Smile

I went to Ovingdean today to play some music with my very old friend and amazing Jazz sax player/arranger/composer/producer Julian Nicholas, he had called on the remarkable talents of Mark Edwards and Nigel Thomas (Mark also in this link), I hadn't seen Nigel and Mark for about 15 years, iy=t was wonderful to play together again, we also had the wonderful drummer Dave Trigwell. We also had a lovely engineer called Chris Blake, it was a very special day.

We were at the amazing studios DB1 of Chris Phillips pictured here, son of the esteemed music producer Robin Phillips and Grandson of Jimmy Phillips aka John Turner who co-wrote the lyrics to Smile with Geoffrey Parsons, the music was written by Charlie Chaplin, it was Nat King Cole's first big hit and the lyrics were inspired by John having to leave son Robin at Boarding School during the war, and this is the piano they wrote it on!!!!!!!!! Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Let There Be Love were also written on this piano!!! Today we recorded a version of Smile, it was quite something to be doing it with Chris and a stone's throw from the famous piano! I found the session incredibley moving, it's such a beautiful song and Julian's arrangement and the musicianship are just gorgeous, can't wait to hear it!

More photos here.

I took the boys down with me and they spent the day with my dear friend and Gulli's Godmother Karen aka Dolly Rockets, she took them to the Booth Museum which they loved and then to a buffet where there was a chocolate fountain!!! They also came up to the studio for a while and had a run around Chris' fabulous garden and played with the giant cats!