News  HOT NEWS!!........ Free Download Single Released 29th March! Hear Billy Live On BBC R4! I Am A Man From Lewisham! All CD's Now £9.99! Move Over Ben 10 - It's Billy 10! Save Our Sound!     RECENT NEWS!!........ Mike Is Your 'Back Up' Man...! This Makes Us Smile! Billy Fails Again!! Humanity And Resonance!   UPDATE! Laying It On The Line In 2009! One Step On From The Blues!   NEWS ARCHIVE!!........ Farewell to Leeds Jazz.....Entertainment Licensing Update.......Hysteria, Fear & Live Music.....More Live Music Legislation.....BBC Ban Billy....Songs of Praise CD....BBC Apologise To Billy....Great 'Here Is The Blues!' Review...and much more.  Spank your mouse here!   Music Makers, Creative Business People & Arts Administrators!  Billy is now Booking For 2010!       Free Download Single Released 29th March!   'Is that a free download I see before me!?'                     ©Steve Morrison   'I Am A Man From Lewisham', the title track from the new album, will be available as a free download from this site from Monday 29th March! Especially edited by Jenkins' long-time producing maestro Tony Messenger, it's the guitarist's first brave and belated step into this new fangled thing called 'downloading'...... It's a perfect appetizer for hovvering down the whole album and is guaranteed to put a 'Spring' in your step! return to top of page             Hear Billy Live On BBC R4!   'I'll try and do 'morning nice...!'  ©Mary Thackray   Call the Polite Police!  Mr Jenkins can be heard partaking in 'lively and diverse conversation on the flagship  BBC R4 'Midweek' radio programme with Libby Purves and other guests writer and naturalist Sir John Lister Kaye, fashion designer Caroline Charles and former Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers. The live discussion, with Billy talking about his new album and conducting Humanist funerals took place on Wednesday 24th February and can be listened to and enjoyed by spanking this 'Midweek' link! return to top of page         I Am A Man From Lewisham!     At last!  After an enforced hiatus away from the business due to personal, artistic and economical complexities, the new Billy recording has arrived! Although not available as a download until 12th April, you can snap up a pre-release CD copy now by spanking this Recordings link!   Featuring his 'Songs of Praise' ensemble, we at billy.com have to modestly say that, once more, this music is truly the Sound of the City. Not many musicians are documenting and making us take a step back to pause and appreciate our daily surroundings like Jenkins does. By gathering clusters of musicians to resonate along the bylaws laid down by the composer (with full endorsement to exercise ones human rights and right of freedom for the benefit of all) - he creates a celebratory aural Love Fest of stinking, joyous, wonderful civilization. And, here in the UK, as we teeter towards an insipid tick box totalitarianism-lite 'think as the law says you will do' madness - we must treasure the sound of free speech.  By humans. Not robots...... Spank that Recordings link now - available worldwide for £9.99 (including p + p) ! return to top of page           All CD's Now £9.99!   '£12.99 for a life size Pixie Lott doll..!?! I'm better off buying one of my own albums!'                                                                                                                              ©Steve Morrison Thanks to a generous and supportive gesture from the Babel Label, every Billy CD and DVD available at www.jazzcds.co.uk or by cheques direct via the Billy Office are now priced at £9.99 - and that includes post and packing world-wide! All orders from jazzcds come direct through the Billy Office - so you can be assured of an efficient and conscientious service! Enjoy some real music (whilst helping Billy earn enough to pay some tax) by spanking the Recordings link now! return to top of page           Move Over Ben 10 - It's Billy 10!                                         Is it Billy 10 (circa 1991).........or Ben 10  !?! ".... and he found an alien pod on the ground. When he examines it, in it he finds a mysterious, large broach-like device, called a guitar, stored inside. The device attaches permanently to his chest and gives him the ability  to transform into a variety of musical life-forms, each with their own unique powers. Although Billy realizes that he has a responsibility to help others with these new abilities at his disposal, he is not above a little super-powered mischief now and then. Along with his musicians, Billy embarks on an adventure to fight musical inertia, both cerebral and earthy". billy.com is proud to announce that 2010 will see the launch and re-launch of a number of Billy Jenkins albums supported by a concerted media campaign and live events designed to promote the great guitarist as a national treasure and one of the unsung British musicians in any genre. The releases will be in four batches:   Spring 2010..... New CD I Am A Man From Lewisham and reissue of two titles: Sounds Like Bromley (1981) and Greenwich (1985) digitally reissued for the first time (direct from virgin vinyl!). These three titles continue Billy’s cycle of recordings inspired by his South East London manor.   Summer 2010....  Reissue of the Uncommerciality series (three volumes 1986 – 1992) as digital downloads (previously these three releases were only available on chocolate box cassette).   Late Summer 2010.....  Reissue of the live Jazz Café Concerts Vols 1 & 2 (1990) and Wiesen '87 (1992) - previously only available on cassette - as digital downloads.   Autumn 2010.....  New blues album Born Again (and the religion is The Blues..)!  and first digital download issue of the three Blues Collective albums sadtimes.co.uk (2000), Blues Zero Two and LIFE (both 2002).   Live.... Taking advantage of the promotional activity that will surround these releases, and as a focus for the year a concert or mini-festival celebrating Billy’s music through the extended musical family that is and has been the Voice of God Collective. Billy has collaborated with some of the finest young jazz players through his long serving collective and has worked with the cream of British jazz talent. The concept is to get as many of these players as possible together to create a kind of mini-Meltdown with Billy curating (and playing) – a tribute to Billy and a celebration of the Voice of God diaspora.   Promotion..... The new CDs will benefit from a full press campaign (PR guru Fiona Wootton has agreed to spearhead the campaign for I Am A Man From Lewisham) including specialist and general, national and local print media, online and new media outlets, radio and TV. For all Billy 10 campaign press and communications contact Fiona: E: Fiona@sebandfiona.com    M: 0793 953 3183 And bookmark this page for updates now ! return to top of page                 Save Our Sound!   'Oy! Bureaucrats! We can't shout any louder!!                                                        ©Helmut Riedl   In the good old days, musicians were entwined with analogue tape. Now the only tape musicians are wrapped up in is the colour red. We at bj.com have been documenting the complexities and resulting fallouts of  the 2003 Licensing Act; the 2007 smoking ban; the 2008 EU legislation that forbids noise over 85 decibels in the workplace which is playing havoc with the classical music world, the virtual collapse of record sales due to illegal downloading and file sharing; the Metropolitan Police Clubs & Vice Unit Form 696 - not to mention the costs and stress of getting musicians and instruments from A to B when market economics can't afford to cover all those 'hidden extras'..... And now, there's another worrying logistical cloud on the horizon - for Ofcom will shortly sell-off the radio frequencies that the music and entertainment industry and charitable sectors rely on, with auction proceeds going to the Government.  As a consequence of this ‘migration’, the vast majority of the UK’s stocks of wireless microphones, which are essential tools for content production in the creative industries and beyond, will soon be rendered unusable! If productions that depend on these technologies are to continue, then all affected equipment (worth tens of millions of pounds) will need to be replaced with gear that can operate on different frequencies, which remain for the most part unspecified. But those who own the equipment either cannot afford or will seriously struggle to cover the enforced costs of replacing entire inventories of valuable equipment. It is like a compulsory purchase order with little or no compensation. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS WILL MEAN...... If current proposals are implemented, ALL PRODUCTIONS AND BUSINESSES THAT DEPEND ON THE USE OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE UNDER THREAT, from the freelance sound engineer to the Olympics, because of the way that the UK’s pool of equipment is held and supplied. The effects will be particularly severe in the short to medium term: • Live music, news gathering, musical theatre and other events are likely to     become impossible to stage; • Companies will go bust, individuals will go bankrupt and employees will be made     redundant; • The UK’s balance of payments will be severely affected; • Charitable and community organisations will have to divert funds from core    services..... All we can say is - get thee to the Save Our Sound UK campaign site now and register your support! return to top of page           Mike Is Your 'Back Up' Man...!   Mike Pickering Bsc (HONS). Drummer. Osteopath. Dad.   Blues Collective drummer Mike Pickering, apart from being a world class musician, has also been a qualified osteopath for the last three years. His talents have been used many times by Billy to repair the stresses his wrists, arms and neck go under when he attacks his guitar and he has no hesitation in recommending MIke for all your osteropathic, medical acupuncture (dry needling) and sports / deep soft tissue massage needs. He is now practising two days a week in the heart of Soho at James Hull Dental Associates at 73-74 Berwick Street, W1F 8TE. FInd out more about Mike's work and Soho Osteopathy here! return to top of page             This Makes Us Smile!                         Beaker.......or Thad Kelly?!   Trawling through the lawless copyright ignored badlands of the internet ether, bj.com came across this Youtube clip filmed by photomarky - and we have to concede it's delightfully daft! It seems to be Blues Collective bassist Thad Kelly on his way to a gig - whilst listening to the sublimely sexy 'I Love Your Smell' from Billy's Blues Collective CD sadtime.co.uk! Try the smile test here! return to top of page               Billy Fails Again!!   Billy!!  You can't fly...!!!  You're a 53 year old man with no wings...!!                                                                                photo © bananko   Once more Billy The Aviator fails to fly - this time as Tom Bancroft's award winning Kidsamonium invaded Austria and the LaStrade Street & Puppet Theatre Festival during the first week of August. Top photographer bananko has captured the sensitive guitarist in full 'huffy puffy' mode and you can enjoy more of his Kidsamonium in Graz photos here! Kidsamonium are next scheduled to appear in Lisbon, Portugal in June 2010. return to top of page                 Humanity And Resonance!    'At your service. Literally.'                      ©Peter Daub   Since July of 2008, Billy has been immersing himself in his parallel vocation as a Humanist Officiant (see below ) and has now helped create, construct and conduct quite a few non religious funeral ceremonies. Unsurprisingly, growing a 'grief proof' skin has not been easy, as one has to emphasize with next of kin during such a torrid time and already he has had to confront a wide range of emotional scenarios which resonate deep inside. And Jenkins, behind that gruff exterior, is a rather sensitive soul. Apart from the service to fellow human beings, the concept of ritual and ceremony for such an absolute event is providing the composer in Jenkins with some fundamental inspiration. For the 'resonation' he is imbibing is slowly coming out in a series of solo classical guitar studies which he has started to record at Equator Studios under the engineering and worldly wise production skills of Charlie Hart. Digging deep into the guitar's lower register, he is utilising his experiences into various 'Remembrance' meditations, using different keys as the fundamental base. 'It's about finding those notes that resonate the mind and body. Re-introducing the attack and retardation of notes lost with download limitations', says the guitarist - who might be adding cello to a couple of the pieces.   UPDATE: Jenkins had hoped to compose and complete the music before returning to the studios by the end of 2008 to finish the recording - but the combination of Officiant duties and the virtual collapse of CD sales has put the project on hold. return to top of page             Laying It On The Line In 2009!   These fingers make notes. Sometimes.                                  ©Billy Hill   During 2009, Billy was interviewed by Newcastle based musician and academic Andrew Simmons for a research project Mr Simmons is writing for his B.Mus.(Hons) degree. Reproduced with kind approval of Mr Simmons, it offers a fascinating and honest insight into the challenges facing musicians, composers and bandleaders today:     Was performance of original material always your career plan?     I suppose teaching oneself to play guitar and improvising on the piano naturally led to composing   Do you - or did you feel it was compulsory to - have some form of formal musical training to get you to the level you are today? I had elementary classical lesson and only got as far as Grade 1 distinction on violin & Grade 3 viola. But in hindsight I had a superb choir master, Michael Bailey, at the local parish church aged 10-12 years old.   Did you require some form of start-up funding? i.e. savings, arts council funding, etc. That didn’t exist for a 14 year old in 1970…..   What obstacles did you face in getting to the stage in your career you are today? How did you solve them? There are always obstacles. Right now some of them are: The limitations of downloaded sound Overcrowded profession in all ways Lack of Arts Council funding Reduction in numbers of venues - art centre closing through fund withdrawal, having to promote ‘safe’ events to ensure modicum income; licensed venues shutting - a knock on effect from 2003 Entertainment & Licensing Bill and then smoking ban in public places Too many music graduates chasing too few opportunities.....   Does live performance of original material account for your entire earnings or do you have other sources of income? (if possible please state percentages/figures) The record industry is dying. So I have gone where the smart money is and I am conducting Humanist funerals. An absolute avant garde gig……. 37 years a bandleader has worn me out. There is just not the venues that can pay enough to pay musicians a just fee…..£75 a bed in a hotel x 5 =  £375 for starters…. petrol…. even just £100 a man - you need £1,000 a show minimum…..flights are b*****ks - prompters pay for cheap airlines but you end up either paying almost as much for ‘excess baggage’ or instruments or they refuse to let you take hand luggage small instruments on board. It’s worn me out…..     How do you currently book gigs? e.g. self-promotion, agency, etc.  I have one or two associates that try and help (promoters who try and help get back to back shows) - otherwise just me - but I’m tired of knocking on doors and I can’t phone as it takes energy away from the music talking-talking-talking…     Has that always been the case? Pretty much. I had management in the 1970’s but it all ended in two years of litigation and I got quite ill…     Where and how do you advertise your act? Which do you consider to be the most effective medium? Can’t afford to and it’s too time consuming to address the fast diluting effects of web based commerce.      [How] do you use Internet technologies to promote your act or keep your fan base up-to-date? I don’t do email shots as we all get too much shite thrown at us. Too much time in front of PC hurts my hands (I have mild carpal tunnel), neck, eyes and brain. Social network sites too time consuming but I do have a MySpace and here at www.billyjenkins.com.     What do you do to stay ahead of your competition (similar acts)? How important do you consider having a unique selling point? The unique selling point is being unique. And being fantastic. And that takes years of serious study and experiences. I’ve had about 40 albums released. Tons of critical praise and media soundbites. Those who stay ahead of competition invest heavily in PR and promo. When Jamie Cullum was doing the business, he had two people working fulltime on his MySpace site…….     Are you set up as a sole trader or limited company? self unemployed sole trader….     How is your revenue budgeted to pay expenses? i.e. travel, accommodation, hiring musicians, etc. No pay - no play. My last album cost about £2,500 to record - paying musicians & studio costs. This was in 2007. It has not been released. WHAT IS THE POINT!? We could all listen to 12 hours of recorded music every day until we die and every track would be one we like…… I’ve been trying to pay tax for years….I WANT to pay tax. To feel that I am contributing to the infrastructure of our country.     Do you take care of your own admin? i.e. tax rebates, PAT testing, public liability insurance, etc. Yes and my wife does my books.     Is it difficult to find time to expand your repertoire/practice on your instrument? You bet - it hurts my hands anyway - I can only do half an hour at a time and why expand if there is no one who wants to hear what you do? Too much time on admin and addressing ever changing and complex copyright laws.      What led you to the genre you are in? e.g. prospective profits, artist license, etc. The Muse…..The joy of making music with other people…….     In what ways do you copyright your material? How much does it cost to do so? Have you had to deal with copyright issues? PRS/MCPS. Obviously copyright protection is vital and with over 350 works registered with PRS since 1975 (I think) I have to protect my meagre returns for my children’s benefit…..It’s an amazing situation now. You can download some of my albums in USA for free - and I’m just a diddly-squat artist in the grand scheme…. Spotify -  Ha! I just took a line out the headphone socket and recorded straight onto Mini disc……my children’s generation have decided recorded music is for free….we are all DOOMMMEDDD!  But at least we ALL are…!     Artistically, is your line of work fulfilling? It’s all I’ve ever done and it is what I am. Conducting Humanist funerals is a natural extension of performance, spontaneity, writing words, creating emphatic verses and phrases, oratory…..and it’s one step on from the blues….     Do you charge a blanket fee for all performances/venues or does it vary accordingly? If you did that, you would never work. All festivals, for example, have a budget cap. If you can help them - they can help you and a few more folks might get a gig too. Jazz clubs - all run on a non profit basis (well most of them). You can’t charge more than each gig can offer…..     Is it the case that performance is, particularly nowadays, more profitable than CD sales? To be frank, for the serious musician, neither are profitable. I can tell you that my last CD release ‘Songs of Praise LIVE!’ released Nov 2007 had superb press and ok national airplay. LAST YEAR I SOLD 25 ALBUMS ONLINE via my site……There are either door money low paid gigs or 500 seat venues. 100 - 200 seat theatres and arts centres are in decline due to reasons stated above.     Have technology advances helped or hindered your practice with regards to composing techniques, promotion, performance or sales? Yes and no. I need to devote serious study to addressing the ‘new way’. But it is not what I do. I’m sure there’s a young whizz kid out there who I could employ on a one off basis to address things - but I’ve not started looking, nor have the time or wherewithal to source. But, as a composer,  my ears aren’t happy with MP3 - THERE IS NO RETARDATION OF NOTES - IN OTHER WORDS, THE VERY BREATH OF A MUSICAL SOUND IS IGNORED. This works fine for machine made music - but for acoustic , the COMPRESSION reduces the impact. It’s not a medium I WANT to compose for - as I’ve often used the sound carrier as part of the composition (deliberate surface noise with wide grooves on the vinyl LP ‘Motorway At Night DCM 1988; ‘Music For Two Cassette Machines’  1992 - using the fact that no cassette machines runs at the same speed. Did you know that!? Composing music especially for cassettes ‘Uncommerciality Vol 1 -3’ 1984 - 91’     What are the biggest rewards in this line of work? Being honest, open and just being Billy. And going where the Muse takes me.     What are the drawbacks, if any? Severe mental and physical collapse in my late 30’s….I still have to be careful. My body clock was totally busted….even now a long drive and late home takes me two days to re-stablise ......Several associates dying in car crashes on the road….we were even sued for non appearance after our road crew crashed en route to concert in Nottingham. Our sound engineer died, two others seriously injured. All our gear twatted…..Problems with neck and arms due to configuration of different types of guitar (from semi-acoustic to classical to steel strung) all affect my back, arms, hands and neck in different ways....Getting electrocuted on stage, being thrown into audience and they laughed so much I just kept going.....Haemorrhoids from long distance driving and anxiety that only a bandleader understands…. Adrenaline rushes lead to periods of depression and inertia.....And my nerves can’t tolerate loud noises - especially if the music is not ‘organic’ i.e. looped/samples......     If you knew before you started what you know now, would you have done anything differently? No.   Do you have any advice you could share with composer hoping to perform original material of their own? Make sure you fall mutually in love with someone with a disposable income…..   ©2009 Andrew Simmons/Billy Jenkins return to top of page                 One Step On From The Blues!   ©Simon Thackray   The Blues is an affirmation of life.  For a man to call his free and fast flowing instrumental ensemble since 1981 the The Voice of God Collective - citing that 'the Voice of the People is the Voice of God - and the religion is music' and then preach the blues seriously since the mid 1990's, suggests a man who fully accepts that there is but one life, with no 'Invisible Friend' to guide one to 'the Promised Land' and supposed eternity. Add a thorough grounding in backstage antics as a pre pubescent C of E choirboy ('great music, crap lyrics...'), it is hardly surprising that bj.com is proud to announce that Billy (now he's a properly grown up fiftysomething) has been studying and training with the British Humanist Association . Since 2008 he has become an Accredited Humanist Officiant approved by the BHA to conduct non religious funerals.     'I have nothing against those who need spiritual guidance to help them through life, although I draw the line when religious fundamentalists evoke one or all of what I describe as the 'Three 'C's: Conning, Controlling and Killing.....', says Jenkins.     'The work will complement my performance and recording. Most of my music is a celebration of existence. I let musicians express themselves through my music.'      'Now, thanks to the insightful and thorough BHA training, I can be of service to those who find death has suddenly hit them smack between the eyes. The role does not involve me as a musician, but with my experience as a facilitator of live events, I will be able to, hopefully, assist in celebrating the life of a person whose death has left a terrible hole in the lives of those who knew and loved them.'      'A fitting funeral ceremony can do so much to assist and accept closure and to open the door to the initially painful and empty path of life one has to continue with. It is a threshold that has to be crossed.'      'Amazingly, too many people are still unaware that a funeral can be  non religious and I recommend you find out more about the work of the BHA and their ceremonies (they also officiate at weddings, baby namings and civil partnerships) at www.humanism.org.uk.'   Billy will be mostly conducting funerals in and around SE London and you  can reach him via the BHA website (type in 'funerals' and 'SE' for the postcode)  or the bj.com Contact page.   return to top of page