jiva at www.jiva.co.uk

Important News

We're cutting down our use of Blogger and Blogspot, but you can still keep up with jiva news on our website.

Home page is: www.jiva.co.uk
News is at: www.jiva.co.uk/newsarc.htm

Thanks for dropping by...

Jimmy and Val (jiva)
www.jiva.co.uk/
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23-Feb-10 Cramlington Folk Club

Keith, in decidedly jovial mood, got the night underway shortly after 8:00 pm with the opening verses of a humorous poem, setting the scene for yet another grand Cramlington night. There was the usual varied crop of residents and one new performer that we'd not seen before. We sang:

• Love At The Five & Dime (Nanci Griffith)
• Best Friends (jiva)
• Louise (Paul Siebel)

It's quite something to have the Cramlington choir in full voice one moment and then having the room in rapt attentive silence the next. It's a smashing place to play - a testament to Keith & Audrey, residents, visitors and audience alike.

Links
jiva website
jiva MySpace
Cramlington Folk Club website

19-Feb-10 How cool is that

Imagine the scene... Friday night we're both on our PCs in the study and at 23:10 the telephone rings - it's Anthony John Clarke... He's playing his gig at Leigh Folk Club and has rung us from the stage! He quickly says "listen to this I'm going to play your 'One More Song'" and hands his mobile to his wife Julia to hold while he plays.

Well, we were gobsmacked - how thoughtful and outrageously cool is that! We listened, openmouthed as he sang and as the audience swelled every 'One more song to sing'. It was lovely and when he sang (his own words) 'I'm standing here all alone' the audience responded with  'Aaahh' and he followed with "And Jimmy and Val who wrote this song, they're listening on the telephone" we just couldn't believe our ears.

And we got a text message from a friend asking "Did you hear me singing?"

A lovely lovely end to the day for us, grinning from ear to ear.

 Links
jiva website

jiva MySpace
Anthony John Clarke

14-Feb-10 Bishop fm - live concert

We were the first guest on Terry Ferdinand's new Sunday live one hour concert series (no name for the show yet) - it's quite something, and indeed an honour, to be 'guinea pigs' for each new project that he dreams up.

We took along our Bose L1 sound system and plugged this straight into the studio desk to ensure the critical jiva balance providing our trademark gentle blend of acoustic guitars and vocal harmony. They also used the studio mics to capture the live room ambience in the mix. It sounded good to us in the studio - Gary and Terry were quite animated with thumbs up signs and scribbled messages on a mini whiteboard... at one point Gary wrote that all he needed was a sofa and a beer and he'd be made (it was a little difficult to concentrate on song lyrics while reading these messages).

We played:

• Back Home To You (Allan Taylor)
• When (jiva)
• Love At The Five & Dime (Nanci Griffith)
• Louise (Paul Siebel)
• Dream On (jiva)
• Yorkshire Romance (C J Rowe)
• Some Way Home (jiva)
• Different Dreams (jiva)

It was an hour long programme - play a couple of songs, chat a bit, play a bit, have a jingle or two, play a bit more, and so on. And there was a live telephone call with Anthony John Clarke as well. Phew! The hour, as usual, just flew by - and before we knew it we had just over 4 minutes left and goodbyes to say and one more song to sing... no we didn't finish with that song - we finished with 'Different Dreams', the final flourish/strum being hit with less than a second to spare (how's that for timing).

Thanks for having us along Terry - we had a great time - and good luck for future shows.

 Links
jiva website

jiva MySpace
Terry Ferdinand MySpace
BishopFM

11-Feb-10 MIND Active

It's lovely to turn up and find everyone in their chairs ready and eagerly waiting for us to play. We were in the Reception area so there was a fair bit of movement from staff and visitors, but it didn't detract from a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. Men were greatly outnumbered by women so they had a bit of a challenge for the men verus women in 'One More Song' so we declared it a draw!

We played:

• Back Home To You (Allan Taylor)
• When (jiva)
• Love At The Five And Dime (Nanci Griffith)
• Louise (Paul Siebel)
• Dream On (jiva)
• Yorkshire Romance (CJ Rowe)
• Passin Thru (Randy Scruggs and Johnny Cash)
• Different Dreams (jiva)
• Some Way Home (jiva)
• One More Song (jiva)

After an hour's performance we had a cup of tea and a chat with residents and staffand there were lots of positive comments and requests for us to come back soon. We left them a copy of our 'Best Friends' CD so they can practice the words and sing along even more at our next visit.

Links
jiva website
jiva MySpace
MINDActive website

08-Feb-10 Nanci Griffith at The Sage Gateshead

Although we both enjoy listening to our Nanci Griffith CDs neither of us had seen Nanci Griffith in concert, so we'd been looking forward for some time to a night out at the Sage. The evening got underway prompt at 19:30 with the support act - singer/songwriter Edwina Hayes. She's making quite a name for herself...someone to definitely watch out for.

There was a short break and then it was time for Nanci Griffith. She had two members of the Blue Moon Orchestra with her, a guitarist and drummer/percussionist, and began with the John Prine song, 'Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness'. Before too long she did 'Love At The Five And Dime' (a song oh hers that's not only in our own repertoire but also on our 'Best Friends' CD).

There were lots of good songs, and Nanci and the boys performed in a very laid back and relaxed style, enhanced by the good work done by the soundman who ensured clarity at a comfortable volume. We can't remember all the titles of the songs, but it was a smashing evening and we had a great time. The evening just seemed to whizz by.

Links
jiva website
jiva MySpace
Nanci Griffith website

07-Feb-10 Guisborough Folk Club

First visit this year - bad weather had kept us away in January.

Not quite as busy as some nights we have been to, but there was the usual friendly welcome from performers and audience.

We were on in the first half and, like everyone else, got two songs. We did Love At The Five And Dime (Nanci Griffith) and Louise (Paul Siebel).

Customary beer break and raffle selling followed before the night got underway again with performers who had not got on in the first half and then with repeat of some performers. We didn't get on again (shame), but we did win a prize in the raffle!

As we were putting our guitars back in their cases at the end of the night we received lots of lovely comments from performers and audience alike... and more still as we loaded our stuff into the car for the 60 mile journey home.

Links
jiva website
jiva MySpace
Guisborough Folk Club website