Tripitaka

I visited Tripitaka during the week, primarily to photograph them but secondly to give them a listen to. Wow! I've always thought they were an exciting band but now they're mature and lovely.   As a whisky drinker it's easy for me to make a comparison like this; they were always a fine blended batch, and not a common one either, definitely none of the shit you'd find in a supermarket like your Grants or Bells, maybe something like a "21yr Cambeltown Loch Blend", but now, after being put into a bonded warehouse for 15 years, they're mature and refined, something like an "Ardbeg Young Uigeadail, comittee release".

Shaun has always been special (not in a mental way! (well maybe a little bit!!)) as has Jonathon the drummer, but they've returned thrice as good.  I always thought Rich the keyboard player would be irreplaceable, both in his keyboard playing skills and loveliness, but that was quickly knocked out of me after hearing Ray Irvine play, and he's lovely to boot!  Mik has stepped in on the guitar and has improved the sound immensely.  A few times I found myself thinking, "Ahhh, that's what it should have sounded like!".  And the Brass section sound divine!  That's what really makes the hairs stand up on your neck, and they're perfectionists.

Sandy is now officially a professional singer and it's no wonder.  In fact the other night she sang with the Ronnie Scott orchestra.  In Jazz terms I don't think it gets bigger than that.  The only way she could top that is if she was to build a time machine, go back and meet Duke Ellington and hear the Duke say to Ella (Fitzgerald!), "You can F*ck Off now Ella, Sandy's here!"

The world will be treated to something special when they start gigging, I can't wait.

"Tripitaka"