• After an intense few months of project-writing, presenting, and revising, I’ve finally (after five years) finished University with a first class MEng honours degree in Electronic & Computer Engineering. It’s been an incredible experience and I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve achieved, the people I’ve met, and what I’ve seen/done.
• Myself and a few others have been collared into doing some research into Rail anti-ice techniques for use on UK train lines next winter. Whilst not the most glamourous job in the world, the past 8 weeks have been extremely interesting and it looks like we’ve actually made a lot of progress. There’s a chance we’ll be part of one or many Network Rail / BBC / press things over the next month or so, which I’ll post up here in due course. I’ve spent the majority of the time at -10°C dealing with this monster test rig:
  

• Although not bogged down in gigs this summer, I’ve played some fairly memorable ones. Route 49 played their final gig (for now…), I was invited to play in the Top Cat Big Band (with some very friendly Bristolians), and was booked few hectic small group functions – witnessing an incredible improvised rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Fun!

I’ve also been lucky to have been on some incredible trips & holidays. First off was New York City, as part of a tour depping on trumpet with OUJO. Having already been once, it was fantastic to go back and play some gigs! We managed to meet up with a few people whilst out there, including Yoni, Chris, and Ill Spokinn of Spokinn Movement fame (who are back in the UK touring in November). Apart from that, we managed to see some jazz (John Escreet & Dave Binney being favourites…), do all the usual tourist things, and swim in a 2nd floor pool at the hotel…

Second off was North Sea Jazz festival. I could write about the gigs, free beer (shh), or 6AM jam sessions, but this picture (by Emily) sums it up – Earth Wind & Fire!

Then (as a more relaxing break) Laura and I trekked up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the last time. Our friends at LCubed produced Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years” and we stayed with them for three days. Not only was that show really enjoyable, but the other eight shows we saw over the weekend far surpassed my expectations. Definitely back next year!

Finally, I’m off to Club Med Mauritius playing piano/synth with “Les Rosbif” in a couple of weeks. More on that to come!

My fourth year MEng project (as an electronic engineering student) involves the use of spacialisation techniques in ambisonic surround sound systems – I’m essentially building a 3D  reverb plugin with a few bells & whistles. My practical assessment takes place in two weeks time, but if what I’ve said sounds interesting to you feel free to try and make sense of the report I produced a couple of months ago:

Ambisonic Spatialisation Project – Interim Report.pdf

I intend to make the VST plugin available here once I’m finished – hopefully it’ll be of some use to someone

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/17/jazz-noughties

As someone that first got into Jazz in around about Y2K, it’s very interesting reading other people’s views of how the music has changed and grown over the last ten years. As well as the music itself I think that audiences are changing too -  it seems like jazz has become far more popular amongst young people recently, and more students seem to be clued up about whats happening outside of the charts than they were five years ago (Facebook, Spotify, and things like podcasting probably helped). Hopefully numbers at gigs will reflect that soon – the majority of Birmingham University students still turn down the opportunity to see a decent band for free in favour of spending all night at the same three clubs on Broad Street, but live nights seem to be on the up so who knows where we’ll be in 2020!

So, last night, whilst enjoying a great performance by Roy Nathanson at the Barbican Centre, I found out that a very hastily named pop/funk band I play with have our New Year’s Eve gig booked. It’ll be part of  a week-long residency at Club Med Val Thorens, ski pass included, and I’m very excited.

http://thejazzbreakfast.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/the-problem-of-free-jazz

Tomorrow is the first of the University of Birmingham Jazz & Blues Society’s fortnightly jam sessions at the Guild of Students. Particularly looking forward to this one as we seem to have had a huge number of talented first year students join the University this year. Starts at 8PM – come along!

So after settling back into life in Birmingham, I’ve managed to sort through some of the massive amount of shots I took on my A230 whilst on holiday in New Zealand. I’m hoping my limited photography skills can show what an amazing country it is – I’m really hoping I can be back there in the not too distant future!

When I was in New Zealand a very cool album was released on Tru Thoughts records. After seeing Lizzy Parks at the Rainbow a few weeks back (one of my favourite gigs of the year actually), I thought I’d post this tune!