been awarded the BASCA Gold Badge 2011.

www.ecussondeux-sports.com

www.escutcheoncartoons-puzzles.moonfruit.com

Advertisers can contact us using the form on Contact us page. Principal advertisers such as shops, studios record companies etc. as well as small ads need only send the email via the form. 

Links to website addresses of the Strawbs, Manfred Mann, Roy Young,

www.strawbs.co.uk

www.manfredmann.co.uk

www.royyoung.com

 www.studiospares.com

www.kingfishermusic.com

A friend from football has recently sold an early 60s Vox AC 30 that has been stored ever since to a dealer from Belgium for an undisclosed small fortune.

There is a growing list of advance orders for my album which is currently being mixed. Go to Contact us on the Menu > 

January 25th.   > Recently listed in Store Display Cabinets, new CDs. On Market Stall Tables: about100 or so vinyl albums @ £1 each. For new listings, Sub-pages have been added and these are marked with an arrow to click on at the left hand side of Page on Menu. 

Sammy Rimington  has such a lifetime's worth of material behind him so look up his website.

www.Sammy Rimington.com

Jazz around Reading, Berkshire. Jam sessions on Tuesday evenings at the Retreat P.H. once a fortnight. Starts April 13th.      Stephen Wellings gig list includes Buddy Greco @ the Hexagon & the NYJO @ Henley, Kenton Theatre & @ Farnham Maltings during September.

 Tony Woods runs a rehearsal band @ Jagz Ascot next to railway station on Monday evenings.

Godsticks from S.Wales have a current CD out, entitled "Spiral Vendetta". They are described as a Progressive pop/rock group and are working live in the UK.

 23/10/11. Today, I learned of the death of drummer Cliff Davies in Atlanta, of sel-inflicted gsw to the head in 2008. He had worked in local bands around Aldershot, sitting in with my old band quite often, then joining the Roy Young Band, "  If " and Ted Nugent in the States.

News in from New York from several sources and JazzbluesFlorida arrives each week, I shall relay the most interesting snippets in this Newsletter. I am seeking some Calypso discs as well.

 The latest from the Strawbs office. Dave Lambert is recording a new album and touring with a new Band that he has formed with musicians form other bands. Look out for Zeus!

Strawbs are touring UK currently.November.      Updating this:- Zeus is formed by:-          Tom Leary = Fiddle & Mandolin.                                Dave Lambert = guitar & vocals.                                     Graeme Taylor = guitar/vocals                          Jon Davie = Bass guitar.          A debut album is in the offing. 

08/08/10. Zeus album is imminent.

14/08/11

Strawbs are currently in Italy. 

• 01/10/11 The Strawbs are on tour in the USA & Canada.
  
• Updates.20/04/11
•  The Enid have a new CD on release
  

Guitaristan.

This is our section of the Newsletter for Indian, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Bangla Deshi and Pakistani, Afghan & other Asian guitarists. Contact welcomed & don't be shy!. Kuljit Bhamra - are you still playing Tabla?

We have contact with a Norwegian Pop Group called Peter & the Penguins. They have sent a CD for review.  Anyone can send a CD for Review. Address to me click on contacts.-

 Articles from several years ago will be available by email from a list posted in this Newsletter. There are several years worth kicking around Reviews of CDs are welcomed or Cds sent in for review. Articles and Date sheets & anything relevant to music.

 On Microsoft Word will appear every quarter some literature concerning Jazz and some dealing with Folk. These pages will be available on request as will other news and snippets as we had in the past.

• Oxfam: We work in conjunction with Oxfam. I assess donated guitars etc. gratis and purchase the occasional items from the Wokingham store. 
  
• In recent weeks, we have received some donations of Vinyl, CDs & cassettes. I have also bought in 5 DVDs & a play station 2 disc.
  
•    For most instruments or family of instruments, there is a representative organisation so I suggest typing in a search engine the name of the instrument trying the words: Association of or Society, Guild or Circle.