Well I'm here. Which is thrilling isn't it. Let's see what happens next.
Remote
Jay Rayner
@JayRayner@mastodonapp.uk
mastodon 4.6.8Eats food and writes about it for The Observer; presents The Kitchen Cabinet for BBC Radio 4; plays jazz piano with the JR Sextet for the joy. https://linktr.ee/jayrayner1
4864 Followers
23 Following
19 Posts
Joined November 07, 2022
Over on some other bear pit, there's been a lot of talk today about tipping in restaurants and how confusing it is. I'd like to see it end altogether.Menu prices would rise but I'd know that what I see is what I'm paying and that the people serving me are being paid a decent wage and aren't dependent on tips. it requires a lot of cultural and admin changes, but it works in Japan, France and Australia so there's no reason it couldn't work here. What do you think?
I feel like I've left the spittle flecked mosh pit at a Sisters of Mercy gig, and arrived at an Andy Williams show. I mean the latter admiringly. (These are as contemporary as my music references get).
Thank you for all the server advice and help. God this is civilised.
I don't yet know what the etiquette is here about announcing stuff you're doing. So I'll take a chance. If you like jazz you might like the JR Sextet. we're doing a bunch of shows in London in the New Year. All of them are listed here.
Perhaps you would like to read a restaurant review. I went to the Black Bull Inn, Sedbergh for a lunch in a classic pub that pushes at all the culinary boundaries. Spoiler alert: it was bloody good.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/nov/27/the-black-bull-inn-sedburgh-restaurant-review
How best to make it clear it's me? I know by linking to my live shows page and pimping my jazz.
All great lunches must come to an end. And so, after more than 100 episodes, I say farewell to hosting #OutToLunch, at least for a long while. But how to end? By going right back to where it started by lunching once more at the lovely Sartoria with my 1st ever guest Richard E Grant.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/out-to-lunch-with-jay-rayner/id1455111316?i=1000589930034
Blimey, the cost of hiring pianos for gigs. That's all. That's the post.
It's Christmas Eve and perhaps you're short a present or two. Why not give the gift of ME? And five other musicians? The JR Sextet is on tour in 2023. We'll be playing in Manchester, Taunton, Stamford, Belfast, Newcastle Under Lyme and London. All ticket links here
The Jay Rayner Sextet is heading out for a few shows across (bits of) the UK in 2023. #Manchester #Taunton #Stamford #Belfast #NewcastleUnderLyme. Great tunes by the likes of Tom Waits, Joan Armatrading Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael plus our joyous exploration of the 80s chart hits with jazz in their bones: Songs by Sade, Matt Bianco, Swing Out Sister, Everything But The Girl, Working Week and more. (The more including some often filthy stories)
So we're down to the last 10 seats for our JR Sextet 80s themed show at Pizza Express Dean Street, London on Jan 31.
Jazz.
Occasionally filthy stories.
Pizza.
It's a heady mix.
https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/jazz-up-the-80s-with-the-jay-rayner-sextet
Each Sunday I post a link to my new review, so I should do it here. This week’s restaurant column: Leftfield, Edinburgh which, despite the name, is a comforting bistro offering a deeply comforting, classy night out.
Anyone know how I change servers on here?
Replying to
@BackFromTheDud@mastodonapp.uk none. They're not pianos. It amazes that in 2022, there is not one which gives anything approaching the experience of playing a real wood and wire piano.
@BenCotterill@mastodon.social trust me, I'm fully aware. I know what it requires.
Replying to
@BackFromTheDud@mastodonapp.uk different beast and very lovely. And if you're playing keys and hence using a bunch of sounds, a digital piano sound will be fine in the mix. But in a piano led ensemble, nah. Just doesn't work. Sadly. I wish it did.
@bluevurt@mastodon.lol it has been. But soon moving the London shows to pizza express
@edmat@mas.to I said this in my book Greedy Man In A Hungry World ten years ago, and got a lot of kickback for it. Indeed it was at the heart of the promo video for the book.