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!
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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!
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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) !
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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!
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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 !
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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