Of all the projects and performances I have coming up this Christmas, there’s one that I’m especially looking forward to. I’ve always been a sucker for cheese (the musical type, at least), along with lead trumpet in its natural habitat: the big band. Combine a big band, mounds of cheese and Christmastime, and you end up with James Brady’s Swing Into Christmas. Five special shows around and about London will be all the best bits of Christmas with no holes barred.

I find myself most free to let loose as a trumpet player at this time of year. Certainly, I don’t feel restrained in other months, but Christmas is so over the top that it lends itself to energetic, uninhibited playing. This year is also the third year that I’ve depped at the Thursford Christmas Spectacular, an extremely OTT variety show which I adore for all the same reasons. We can play out and exaggerate everything even more there than in regular musical theatre!

Tickets:
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​15 Dec 4.30pm Earl Haig Hall, Crouch End
20 Dec 7.30pm Red Lion, Leytonstone
21 Dec 7.30pm, Mirth, Marvel & Maud, Walthamstow
22 Dec 3pm Mirth, Marvel & Maud, Walthamstow
22 Dec 6.30pm Mirth, Marvel & Maud, Walthamstow

Over the last half decade, I seem to have got myself into a rhythm of trumpeting in a football situation precisely once every five years. For anyone who knows me, this frequency is astounding.

The last time was for an app, through which I may even still be fanfaring my way through some fans’ push notifications each time someone, somewhere, scores a goal. This time around is a more live ordeal, playing on the pitch of West Ham’s London Stadium with Alex Mendham & His Orchestra, the ‘20s and ‘30s jazz band who are my latest endeavour into authentic performance. We’ll be playing West Ham’s adopted anthem I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles, along with a couple of other numbers, before they kick off their match with the Wolves, then again at half-time in the lounge.

We’ve also recorded of I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles to celebrate the song’s 100th anniversary, which is available on iTunes.

For we musicians, who usually play to concert halls and theatres, a 60,000-seater is fairly huge. Until we, undoubtedly, hit the big time and stadiums become our regular hang, this one’s pretty exciting!

Saturday 1 September 2018, 3pm
London Stadium

Tune in to In Tune on BBC Radio 3 to hear me playing live with Alex Mendham and his Orchestra. Mendham's 11-piece orchestra authentically performs hot jazz and sweet dance band music from the Art Deco era, holding a steady position as the top such orchestra in the country.

The orchestra will be broadcasted live from the Royal Festival Hall to mark Radio 3's 70th anniversary. Listen from 5pm on Thursday 29 September 2016.