Just received Ben Waters' newsletter: (no, nothing about him jamming with the Stones last month!) I don't know how many of the linked videos featuring Charlie, Ronnie and Mick Taylor have already been posted here, but here they are with Ben's account of events:

We had a few gigs in England when we got back and then it was time for the ABC & D of Boogie Woogie to reform. We did 4 shows over two nights at the intimate 606 club on Lots Road. I really like playing these kind of venues. Everyone was on great form and playing very well. The first night, second show,Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood came down to the show as did Kelly from the Stereophonics and the next night Bill Wyman came down. I always find it quite nerve racking when there are brilliant musicians in the audience. They were all very nice though and again a great time was had.

A couple of weeks later we set out on another jaunt into Europe. I managed to rope in a friend from the village where I live to help me drive down to Venice. So Phil Roberts and I set off. We had all the equipment of my band (The Big Band, 10 of us!) in a Ford transit as well as having Charlie Watt's priceless drum kit in the back. I was a bit worried about it getting nicked so we headed to a friend's house in Belgium for the first night. Francoise and Kohn were very kind to us! We parked the car in the garden had a lovely meal with them and as their house was having work on it they booked us into a beautiful hotel, very kind of them! Thanks Guys. We then headed down to Stuttgart, the traffic was fairly awful so that was as far as we made the second day. Next day we made it down to Venice where we did all the tourist bit. I must admit though it's not as good doing all the romantic things Venice has to offer with a hairy arsed van driver. No offence Phil! I am sure he felt the same about me. We had a great gig on the Grand Canal. We played in a museum called the Palazzo Grazzi. The band flew in for the night and left the next morning although we did have time to take them around by boat! Ady stayed on to help Phil drive back to Blighty. We left the next morning, Ady and Phil dropped me in Milan where I met up with Charlie Watts, Dave Green and Axel Zwingenberger. We played six shows in the Blue Note Milan over 3 nights. You can see a clip:





It was good fun although Milan is not my favourite of cities. We then went onto Paris which is one of my favourite cities. Charlie, Dave and I walked around the city and it was great to have a guided tour from Charlie as he knows so much about it. We went all over the place. A very memorable day. We did 2 shows at the New Morning





followed by a lovely meal at La Dome (Again highly recomended) we then travelled to St. Germain En Laye where Louis the 14th was born. In fact we stayed in his birth place. We had an amazing gig there!The people the place and everything about it was incredible. They were so pleased to have Charlie there they had a special meal laid on in Louis the 14th 's horse centre. He had a special room above his indoor school where he could watch his horses. You can also see all of Paris from up there. They laid on this delightful meal up there. This life style is not good for me or Dave Green. Whenever we go on tour with the ABC & D our girth is always increased exponentially.

We then caught a high speed train to Stuttgart where I met up with my mum and dad who had kindly come out to pick up Charlie's drum kit, but secretly came out to join in the culinary delights and general partying. It was great to see them there and we had a very nice time. Again, the local promoters insisted we try all that this area had to offer, whilst Dave and I were seriously thinking the plane might not lift us any more! So Mum and Dad took the kit home, Charlie and Dave flew home, Axel flew home and I flew off to meet up with my band in Finland. The whole of the Venice Trip, Milan, Paris and Stuttgart was beautiful weather. When we got to Helsinki it was back down to earth with a bump, but as usual it was very nice to play in our second home!

The band and I had a few more gigs in the UK then we headed off to play with Mick Taylor in Knockke in Belgium. I had only played with Mick once before at the Ambassadors gig. He is a great player and very good for the style of music we play. We played the first 45 minutes and then Mick joined us. you can see a link here





We all had such a good time we are planning to do some more shows together in January.

I then left Knokke. The Belgian promoter, Thierry, kindly drove me to Brussels where I caught a flight over to Zurich to play a show in Kaufleteun a magnificent old theatre. This was a magical old place and one of the best ABC & D shows we have had! We then flew onto Berlin and were driven to Dessau. Again, our hosts seemed intent on making Dave and I look like the Michelin men, hospitality offering bastards! The promotor Bianca and all her colleagues were so kind and took us for wonderful meals and kept feeding us cake - very nice indeed. This was the last ABC & D gig of the year and we are hoping to re group sometime next year. I really enjoy these gigs and can't wait until we start up again

My band and I went down to Torquay for the Torquay Blues Fest which was very enjoyable. We were headlining the Sunday night. We got there just in time to catch the Hamsters who were on before us, they are always great

We then played at the London Jazz festival at the Bulls Head in Barnes. It's always nice to play there as they have a lovely piano and a very good history of Jazz. It was particularly good as lots of old friends turned up to augment the usual band. Willy Garnet my friend from the Rockett 88 days and amazing saxophonist turned up and played beautifully. Ray Ashley came down and played trombone to rapturous applause. He was on very good form! To top it all the legendary Ronnie Wood came and sat in for a few tunes



.

Mmm...Mick Taylor sure is looking 'Stonsey'...sounding good too...they better have him in there next year...

Thanks very much Green Lady.
Most enjoyable reading.
Would love to see Ben Waters in action next time I am in UK.

Quote
Green Lady
The first night, second show,Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood came down to the show as did Kelly from the Stereophonics and the next night Bill Wyman came down. I always find it quite nerve racking when there are brilliant musicians in the audience. They were all very nice though and again a great time was had.

"....I mean, it’s unlikely members of The Rolling Stones call up just anyone apropos of nothing to ask if they fancy a night on the tiles.

“I remember Jakki (Healy, Jones’ girlfriend and entertainment PR exec) was working late one night and I was just sitting down in front of the telly and pondering about getting a takeaway curry when the phone rang,” Jones remembers.
“It was Ronnie Wood asking if I wanted to go with him and Mick (Jagger) to watch Charlie Watt’s band do a gig at this small jazz club down the road.
“I just thought, ‘Right, better cancel the Indian then’!”
Next thing he knew Jones says the former heavy-drinking hell-raiser was at his front door with a can of ginger beer in his hand.
“I’ve know Ronnie since we did our JEEP record in 2001 because our then producer Steve Bush was working on an album with him,” says the frontman.
“He invited me to sing on a track called Whadd’ya Think, which was a really cool song and he was nothing but lovely to me.
“After that I’d always get invited to his house parties where there’d be all his paintings scattered around the place, huge 8ft canvases on the stairs, in the kitchen, everywhere.
“These days though he’s off the booze – so whereas before we’d all be out of it whenever we met up, I’ll now find myself in his living room on a Sunday morning while he’s sitting writing songs and drinking coffee and think, ‘Oh my God this is crazy, what the bloody hell am I doing here?’
“But to be watching Charlie Watts playing drums with Ronnie and then have Mick walk up and say hello was too much. I was convinced that if Keith Richards appeared behind him I’d have a coronary right there.
“Actually Mick asked if Ronnie could borrow my lap-steel guitar to use on The Stones’ recent re-issued Some Girls album, so I joked that it was his for £50 and Mick replied in that voice of his, ‘And so the rental business begins’!” he says, aping Jagger’s trademark flamboyant hand-clap".

[www.walesonline.co.uk]

ProudMary, you must search the newspapers night and day!

Quote
stonesrule
ProudMary, you must search the newspapers night and day!

Nope, I just have some weird talent for finding things. But yes, I'm newspapers junkie, I read everything

ProudMary is actually a google bot...

100 club soon

Quote
Green Lady
Just received Ben Waters' newsletter: (no, nothing about him jamming with the Stones last month!) I don't know how many of the linked videos featuring Charlie, Ronnie and Mick Taylor have already been posted here, but here they are with Ben's account of events:

Nice stuff, thanks. The jam with the Stones was Dec. 6 to the 8th and he DID play with them. Not sure what the timeline of this 'diary' is - October/November?

He keeps very busy. Its good that he keeps in such regular contact.

He's pretty vague about dates - the whole diary (I posted the second half of it) starts in "the summer" and that's as date-specific as it gets! The videos were posted on various dates between 5th October and 14th November.

Thanks Green Lady for sharing the newsletter, much appreciated.