trio rehearsal breakthrough

Henry, Keith and I had our fourth rehearsal as an experimental trio last night. Wow. I'm suddenly very happy with the way it's going.

The pieces really seemed to come alive in ways they hadn't before. The previous rehearsals left me somewhat unsatisfied, feeling like wandering in a fog or doing homework. This time it was sheer joy. We're relaxing into it, and finding ways of "working stuff out" without all the usual "arrangement" formalities - we're just playing with ideas, getting to know certain riffs, themes, tunes, melodies, rhythms...The five-rhythm piece was incredible to play. Henry and Keith were both very confident with that, and I was to fly off and try stuff I'd never attempted in five - I completely lost my way several times, but the groove was still there to climb back up into. Wonderful.

I introduced a couple of new ones - "Offa's Dyke" (one of my simple creations) and a Northumbrian ballad called "Bonny at Morn".

I may even post up some audio from this one in due course.