Category Archives: Playing at Cafés & Restaurants

Playing Chidlow: Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant

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The Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant has been extensively renovated over the last few months (late 2018) and now they’ve got me playing piano on some nights.

Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant, Chidlow

Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant, Chidlow, with new deck and awning.

Last night was my second Saturday and it was a wonderful experience. I can say it was wonderful because I have that on good advice: several patrons came up to me to say how much they enjoyed my classical piano playing. I even got two tips (of folding stuff).

One lady was so overcome by the experience that she and the man with her (her husband perhaps) stayed on longer just so they could enjoy the music. Quite emotional she was, and kept saying how my playing had made it a very special night out for them. Maybe they’re not yet married and just got engaged to the sound of my Bach or Beethoven? Or was it an anniversary? I think she wanted to hug me but there was a digital piano between us.

Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant, Chidlow

Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant, Chidlow

The boss was very happy, too. We all agreed live playing of lovely music in the background really makes the whole experience very special. I’m always pushing the line that music in cafes & restaurants needs to be strictly instrumental, no singing. That way you can think your own thoughts, read a book or hold a conversation. Music even helps conversations to start.

Me playing at The Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant

Me playing at The Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant

With cafes I never know what I’m going to play until I’m there, rummaging though a couple of boxes of music books. Last night I played Mac Dowell, lots of Bach, Chopin and Schubert, and some Beethoven and Brahms.

The Bay Tree Cafe & Restaurant is down the back of the modern suite of shops next to the Chidlow Tavern (Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia). I’ll play again next Saturday 22 December 2018, 5.45pm to 8.15pm. The next one after that should be the same time on Valentine’s Day, Thursday 14 February 2019.

Opening hours over Christmas 2018:

24 December 8am to 2pm

27 December 8am to 2pm

28 December 8am to 2pm

29 December 8am to 2pm

30 December 8am to 2pm

2 January 8am to 3pm, just to be different.

CLOSED: December 25, 26, 31 and January 1.

The cafe’s Facebook has great pics of their delicious food, and a short video where Carol snuck up on me playing Bach:

www.facebook.com/thebaytreebakery/videos/1403198996476638/

Soul Tree is on the market, with no piano

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This amazing organic café in Glen Forrest in the Perth Hills is now up for sale. In the few years Marilyn and Charl have owned and run it they have completely transformed it in almost every way.

In December I gave my last performance there. I’ve discontinued my piano playing residency at the café partly because of the uncertainty over the ownership, but also because I’ve been playing there two to five times a month for fourteen months and it feels like it’s time for a little break.

All the staff and patrons have been delightful. It’s been wonderful playing three hours each time from a repertoire of maybe 10 or 12 hours’ worth of scores, but there are other works I couldn’t play there because they aren’t suitable for creating a relaxing, laid-back atmosphere.

A few originals were sneaked in and were always very well-received. Recently my creative music-composing side has been taking off (well, slightly), so I will soon have more original works to perform, somewhere.

But if you’re looking for very delicious and very healthy food and drink in daylight hours, check them out www.soultreecafe.com.au

 

New edition of Androgyne Prophecy

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1st page

1st page Androgyne Prophecy

Today I will pick-up from the printers the new sheet music for Androgyne Prophecy. Yay! It’s only been eleven years since the first edition, but who’s counting?

I will make more videos of it and a really good recording soon. In the meantime you can see me play the whole piece at http://youtu.be/nzDjcSDs7j8

To get your copy of the sheet music click on the green Shopify buttons below, or see HMP Sheet Music to buy direct with a cheque or direct credit. There is also an easy version.

Or drop-in to hear me play at Soul Tree Organic Cafe and get the special price of $15 and save on the p&h too!

I play there on the 2nd & 4th Sundays of each month, so 23 August, 13 & 27 September 2015, 12 noon to closing time at 3pm.

Of course, they also have the most amazing food, very special indeed. See you soon for coffee, cake and music?



Remodelled Soul Tree Organic Café

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Today I played piano in the new-look café. It’s quite a different shape and now has a long wooden wall down one side. Everyone said it made the digital piano sound really nice & warm with a rich, full tone much more like an acoustic piano.

A Facebook friend from uni days, flautist & teacher Linda Rossen, turned up with her mother, Iris, and her composer/guitarist son, Max. During my break it was so good to catch up in person. Iris requested Chopin so I played five of my favourite mazurkas. It was very nice to have three pairs of very finely-tuned classical music ears to play for! (Sorry, didn’t get a photo.)

Later my brother Lawrence, and his ladyfriend Lori (direct from Oklahoma City), came in for an organic beef burger. Great to finally meet the lovely Lori in person.

I played a couple of Jones originals: Kuljack and the White Swan (a pas de deux), piano music for ballet which my father composed in 1962 when I was one, and my own Androgyne Prophecy, composed when I was 15/16. Now Lori wants my music for her school teaching so I will have to prioritise my recording project.20150614.04 Soul Tree, Lori & MDJ72 20150614.15 Soul Tree, LJJ & Lori72

See my main site for Classical Sundays at Soul Tree Organic Cafe

Caramel Splash (smoothie) at Soul Tree Organic Café

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Caramel Splash (smoothie) at Soul Tree Organic Café

On Saturday I had lunch at the cafe in Glen Forrest (and the next day I played piano there). Marilyn (one of the cafe owners) had shared a post on FB about a Choice magazine article on sugary drinks so I really wanted to check out her smoothies which she said were “super healthy, organic smoothies.” See her post at https://www.facebook.com/soultreecafe/posts/503076996498034

I’m particularly keen to avoid or reduce consumption of fructose so I asked her what was in her Caramel Splash. I really wanted to know if it had any kind of sweetener in it.  BTW, it tasted GREAT, and the caramel taste is not achieved with any sort of caramel flavouring thingy nor by heating sugar (nor anything else).

Turns out they have three smoothies made with almond milk, and three made with mostly water. If I remember correctly the Caramel Splash is about three-quarters almond milk, plus banana, Maca, mesquite and date. And that’s it.

So, the sweetener is fruit i.e. fructose. However, it begins as whole pieces of fruit and not fruit juice, which must mean there is not really a lot of fructose in the glass and it’s going to take longer to be absorbed. The almond milk has no sugar of any kind. (Soul Tree also sell fruit juice which I would never drink because of all the fructose in it but some people like that and that’s their business.)

So, my conclusion is: safe to drink, nutritious, and absolutely delicious.