'Sounds Familiar'

'"Sounds familiar" - We've all said it many times before.
Often when we can't quite recall a name or a face, we find ourselves saying "ohh that sounds familiar but I'm not quite sure why!"
This is one of those times. One of the times I have worked out WHY it sounded so familiar.....

'Sounds Familiar'

2011 - So there I was after a gig just chilling and chatting in the Wisemans flat in Ladbroke Grove, London.

Although we were chatting I was listening more than usually do as I was in company that I see as wise. 

It was a nice vibe after a soul lifting gig.

The chap on the sax was particularly good and kind of 'caught my heart'. It felt comfortable to listen to, easy to watch as he closed his eyes and played from his soul. It was so smooth & warm, almost like having a blanket wrapped around me.

It was fuzzy, warm & familiar....

The 'his name sounds familiar line' came up a lot over a few weeks. I knew one day I would work it out, I always do, however it was already beginning to grate on the nerves of one of my pals. 

So I left it until this night, kept trying to put it to the back of my head. I hoped it would fall into place in my mind one day but I had to let it go.....

Then this chat took place.....

*Wiseman - "Ah yes....the guy on the sax? You mean Ray Carless..." 

*Me - "hhmmm that name 'sounds familiar'....not sure why but almost as famliar as his sound. Heard him a few times now & can't work out if I know the name from networking in music or from actually hearing him before somewhere at other gigs.....hmmm" 

Wiseman starts to inform me about Ray Carless, his musical past etc. It was facinating and calming to hear. Then the Wiseman starts to mention some bands/groups that Ray Carless has played with in the past...

Names roll off his tongue & suddenly I stop him...

*Me - "Woah! Hold up a sec! Did you say Bhundu Boys..like as in THE Bhundu Boys?!"

*Wiseman - (slowly) I did

*Me - (now slightly over excited) "ooh...that doesn't just 'sound familiar...that IS familiar!" 

Wiseman raises a slighlty surprised looking eyebrow..and again s l o w l y says ... "r e a l l y ?"

*Me - "ya hey, reallllly! I think you might just have put my mind to rest about something."

I then tried to be cool & not be over excited (I'm not good at hiding it!). I regained my calm, finished the lovely mint tea I was kindly given & I trotted off home.

I couldn't wait to get home. I went straight to my box of LP's, yep the good old vinyl records.

Flicking through, record to record, I knew what I was looking for. 

I felt confident it was still there. I don't delve into the box too much.

Then THERE it was! My Bhundu Boys - True Jit album. Played so many times yet in immaculate condition. I got it in 1988 or '89.

Bhundu Boys - True Jit

Obviously I was just pleased to still have it in my collection. I looked at the cover...nope, can't see Ray....then I turn it over...yep.... I turned it over and this what it said in clear black and white...*RAY CARLESS -Saxophone*.....

So there it was! The reason the name was so familiar & it felt comforting & familiar was because I had actually been listening to him without realising it for years! 

Yes I was happy, yes I got over excited and yes, again I remembered to trust my gut reactions, because when I say something 'sounds familiar'....I'm not just saying it, I know that with time I will remember it...trust me I will!

***I have met Ray and he is a humble & talented man. He was also part of my inspiration to re-embrace my love for the clarinet & I have started to play again***

FOKN Frustrations & Operations

             FOKN Frustration, Operations n Complications             

I'm frustrated, so bloomin' fokn frustrated! 

Yes, I am happy to be alive and thankful & grateful for every day however I am sooo frustrated & on the edge of being vexed.

Today it is the fact that it does not look like I will be able to go to the London screening of Coz ov Moni 2 this week. Link for details > https://www.picturehouses.co.uk/film/Film_Africa_Uk_Premiere_Coz_Ov_Moni_Ii_Fokn_Revenge_Q_A/

I should be there, I would like to be there, yet it  is unlikely I will be there. THAT is why I am frustrated.

The blog I did in September will help you understand my frustrations. > http://ramblesfromarainbow.blogspot.co.uk/2013_09_01_archive.html 

When the blog was shared there were a few people who were 'non-believers' of the story. That is okay, I was expecting that. 

Then there were others who said I only wrote it to promote the fact that Mensa had a show in London that week. I also expected that.

Someone said I didn't turn up to Mensa show as I was scared after sharing my blog!! haha..I expected that too....

Another person was saddened by the fact that I mentioned SOME people from Ghana say nothing good comes from their country..they then did NOT share my blog but copied it & put it in their own blog, possibly thinking that I would not see this and the comments that followed. . . but I did.....cos I expected that...

There was a comment that said "FOKN Fairytale"...haha I LOVED that cos it made me laugh......

Anyway....THEN I got ready to go to the Mensa show. 

Special ecg electrodes & pads attached to my chest. Special as they have extra stick cos at the last show I danced & got so hot that I sweated them off!! (Yep, always a good night of music whenever an event is organised by Focus Organization https://www.facebook.com/pages/Focus-Organization/224250857613337?ref=tn_tnmn  ) So these ones I got especially for the occasion so they would stay stuck on!

I was boosted by the fact that his shows are like medicine to my soul.

I walked to the tube station, with a semi bounce in my step, Wanlovs 'foot' in my pocket (another story), a bracelet for Y & a letter. I tried to ignore that I felt a bit odd.

I was on my own as my mate T had a family crisis to deal with and could not attend at the last minute.

As I approached the ticket barrier it blurred, everything went to a dead sound in my ears, all energy suddenly sapped, I felt the pause, the loooong pause in my heartbeat...the sweat instantly running down my brow...my legs buckled.....

 Yep, with a smile I gripped the TFL mans arm and said "I'm going down".

I 'went down'/collapsed at the tube station. Kerpow! I like to think I did it with style, as stylish as you can be in that situation. 

After a few minutes I was okay again thanks to kindness, water & ecg readings & the fact my heart boosted back in. A complete stranger took me home after I assured him I did not need an ambulance. Obviously they are no longer a stranger & this is something positive to come out of it. His wife has since come & made me a cuppa tea. She sang to me. Nice.

So needless to say I never got to that show.

 The dude who took me home helped me send a text message to Mensas team. I was then very kindly sent a lovely video clip of Mensa sending me good vibes on stage.  This touched my heart, there was something in particular that further touched my heart about the clip. Thank you to all who sent good vibes, thank you. I really do appreciate.

It was a hazy blur of hospitals for a while, I remember being able to celebrate my Mums 70th Birthday. It was wonderful. Then a haze of hospital stays, getting worse and worse each time & staying longer each time I got admitted. Scary to be honest.

Finally I had an operation. Yep they finally did it on 16th Oct 2013. I'm still not 'fixed' but we are closer than we were to fixing me. Thank you NHS. Yep, here I am on the morning before the operation. Yep, That is a Mensa Mango Street t shirt..of course! > 

There are pics of me after the op, and of the wound/scar. I really don't think these need to be seen right now, but they are there. In fact I'm kinda proud of the mark. It is healing well. 

So I have been recovering.  It has been slow & I had further complications so my time plan got messed up. I thought I would have bounced back by now. 

This is also the week I had planned to go to Cameo Sessions at Sanctum Hotel, another music night, verrry stylish night, an acoustic night with the most amazing musicians and artists performing. It combined with an important Birthday celebration & a further celebration for my friend who received Londons Best Model award after much dedication. Ohhh I was gutted to miss it.

Then now to miss the screening of Coz ov Moni 2 is just annoying me.  Ggrrrrrr, vexations!

 Even if I feel reasonable on the day I know it is not wise to go as so far I have managed to go 200metres to the cornershop & back!

It says there will be a question and answer session with Fokn Bois after the screening. This is what I would really like to hear.

For the last few months through Twitter and Facebook, I have been seeing all sorts of comments & photos during the filming etc and the lead up. This has enticed me. I already have a list of questions. The controversy alone gets my brain buzzing.  The clever wit, quick thinking puns on words, innuedos, I'm sure it will all be in there....and a moral, there wil be a moral to he story..hehe.  I narrowed my questions down though, and this is before I have even see the movie!

Yes I do have a copy, a legal copy, of Coz ov Moni. (see pic at top) It's been watched many times for many reasons. Haha, we have had fun watching it...and every time my friend tells me I'm a good chef, well we both crack up laughing & bust out the lyrics...

So, I may not be there for the screening in Hackney .....Not because I am scared to show my face, not because I am just trying to hide, not because it is not real.....but because I am in my bed, in my bed suffering "Fokn Frustrations, Operations n Complications".......  ;)