We had a wonderful unplugged-style Little Dixie gig at the Park Hotel, Grange Road, Weymouth, Dorset on Friday 27th May, without guitarist Richie Edwards but with percussionist extraordinaire Steve Mutter. The pub has been transformed by landlord Pete Smith into a great music-orientated boozer, which is far too close to my house for safety. We were even subject to attempted bribery by a visitor from Russia in an attempt to persuade us to carry on playing at the end of the night – I think the concept of closing time was foreign to him!

On Saturday, at midday, C Sharp Blues convened for an open-air gig on the sea wall at Chiswell, Portland, a fantastic setting for an afternoon of funky blues. On bank holiday Monday, in the noble hamlet of Burton Bradstock, Dorset, Little Dixie fired up at the Three Horseshoes at 9 p.m. to round off a great weekend.

This coming weekend, Little Dixie return to the Ropemakers, West Street, Bridport, Dorset on Friday 4th June, followed by a C Sharp Blues gig at Finns, Westham Road, Weymouth on Sunday 6th, starting at 8.30 p.m.

The Barrelhouse project continues apace – a live recording of the Orchestra’s performance of the Rolling Stones classic Jumping Jack Flash, recorded at Bryanston Arts Centre and featuring ex-Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, was released on the 27th May. The endorsement by Manchester United is now in the bag, and at time of writing we’re only 50-odd sale short of possible Top 40 chart success. So get out there buy the record, preferably from HMV (or HMV online), Virgin or local independent record shop and order the singe, and be a part of history.

Jumping Jack Flash, by the Barrelhouse Blues Orchestra, SMCDSBBO 001.

The jam sessions continue at Finns in Westham Road, Weymouth, Dorset. As usual, if you want to get up and do a few numbers, contact me or just turn up at the gig before 9 p.m. and book yourself a slot.