Mike Outram’s Weblog

Apr/May/Jun/Jul/Aug/Sept/Oct 07

* I’m writing a column for Guitarist Magazine. Of course, this is like my dream job. The column is all about blues and jazz - in fact, it’s called ‘Blues to Jazz’. So far I’ve done 4 columns, one was a few simple chords, the next some more but with harder chords, next a solo with a clean sound and after that a distorted solo with lots of bends and some shredding. Didn’t take that long eh?

* Asaf Sirkis released his new album which features myself, Steve Lodder and Asaf. It’s called ‘The Song Within’. I like it a lot.
* Recorded an album with Theo Travis which should be out in October/November. It features Robert Fripp on 3 tracks.
* Had a few gigs with my guitar trio. It is me on guitar with Chris Allard on guitar and Tassos Spiliotopolous on guitar. I might call it ‘666′ - in reference to the three sets of six strings on our instruments and the dark lord Satan.
* Did a couple of gigs with Kate Williams where we play music associated with the American guitarist Emily Remler - one of my favourites. Kate’s dad, John, is ok on guitar and he made a film of mine and Gareth Lockrane’s (flute and guitar) duo rendition of Cissy Strut - a career highlight.
* Did a tour with Tim Garland’s group. It’s a great band. I get to have a raz on a really nice Steely Dan-esque piece called ‘Nacirema People’ by Tom Clarke

Jan/Feb/March 2007

I am officially the 71,288th best actor ever with an overall actor score of 0.8924.

Oct/Nov/Dec 2006

* Played in a church in Hackney. Harvey Brough is the man responsible. This pic represents the kind of thing on offer. That’s Ninki V, Clara Sanabras, me and Andy Hamill. Kind of like a medieval guitarmageddon.
* Mostra Film Festival in Såo Paulo, Brazil. I was playing classical guitar with Laura Rossi on piano and a string quartet from Brazil. We were playing Laura’s music to accompany the films ‘Silent Shakespeare’ which are very early Shakespeare Films. Early as in - ‘made in 1899′.

Jul/Aug/Sept 2006

European Tour
I’ll be touring with Carleen Anderson throughout Europe in 2006

Summer School Teaching

* Glamorgan - 24th to 28th of July ‘06.
* I’m doing two guitar clinics at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Course on the 1st and 3rd of August 06.

* Teaching at Burnley Mechanics Summer School. From the 7th to the 11th of August ‘06 I’ll be teaching on this course. It will be for piano, guitar, bass and drums only. Specifically for duos and trios this week seeks to offer opportunities for rhythm section instrumentalists who enjoy the challenges and freedoms of playing in more intimate settings (piano/bass/drums or guitar/bass/drums for instance). Tutors: Piano - Les Chisnall, Guitar - Mike Outram, Bass (& course leader) - Steve Berry, Drums/percussion - Dave Walsh. More info at - www.burnleymechanics.co.uk

Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May/Jun 2006

Riverhouse Education Project
From October ‘05 to March ‘06 I led a composition/improvisation workshop for 20 A level students.

This project started out as a commission by the good people at the Riverhouse Barn in Walton-on-Thames to involve 20 A-level students from Esher College and Hinchley Wood School to each produce a composition which had scope for improvisation and would be played by my trio. I decided to get Milo Fell and Tony Woods on board so we had a slightly unusual line-up of guitar, saxophone and drums. We held four workshops at the barn where we demonstrated various compositional devices used in a jazz performance and played and discussed the students’ compositions and they, in turn, developed their pieces over the course of six months from October ‘05 to March ‘06. This culminanted in a performance of their music at Esher College. We were also commissioned to write some music based on an exhibition by the Brazillian artist Ana Maria Pacheco and asked to play at the Riverhouse Barn’s first ever lunchtime jazz concert.

Here are some photos of the first workshop, the evening concert and some of the pictures that inspired our new music.