Jazz n Blues Club – April = wow!

Bennetti’s Jazz n Blues Club (so named to honour my famous Italian jazz violinist grandad Stephano Bennetti) goes from strength to strength!!! The April session at Le Soleil Couchant was packed with musos and supporters alike. It was a real club atmosphere and all due reverence was given to the music – Not! When was the last time you were at a Jazz club and people banged on the tables shouting for more?

As usual, we were lucky to have ace pro’ photographer Ian Wilson on hand to capture the ‘ambiance’. Here’s Francis, our main man on the Trumpet. Click the picture to see the full set…..
Francis our main trumpet dude!

There were 15 guest musos who got up to join the house band at some point or other. It really was a night to remember, and I spent the most part of the following day writing to everyone to took part to say THANK YOU!

I’ve already started working on the ‘hit list’ for next month….after the last minute stress of April!!! So, if you are looking for some Jazz and Blues action in the Haute Vienne, then we’re at the Golf de Saint Junien on the 29th May. All musicians welcome, but if you want to be sure that you’ll get to play contact me so I can pencil you in.

Here’s the skinny, in French!

Bennetti’s Jazz Blues Club – Jeudi 29 mai à 20 heures
Entrée libre (dîner possible dans le restaurant)

jazz blues club MayJeudi 29 mai à 20 heures, nous accueillons le fameux Bennetti’s Jazz Blues Club (organisé par Steve Bennett) au club house du golf.

Le jazz club est ouvert à tous, ce concept réunit des musiciens de tous horizons ; le but est de jouer ensemble, apprendre les uns des autres, échanger autour d’une même passion. Les morceaux joués pendant la séance sont improvisés.

Il faut le voir pour le croire ! Chaque performance du jazz club est étonnante, leur public les suit où qu’ils se produisent, c’est une expérience à ne pas manquer ! Si vous voulez vous joindre à eux, tenter votre chance et amener votre instrument ou simplement les regarder en sirotant un apéritif au bar, n’hésitez pas ! Ambiance garantie !

Réservez une table « VIP » et dîner tout en profitant du spectacle. Réservez-vous aujourd’hui :

Tél.: 05.55.02.96.96 / Email : emma@golfdesaintjunien.com

The Sugaree Band – CD WhooOOoooO!!!

At last, after months of hard work, sweat, blood, tears, nudity….I present to you, the very limited edition Sugaree Band CD….

The Sugaree Band CD

Containing 10 of the songs that we love to play the most. Covering a fairly wide range of styles to demonstrate our versatility, each one lovingly crafted for maximum eargasmic effect. Actually it’s a CD we’ve put together to try and get work, but we have a few copies left over. If you’d like one, you can have one! for 5 euros! Just contact us, and tell us.

Keep on Rocking in the Free World!!! 🙂

Another first for me!!!!

My very first older person’s illness. I’ve had shingles, and it stinks. Here’s the gruesome evidence…..

shingles calendar

I’d been feeling a bit low for a while, starting end of Feb really, but as lots of people were getting colds/flu, I thought I’d maybe go the start of something like that. Next I came out in a rash. Nothing new for me, as I often get a slight rash just before I’m ill (ever since I went to Turkey in 82!). Things seem to be getting worse by the day, and I come out in blisters. A trip to the doctors confirms I have Shingles. There isn’t really anything you can do apart from rest, and take painkillers if you need then. I’m thinking i’ll be over it in a few days, but 5 weeks later I’m still not clear. I’m feeling much better, the pain has turned mostly to itching, I’m healed enough to be able to wear a cycling jersey, and I managed an hour on my bike yesterday, but that wiped me out.

Anyway, not complaining…..onward and upward! 🙂

Jazz n Blues Club Programme 2014

Yeah, I know, bangin’ on about the Jazz n Blues Club again! Yeah, but it’s got to be done, it’s going so well, and people keep asking me, “where, when?”. So, I put together a flyer, got 500 printed, and started putting them in all the likely places. Here’s an online version just for you…
Bennetti's Jazz n Blues Club - dates 2014

Bennetti’s Jazz n Blues Club was one year old at our last meeting. The place was packed as usual, and we had a really great night. I had no idea when I started this last February that it would go so well, and become so popular. We’ve had close on 50 musicians play with us at some point through the year with ages ranging from 13 to mid 60s. New friendships have been formed, new musical projects have been started, and I’ve seen players grow in stature and confidence. It really has been an amazing year, and there’s no sign of it letting up either. I’m still getting new musos contacting me, wanting to come along and get involved. Long may it continue. I am really looking forward to those summer evening sessions.

Finally, the SEO bit….
If you are looking for some Jazz and Blues action in the Haute Vienne, Charente area of France, then Bennetti’s Jazz n Blues Club could be the place for you. We meet on the last Thursday of each month. All players of all abilities are very welcome, all I ask is that you contact me first so that I can fit you in where you’ll be happiest. Bennetti’s Jazz n Blues Club is primarily for musicians, our aim is, “to create a warm loving environment in which like minded musicians can meet, play, share, grow, and get hip!”, having said that, all fans of jazz n blues are welcome.

See ya down the line 🙂

stratobiker.com is 10 years old!!!

Blimey! stratobiker.com is 10 years old this weekend! Where did that go?

10 years ago I started this blog while recovering from a bike crash. Little did I know at the time the significant part that would come to play.

I’m gonna chew it over on a bike ride and get back to you later….

Yeah, so 10 years ago I was a hardworking IT contractor. I earned great money, but I hated it. In my spare time I raced my bike and played guitar.

When I crashed my bike it really shook me. I remember the surgeon telling me my shoulder would never be the same again…and he was right! 10 years down the line I can hardly raise my arm high enough to scratch my head. I cannot throw a stone, and I had to give up my dream of becoming a trapeze artist. It still hurts too. Not all the time, and my brain has learned to switch off to it, but from time to time. It get’s very sore after a couple of hours on the bike, but I manage it, usually by putting my hand on my leg and cycling my arm up and down. I’m not complaining, I can still ride my bike, and I can still play my guitar.

Yeah, so 10 years down the line, I live in France, where I’m semi retired. I still ride my bike a lot. I don’t function if I don’t get my exercise fix, and France is such a beautiful country to cycle in. I still play my guitar. I’m in “The Sugaree Band“, playing Rock, Blues, Funk, and anything else that takes our fancy. I started a Jazz club! It’s been going from strength to strength. In fact so many good things have come out of it it deserves a post of it’s own.

When that surgeon told me my shoulder would never be the same again I was gutted, and I didn’t realise the extent of the effect it would have on me. If he’d told me I would move to France and start a jazz club….well…who knows what’s around the next corner eh?

Here’s to the next 10 years. I wish you all well.




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Jazz n Blues Club update

I’m taking the Jazz n Blues club on holiday! It’s gorra be done! Fristly because it’s summer, and I want to go to the beach! Secondly, because there is a series of concerts being staged on the streets in Saint Junien during July and August, and I don’t want to detract from them.

In July we’ll be visiting Le Soleil Couchant, right next to one of the Lacs de Charente. There’s beaches, swimming, sailing, and us! 🙂 Le Soleil Couchant do great Fish’n’Chips btw!!!

In August we’ll be jazzing it up at Golf de Saint Junien. It’s a super posh place, a great venue to play. Yeah, so we’ll be jazzing it up with the swingers!!! 🙂

The Sugaree Band – gigs coming up!

I have a nice string of gigs coming up with my band ‘The Sugaree Band’. As follows…

July 18th – Blues Rock Cafe, Angouleme
July 20th – Soleil Couchant, Plan d’Eau, Verneuil, 16310 Massignac
July 26th – Le Rivage, Exideuil 16150
August 3rd – Santrop, Lac Saint Pardoux.
August 8th – Saint Junien, 87, ‘Comme un Effet de L’Art Scene’
August 10th – Bessines sur Gartempe
August 17th – Soleil Couchant, Plan d’Eau, Verneuil, 16310 Massignac
August 24th – Wedding, Bordeaux
September 8th – Mecaniques Passion, Saint-Mathieu
September 13th – Golf de Saint Junien

We have a bunch of new songs that we’ve been practising, and we are ready to rock! I’m really looking forwards to these.

….and all this on top of the Jazz n Blues club, which by the way is going very strong. More on that soon.
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