Welcome!Hi and welcome to the new Jim Moray website. Please bear with us while we get the site fully up-and-running.Coming soon: a brand new media player, photo gallery and shop. In the mean time, Jim has a tour coming up, so check out the dates and see if he's playing near you... Latest News / BlogSigns of Life Thu, 01 May 2008If you are reading this, then chances are that you are doing so through the medium of the new website. Hello. This blog will be the first port of call for news from now on. Hell, I might even start blogging in the accepted sense of the word... Meanwhile, the album 'Low Culture' will be released through Pinnacle on July 14th, available from all good record shops (if there are any actual physical record shops left in two months time that is... at this rate not likely) and the usual online outlets. More later. The best financial advice anyone has ever sent to me. Wed, 20 Feb 2008..is here. http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=362. Its American, so you'll have to substitute "Inland Revenue" for "IRS", and "London" for "New York/LA/San Francisco" but it's still relevant. If you are in any creative profession then take note. Happy New Year. Wed, 02 Jan 2008Hi, I'm sitting here listening to some rough mixes of my third album which will be out in May. Its called Low Culture and I think its pretty good. I'm sure you'll hear more about it in 2008, but I just have a bit more crossing of I's and sipping of T's and then it'll be done. Hooray for that. Also, watch out for a remastered (i.e. mastered at all, LOL!!1!) version of the 'I Am Jim Moray' EP that was initially released back in 2001. Its going to have a couple of bonus tracks on it and it'll be available from gigs, on download and mail order from the website (www.jimmoray.co.uk) in a month or so. A lot of people have asked about this, and there are only 1000 copies of the original in total so if you have one hang onto it! As if that wasn't enough, the Jim Moray 4 (comprising the Sweet England-era touring band of Laurence Hunt on drums, Jonny Race on guitar and Ryan Trebilcock on bass) played a pretty heavy set at St Martins church in Birmingham on the 2005 tour that remains one of my favourite gigs we ever did. It was recorded and filmed by Scott Johnson of Film Ficciones, and I'm halfway through mixing it for a live EP that will be available at the gigs and from the website. There's some stuff on there that was never released on an album, plus (to my mind) definitive versions of some of the Sweet England tracks played live. I imagine that'll be ready for the March and May dates. Anyway, happy 2008 and I'll see you somewhere down the road! Jim I guess I should explain... Wed, 24 Oct 2007I've got into the habit of just posting photos out of context. sorry about that. The record is sounding good. I've had all sorts of people to the house in the last few weeks to try to finish it off. The guy playing Kora and Dilruba in the pictures below is called Dan Wilkins who studied at Conservatoire with me. As far as I know he's the first and only student to be a first study Kora player. He's on a track featuring the electric thumb piano I made. I now have several including a bass electric thumb piano. Lots of problems because the track is now in F#min and the thumb pianos are all tuned to G... My buddy Laurence Hunt is playing drums and marimba on a track. I've played with Loz longer than anyone else (apart from maybe my sister) and he played some of the drums on Sweet England and toured with me for a few years. I've played the majority of the drums this time round but its was still nice to have him on the album. The brass guys are Jim Cornick and Rob Williams, who are in a band called Glow who I share a studio space with, and Dave Byett, musician for Bristol Morris Men amongst other things (more on them later). Nick Cooke and Jamie Delarre have played melodeon and fiddle respectively, and Jackie has played and sung a bit too. I'm due to go to Manchester to collect some Hurdy Gurdy parts and some more strings in the next few weeks. I'm also hunting round for someone in Bristol with a real piano I can record for an afternoon. More soon. Supporting Bellowhead at Shepherds Bush empire Thu, 27 Sep 2007The view from the balcony during soundcheck...   "foot-tapping folk big band Bellowhead perform their rambunctious Dixieland jazz, supported by alternative folkster Jim Moray..." Isle of Wight Thu, 27 Sep 2007edit: It's funny how your first impressions can be so far wrong. While we enjoyed the IOW folk and blues fest at the time, I've since found out that their organisation leaves a little to be desired... They're now being investigated by the MU so watch this space for developments... What a great festival! Nice people and a great audience. The organisers decided to use the "glitter eye" pictures of me as the posters for the festival. My face was literally everywhere on the island, and when we finally reached the festival site we found that a face painting stall had been giving people a Moray makeover. Here are some of the organising commitee... Cambridge and beyond Mon, 30 Jul 2007Just got back from this years Cambridge folk festival. Half an hours work playing guitar for my sister and three days ligging - perfect. Huge thanks to everyone who came to see Jackie for making it so nice for us. I don't have any photos 'cause my phone battery ran out. It was nice to catch up with everyone and stock up on another years worth of news, gossip and new music. I'm particularly enjoying Kate Rusby's new album Awkward Annie, especially the track 'John Barbury'. And Bella Hardy's forthcoming album Night Visiting. The song 'Alone Jane?' is my favourite. That is all. Electric Thumb Piano Thu, 19 Jul 2007Tuned to a G melodic minor scale, with dual pickups under the soundboard and stereo output.   Shepherds Bush Empire with Bellowhead Mon, 16 Jul 2007A quick heads-up - The good burghers of Bellowhead have asked us to support them at their Shepherds Bush Empire show in September. I'm pretty sure it will sell out VERY fast, so go to their site sharpish to buy tickets if you want to see this. A good night guaranteed by all and we're looking forward to it immensely. Thanks Bellowhead! Black Joak Wed, 11 Jul 2007Here is a preview of the Jim Moray trio's contribution to Ashley Hutchings' 'Mother of all Morris' album. It was recorded entirely in dressing rooms and hotel rooms between gigs in Manchester, Leigh-on-Sea and Bristol. Sweet England in todays Independent Fri, 06 Jul 2007Page 5, Arts and Books review. A huge surprise, but a very pleasant one. If you're reading this, Robert Webb, thanks!! Jim  RNCM Fri, 29 Jun 2007I did a set of new songs for chamber(ish) ensemble at the RNCM in Manchester last week. I was writing right up to the night before - not a good idea. None the less, I think we got away with it, just. The piece was based on the wax recordings made by Percy Grainger between 1906 and 1909 in Brigg in Lincolnshire. Amongst the singers he recorded was Joseph Taylor, possibly the most influential 'source' singer of them all. He's certainly the most influential on me. I used to think that Taylor was a young man when the recordings were made because they sound so powerful and fresh in a way that other source recordings don't. He was actually well into his seventies, and the groundsman at Saxby-All-Saints where he is buried. Grainger, meanwhile, was only 24. He was loaned a wax cylinder machine by the EFDSS - the machine is still there in the Vaughan Williams memorial library, and he carried it up to Lincolnshire to try to record some of the singers over subsequent visits. These were eventually released as the first ever commercial folk recording, entitled "Authentic Songs of Peasant Folk Singers" in 1908. They were also released as "Unto Brigg Fair" by Leader records in 1972, making them amongst the 'lost' Leader catalogue owned by Dave Bulmer and Celtic Music. My copy of Unto Brigg Fair came from ebay. In my piece, half the songs were sung by the voice of Joseph Taylor synched up with the ensemble - easier said than done. After one performance, I think the piece needs a bit of re-think. Its got the makings of something good though. This was the view in the interval from my place.  J New Blog Fri, 29 Jun 2007Hello, I'm in the middle stages of making a new album. Hopefully this blog will follow the whole thing through to being released, played live and into the faces of the public. Thats the plan anyway. More later. J |
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