Well, as a musician it’s not often you look at your diary and wish it were gig free, but today I was asked to front the orchestra in the Queen’s Room on Cunard’s Queen Victoria world cruise. Unfortunately on this occasion I have had to decline the offer – but what an honour!!
Today I’m having a family day, but I’m also looking forward to spending a bit of time sorting out my music for a new project I’ll be working on in the New Year with some other great musicians. Rehearsals start next week – which is probably a good thing, as when I sing and play […]
I generally find January to be quite a depressing, miserable month, but this year, January has been, for John Moakes, quite a different experience. One thing that usually makes the month drag for me, is the time between gigs, after the full-on busy Christmas and New Year period. And then there’s the cold, dark, wet […]
Today I am travelling to Chard, Somerset to front the Big Band, the New Squandronaires. In addition to fronting I’ll be singing, and I’m taking my trumpet with me to play the occasional solo. It’s always a pleasure to play with the Squads and I’m looking forward to visiting this Warner venue, which is a […]
If you live in Derbyshire and fancy a night of swing singing, you might like to come along and be entertained by me at The Old Yew Tree Inn, South Wingfield on Saturday 17th January from 9.00pm. You can sit by a log fire, and if real ale and swing is your thing it’s definitely […]
A great night last night at Nidd Hall, Warners Holidays singing and fronting the Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra. So good to see old friends and supporters from the Sands Venue, Blackpool. Looking forward to fronting and singing with the New Squandronaires on Saturday 10th January at Warners Holidays, Cricket St Thomas, Chard, Somerset.
I’m enjoying a few days off with my family for Christmas, so this afternoon we are going to see some old friends playing in the orchestra for the panto, Sleeping Beauty, at Nottingham Playhouse. It’ll make a nice change for me to sit in the audience, watch others sing and play, and be entertained! Looking […]
Today I’ve been doing some lunchtime Christmas Crooning at a beautiful gastro pub in Saffron Walden called The Railway. It’s really got me into the Christmas spirit, and the diners loved it as much as their Christmas lunch – some even got up to dance. I’m coming back to perform again on 15th March 2015 […]
I was sorting through some files the other day and came across some old photos of the time I met Dizzy Gillespie, so this month, I thought I would share those experiences with you. It was in 1986 when I met Dizzy Gillespie, and I was on board the MV Regent Sea undertaking my first […]
Tonight I’m appearing in the Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular Show at Wulfrun Hall playing lead trumpet. The show has sold out so it should be an entertaining evening, and the addition of some favourite Big Band Christmas songs always add to the festive atmosphere.