BlueNote

Gigs galore!

2007-11-23T23:21:00.000-08:00

Hello to all,

We're coming to the end of an extremely busy November. Make sure you check us out at the American Club on December 6th, and there is also the possibility of another BAGHA outing in the later half of the month. Our Friday commitment at Heritage will resume later this November.

The BHC show on the 23rd November (incorrectly printed as 22 November below) was a great night out, and we had the pleasure of jamming onstage with bassist/guitarist Ron Azad; thanks Ron!

That's all for now, goodbye and a belated 'Happy Thanksgiving' to you all.

2007-10-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

The BHC gig November 22nd is set to be a good night out: get in there!

BHC

2007-10-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Great evening had by all at the BHC - over 200 guests. And we've been booked for another gig there on the 22nd Nov. Here's a new perspective on us. No, the photographer wasn't drunk - just forgot to turn on the flash.

October 4th at the British High Commission Club

2007-09-19T01:04:00.000-07:00

Our next venue has been confirmed: The British High Commission Club in Baridhara on the 4th of October. All expat club card holders welcome, free entry, happy hour from 19:30 till 21:30, music from 20:00 till...who knows when?? It's going to be a good one; make sure you're there!

Live at the BAGHA

2007-09-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Another superlative evening awaits for the sophisticates who are BlueNote fans - a candlelight dinner at the BAGHA. About to propose to someone? To get divorced? To propose a business partnership? Let BlueNote create the atmosphere/ease the pain/pave the way (delete as applicable)

Caught on camera

2007-09-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

Great venue (Kozmo Lounge), and a great gig on August 30th. And wonderful pix taken by Arif...

BlueNote in the news...

2007-08-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

More press exposure for BlueNote! See this article from New Age....

http://www.newagebd.com/2007/aug/03/aug03/xtra_also2.html

Live at Kozmo

2007-08-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

Catch us at Kozmo on the 30th August! Starts at 7pm

BlueNote and Laila at the IC

2007-06-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Live at the IC

2007-06-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

Our gig at tonight;'s BBQ in collaboration with the inimitable Laila is sold out.
Much gnashing of teeth, renting of garments and wailing in the street outside from the ticketless hordes...

Featured on Radio Foorti

2007-06-16T07:26:00.002-07:00

We were featured on Radio Foorti this evening, talking in a 15-minute interview with RJ Fuad about our link to this campaign, as well as the presence of jazz for the first time in Dhaka. All good publicity, and such a stunning pic too...

Busy week

2007-06-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

On the road every night. Wednesday night we played at a farewell do for the US Ambassador, Patricia Butenis. Thursday was a big private party for the chairman of ICDDRB on a rooftop overlooking the city, and Friday has us back at the Nordic Club for another collaboration with Future Shorts - doubling as a fundraiser for the BNWLA Hostel Appeal. Ah, the rock'n'roll life..

Monsoon Music

2007-06-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Last night's gig was a private party to celebrate the launch of Monsoonletters.com, a forum for young Bangladeshis writing in English, in the fabulous home of Rubana.

We talked to Daniel, a producer at Radio Foorti, about working with them to publicise our BNWLA Hostel Appeal. More on this soon.

Gigs gigs gigs

2007-06-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

Another one down in this incredibly busy month. Full house again at Spaghetti Jazz in Gulshan. We were joined for a couple of songs by the excellent Laila, who is going to sing with us on the 20th at the International Club Barbecue. And there's more tonight at the BAGHA - another fundraiser for BNWLA. Check out the progress of the campaign over at http://bnwlahostelappeal.blogspot.com

BlueNote/BNWLA on YouTube

2007-05-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here is an excellent video made during one of our recent performances by a friend of BlueNote and the BNWLA Hostel Appeal, Mikey Leung. Mikey is a VSO and soon to be author of a new travel book about Bangladesh. His own website is well worth a visit at www.mikeyleung.ca

BlueNote Live at the German Club

2007-05-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Played the GC last night. VERY hot and sweltering May evening. Perhaps outside concerts in June are best suited to Norway? But a great crowd. We'll be back later in the year.

BlueNote Live at PM Lounge

2007-05-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Great gig last Thursday in this hip venue, five floors up above the city. Capacity crowd too. We may well be looking at a regular monthly show here. Will keep you posted. Thanks to Kashfi for the pic.

Spaghetti Jazz

2007-05-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the next BlueNote gig at Spaghetti Jazz on June 5th! Tickets available at the restaurant: 02 8822062. Book early to avoid frustration and heartbreak.

Jazz'n'Film

2007-05-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first collaboration between BlueNote and Future Shorts: an evening of short films and jazz at the Nordic Club. Great atmosphere, candlelight, and some excellent films, not to mention of course the superb music. We're likely to be doing one of these evenings a month now, with all proceeds going to BNWLA.

Gigs galore

2007-05-08T02:23:00.000-07:00

Busy weeks ahead, not least a gig at the trendy PM Lounge in Banani: a chance for BlueNote to meet the people outside of the exclusive expat clubs. Don't miss it.

Fundraising in the key of F

2007-05-03T23:18:00.000-07:00

Great gig last night. Around 90 people there - balmy summer breeze, gins'n'tonics all round. What better setting for the cool sound of BlueNote? And besides, all proceeds from the tickets went to the BNWLA Hostel Appeal, making Tk 27,000 (£200) in one evening. Putting the fun into fundraising...

Thanks to Mikey Leung, a Friend of BlueNote for the pix, and in advance for the forthcoming YouTube (yes, at last!). His own website on life in Bangladesh is well worth a visit for excellent photos and writing. You can find him at www.mikeyleung.ca

Tonight at the BAGHA

2007-05-03T00:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight is going to be a good night at the BAGHA Club: Andrew and I are really looking forward to dishing out some seriously cool tunes in the upstairs area.

To all the sound guys, the BAGHA staff and manager, and all the wonderful individuals who are helping to make this happen (you in the audience included): THANK YOU, and see you down there!

Saad

BlueNote at the BAGHA

2007-04-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

This week BlueNote are playing at the British Expat (BAGHA) Club here in Dhaka. The BAGHA have offered to donate all proceeds from tickets to the BNWLA Hostel Appeal. We're grateful for this very kind gesture.

Live at Le Saigon

2007-04-26T21:19:00.003-07:00

We played our first Le Saigon gig as BlueNote last night, after our earlier appearance as part of Renaissance. Loud but appreciative crowd, including some of our very own FaceBook groupies (thanks Mehreen!) We also raffled some photography books to raise money for BNWLA too.

Shammu, the owner is promising to take us to Kolkata. Hope he means to play there... rather than just leaving us on the street.

Reception for Indian High Commissioner

2007-04-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

We played last night at a reception for the Indian High Commissioner in the fabulous palace that is Shahab and Aisha Sattar's home. Various ambassadors from other countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka also attended, as well as a bevvy of glittering beauties...

The audience responded with huge enthusiasm to this new sound, bringing a new meaning to the term 'movers and shakers'.

A good time had by all, and lots more contacts for BlueNote. Next stop the Queen? The Pope?

Live at Club Nordic

2007-04-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

BlueNote played live at Club Nordic last night. Well over a hundred people packed in for an evening of classy music, G&Ts and Italian food (in that order).

Not content with us playing till 11.30, the crowds clamoured for more, and we eventually got out of there at 1am. The manager said this had been easily the best musical event ever held at the club.

Bangla New Year Gig

2007-04-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Andrew played with Arnob at the big New Year festival gig at the Hotel Regency in Dhaka. It rocked! (Can I still write that at the age of 42?) Here's a pic. More gigs and collaboration in the pipeline.

BlueNote and the High Life

2007-04-13T05:36:00.001-07:00

Stop Press: BlueNote have been asked to play at a party for the recently-arrived Indian High Commissioner in April, and also at a reception for the US Ambassador in June. Moving on up...

First ever gig

2007-04-12T17:41:00.002-07:00

BlueNote played our first ever gig at Aaref's house last night, at the fundraising party for BNWLA. With 30 guests, it was the ideal first outing for the BlueNote sound, and managed to raise no less than £500 for the hostel. The audience loved it - with "Summertime", "Georgia" and "the Pink Panther" going down as particular favourites. Thanks to all for their support for the group, and more importantly for the hostel.

(Note the carefully designed drapes on the music stand: it's the details that count).

With bookings coming in now for May as well, Dhaka is going to hear a lot more of BlueNote in the coming weeks.

BlueNote on YouTube

2007-04-09T23:47:00.001-07:00

Not an actual recording yet - working on that, but here's a little something I put together one hot and insomniac night to set the mood for an evening with BlueNote. We're looking into playing this at our gigs, before we come on stage...

Just imagine. You've arrived at a BlueNote evening. Long drink in hand, balmy air, feeling chilled. Up above the screen flickers into life. You take a sip, lean back into your chair, and begin to watch...

BlueNote Live at Le Saigon

2007-04-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

Tickets on sale from today for our gig at Le Saigon on 26/04/07.

With Arnob Live at the British High Commission

2007-04-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

Click here for more excellent work by Snigdha Zaman of Ikon Photo, Dhaka. YouTube video to follow of Arnob and me rehearsing...

Ornob/Andrew/Nazrul Live at the BHC

Collaboration with Arnob

2007-03-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Andrew met up for the first time with the famous Bangladeshi musician Arnob, just to see how they got on and whether there was scope for musical collaboration. In short, they did, and there is.

Arnob on guitar and Andrew on sax play the British High Commission Thursday March 29th, Heady stuff. Stay tuned for pix. We'll try and get a video made for YouTube.

Forthcoming gigs

2007-03-23T11:02:00.002-07:00

It's official: BlueNote already booked out in mid and late April '07.

12/04/07: a private party hosted by Andrew's close friend MK Aaref. See BNWLA Fundraising blog (linked from this page bottom right) for details of this amazing gesture

19/04/07: the Nordic Club for a dinner dance evening with five-course meal, champagne, the works. The perfect setting for the BlueNote sound

26/04/07 is the Big One. Our first gig at Le Saigon as BlueNote. An evening of jazz, songs (with Saad also deciding to add some vocal numbers to the repertoire)

Don't miss it. Tickets will be available from the first week of April from Le Saigon. Tel no,. 02 989 2122 Book early to avoid disappointment

BlueNote and the Eyeballs

2007-03-22T16:45:00.002-07:00

Our good friend and Chief Advisor to BlueNote, Zub Mahboob, tells us that success in this game is all about Eyeballs. We need people to see us, to recognise the logo, to associate us with serious, quality music and entertainment.

Well, last night there were certainly plenty of eyeballs at Le Saigon, even if a few of them were slightly unfocussed towards the end of the evening. We played along with Renaissance, pioneers of the Dhaka rock scene ever since the 80s, a band with brains as well as dashing good looks, led by our close friend Imran Rahman on vocals and guitar. Great atmosphere as always at Le Saigon, and we rocked. A great time was had by all - until well past 1am. How very rock and roll.

Positive comments poured in, and not only from those with unfocussed eyeballs (although one man did keep hugging Andrew and telling him he loved him like a brother). More importantly, there is talk in the air of BlueNote live at the Saigon, BlueNote live at the Heritage, and BlueNote live at Happy Hour at the British Club. Watch this space.

BlueNote In The Mood

2007-03-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

To see our first photo shoot, once again by the talented Snigdha Zaman of Ikon Photos (she also took the outstanding images of the BNWLA Hostel), click on the logo and prepare to be very impressed:

BlueNote In The Mood

What's On

2007-03-18T02:16:00.000-07:00

We're appearing with Renaissance at Le Saigon on 22nd March. Our next big gig is on 19th April at the Nordic Club. Saad is also playing regularly at the Sarina Hotel in Banani and Andrew will be playing at the Radisson from April.