The Helsinki gigs were great, and the whole Finland experience was one to remember. We played from 10p.m. to 3 a.m. in a jazz club called Storyville. The most bizarre thing was getting to the gig at 9.30 –ish in broad daylight, and leaving at 4 in the morning – in broad daylight! The normal Ben Waters Band line up (Ben, Clive Ashley, Ady Milward and myself) was augmented by jazz sax ace Derek Nash, a blinding player and a great geezer. I’ll put up some shots from the tour in the next week or so.

On Friday 27th there’s a hastily-organised unplugged-style Little Dixie gig at the Park Hotel, Grange Road, Weymouth, Dorset. 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. On Saturday, at midday, C Sharp Blues convene 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 fire up at the Three Horseshoes at 9 p.m.

The jam sessions continue at Finns in Westham Road, Weymouth, Dorset, and this week I’ll actually be there! 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.

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, is due for release 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 single before the 27th May, and be a part of history.

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