2nd Gym session of the day coming up tonight

Since starting this weight loss thing I’ve been careful not to over do the exercise/gym regime. Tonight though I think I’ll give the gym another go. Went lunchtime and Alison’s out at a ‘High St traders’ meeting this evening. I could go to Brighton Jazz Co-Op but will maybe leave that for another Tuesday.

Won’t do anything too strenuous, uphill walking, light weights a bit of floor stuff and a ‘steam’. I really like the steam room. The steam room at TW Esporta is very good.

Have done sweet and sour chicken for dinner.

Broken the 90 kg barrier!

This is good news 89.9kg on the bathroom scales first thing.  Fridays is my ‘datum’ weight day, although sometimes I don’t get to weigh myself until later in the day. I would expect to be down to 89.4 ish by lunch time early afternoon. Then as we have a family meal in the evening weight goes on then. I find the weight ‘plotting’ quite interesting actually. I wouldn’t be surprised if  we carry .5 – 1kg of partly digested food around in our digestive system.

Anyway I’m on cooking duties tonight. It’s gonna be chicken and bacon penne in trad pesto, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts. I could do garlic bread, not really good for me but popular with  the others.

Busy day at the ‘office’

I’ve not had a good day exercise wise just too busy to hit the gym, though I may go out tonight. A lot of people training in the Falmer gym for the Brighton Marathon. It should be an exciting event, its on 18th April 2010. Check out

http://www.brightonmarathon.co.uk/

If you want more info, although I’m pretty sure it’s fully subscribed. For the Midnight Sun Run check out

http://www.msm.no/the-city-of-tromsoe.41390.en.html

Looks like a great run. I’m contemplating doing the Swiss Alps Marathon which starts in Davos. This is a multi-course race there’s an ‘easy’ marathon (downhill) and the really ‘hard’ marathon (uphill) – looks good. Another which looks exciting is the Greenland Marathon which is quite a wilderness marathon but still on defined tracks.

Check out my Just Giving page.

I know I mentioned this a bit earlier but I'm test posting out of Live Writer which seems to work really well. I have set up a Just Giving page for my Midnight Sun Run. Checkout

http://www.justgiving.com/stuartmurden/

The Community Health Global Network is a very worthy cause providing health and other care to a wide variety of aid and voluntary organisations trying to make the world a better place.

Check out

http://www.communityhealthglobal.net/

Midnight Sun Marathon - Tromso

Well I had to do something - that weight thing - was getting to me. 54 years old, 5ft 10ins and 15st 6lb. So from August decided to do change my life style. No more pasties no more pastries, no more chips, anyway not until I'm fit enough to burn the calories.

So today I'm 14st 2lbs hitting the gym 3-4 times week and heading for the land of the midnight sun. Please check out my Just Giving webpage.

Komedia

Les setting up the sound at the Komedia

Mo and Cliff

Nice Pic of Mo and Cliff outside the Kopmedia post bank holiday gig.

Check out 'Perfect Strangers'

Dave who played the Cahon at the Gardner St gig is a member of Perfect Strangers click the link for their website.

TRB @ the Ocrean Rooms

Mo and Amanda 'hanging out' at the bar before our set

TRb Plays the Ocean Rooms Brighton 14th July, 2009.

TRB @ The Komedia !

The Tom Roberts Band playing outside the Komedia, Gardner St. Brighton, Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2009

'Daisies' A26 at Eridge looking North, Sunday 24th May, 2009

Amanda Timperley (keyboards), Cliff Wootton (Bass) and Mo Blatch (Vocals, Frocks and Hair).

Yeah I know its a rubbish pic but its the interval at the squash club social.

I like this pic, taken by Amanda Timperley at Coral Brighton Squash Club social

Tony Martin on Trumpet and vocals. I think Tony is a man of indeterminate years, but it must be a big number. I love his vocals and trumpet work very - individual and distinctive. Barry is behind on bass, a key member of the Karavan rhythm section he's really into his music and it shows. Karavans rhythm section is good.

This is quite a good shot of Piers Clark (well it's in focus), meister of the acoustic rhythm guitar. This style of guitar playing is greatly underestimated in my humble opinion and we're lucky to have Piers playing locally.

The John Harvey Tavern Lewes by night Karavan play there Wednesdays except the 1st Wednesday of the month. I would recommend the Harveys Hadlow brew, not strong but a great drink.

Karavan at the John Harvey Tavern Wednesday 14th April

Alison at the Lama Farm

We had a spin out to the Lama Farm and went for Sussex Cream Tea for 2. Not bad for £7.00

Below The Radar Wiki

Hi all, last year I dabbled in a 'wetpaint' wiki, which was used for a while then after the Brighton Fringe it went quiet. Anyway I'm having a look at resurrecting it. It was meant as a central point for all things 'Tom Roberts', I called it Below the Radar for the 2008 tour! .... well it seemed like a good idea at the time. The wiki is most reliable running in Firefox in Windows and Mac. Dunno why things can't be standard ....

Below The Radar

Have fun

Trial posting from my mobile phone

Testing testing

Havent quite worked out how to delete the central  wetpaint feed but I'll get there eventually

The 'Ka' deal is done with Stuart of VFM Auto Salees Groombridge, pic taken on a Sony Ericsson w715 and cropped etc in Picasa

A Lovely Spring Day

It's a lovely sping day here in the heart of East Sussex. Karen collecting her new (second hand) Ford Ka in an hour so that will be exciting for her.

I tried to upload this by mobile phone to Twit Pic, the file seem to upload ok but it didn't display, so here it is. I shot this on Sony Ericsson W715 walkman phone, the reviews said the camera part was just 'adequate' but pic looks ok to me. I'm very pleased with the device, phone, mp3 player, radio and camera all in one device plus ability to read emails etc. Web browsing on mobile phones is still relatively tiresome but the experience is getting better. Also this phone has so far shown pretty good battery life.

A Quiet Weekend

Not much happening this weekend music wise. The City Lit is on Easter recess and I won't be able to make the TRB rehearsals on Monday as I'm away on business. The weather has been very changeable with a very cold wind.

Might have to resort to DIY

Pete Button drummer for the B Band and the David Barnes Worship Experience and many others I expect!

General shots of the band sorting out the sessions charts

Simon our MD, we rehearse in room G08

Barry (Left) Tenor, Margaret (Centre) Trumpet, Ben (Right) Tenor, in the cafeteria. The building was designed by Allies + Morrisson and opened in 2005

Amanda our keyboard player and multi instrumentalist, pic taken last night during our rehearsal time at 'Woodside Studios' Halland. Well known for her very good ear, .....

Ardent Derby County supporter.

Ace bass man Cliff Wootton, anchor man of the TRB and many other combo's and ensembles.

A matched pair of 1955 Amperex EL84's. Actually the valves are in my Coyote. I used to use my Coyote as my main amp even though it's a low wattage unit. Since I've moved over to jazzy stuff I use an AER compact 60. I wouldn't mind a Twin Reverb for jazz but at my age the weight is out of the question.

Another old valve, think I bought it on a whim its not part of a matched pair. I may have bought it as a back up in case one of the Amperex's blew on me.

These strings are my favourites for all areas of jazz EXCEPT Freddie Green comping. For Freddie style rhythm you need roundwound bronze strings on an acoustic F hole guitar.

TI (Thomastik-Infeld) do a number of gauges in the George Benson range. I have used the 114 set but prefer these being slightly lighter. These are still pretty heavy by non jazz standards. These have a very good jazz sound with a very even feel and last ages. I have found these strings very consistent pack to pack with no dead spots so far using my L5.

I think if you play a lot you have to watch very heavy strings as I think there is a risk of what I call 'fuzzy fingers', but generally bad posture could be to blame as well, not to mention too many bacon sarnies and a general prefernce for butter. I have pondered cutting that stuff out and investigating the Alexander technique but you know how it is.

Wegen Trimus 250

3mm Jim Dunlop Big Stubby

Red Bear Trading Type D Heavy

These picks are my non standard picks, my normal being a Jim Dunlop Tortex 1.0mm. The Wegen pick I only use for Freddie Green style rhythm I have got thicker version but they are just too thick, I think they are really 'Gypsy Jazz' picks. The 3mm Big Stubby has come up blue on the picture but actually they are purple/mauve. These are good for single line work but not a 'strumming' pick I think they have to be held in a certain way otherwise they 'click', stay clear of any limp wrist actions.

The Red Bear pick is my favourite it has a very neutral sound with a excellent feel and is good for single line, double stops and rhythm comping.

Wegen Picks

http://www.tortispicks.co.uk/

Jim Dunlop

My last pedal of the night is the Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus. It's one of my oldest pedals and a good solid workhorse with a natural sounding chorus if used with care. I don't use excessive chorus but just a touch can be nice. The knobs have a particularly nice action. A lot of folks seem to use excessive chorus to my ears.

I have used chorus for my jazz work occassionally but not as a genral rule.

One bit of kit I would recommend is the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2. It saves a lot on batteries and has been used consistently for the past 3 years with no problems.