R***** S***** It had to happen sometime. I set foot in the hallowed jazz institution Ronnie Scott’s after years of working in Soho but being far too intimidated to set foot in it. A boozy dinner followed by a boozy couple of drinks of booze and we were ready to go in, armed with my […]
One-year anniversary edition! Wow, it’s been a whole year of being snarky about jazz. It’s been a ride and I’ve come to look forward to Lisa sending through memes to review. These usually arrive at an inappropriate moment such as being at someone else’s gig which is no place to laugh until you’re nearly sick […]
New Toy! Ever a slave to the thought that a small piece of equipment was going to improve my fortunes, somebody who runs one of my regular gigs suggested that I invest in a vintage- style mic – you know the one: it’s based on a 1930’s car grill, and the sight of which, when […]
To scat or not to scat? The time has come, folks, to consider scat singing! What does it mean to scat, who should do it, and why? I tend to improvise around the melody a bit, usually sticking to the words, but increasingly I want to express myself more and join in with the […]
The first step is knowing what you want. The second is giving yourself permission. The third is to ask the universe. It helps when you’re trying to manifest something that is within grasp, not something like winning the lottery or *hollow laugh* world peace. I didn’t light candles, and I didn’t sit in the lotus […]
It was the month of my birthday, a time of reflection. I’d come a long way, I thought, since I’d decided to start pursuing a life as a jazz singer, but there was still a long way to go. And one seemingly insurmountable obstacle in the way. Sam Carelse has a cold. I was to […]
I sit at my desk wondering, how am I going to write a salty enough column about the jazz scene this December issue? I’ve been laid low with a nasty ear infection so have mostly been hibernating and, for the most part, avoiding too much audio stimulus. I managed to catch some wonderful gigs […]
Blotto in Barcelona This month, I was fortunate enough to visit Barcelona for a short break, hosted by a friend. Our first night was spent on a rooftop bar, and intoxicated by a near-perfect view of the colossal unfinished Art Nouveux masterpiece La Sagrada Familia, with Mars clearly visible in the sky next to its […]
My name’s Sam and I’m a singer. But I’m a real musician too. Eagle-eyed readers will spot that I’ve referenced the name of an instrumental album in the name of this column so I’m definitely the real deal (note: I wanted Bitches Brew but that was taken). I’ve practiced 25 hours a day for the […]