Jenny returns to her roots, performing at the Jam House, Birmingham (2001)
In March of 2000, Jenny together with boyfriend and saxophonist Neil Martin went on a six month cruise to Europe . The band they were with was called 'Le Chic'. It consisted of a guitarist, drummer, a female keyboard player from Bulgaria ...plus jenny and Neil. The repertoire consisted of pops and standards, outside deck sets, tea dances and disco, Plus a get together with the ships orchestra on Sundays, where a plethora of musicians played for the Captains cocktails.
In July Jenny went home for ten days to perform in the 'Basingstoke Tappers Show' at the 'Haymarket Theatre for four days. After coming back to the ship Jenny stayed onboard until the end of October. After singing in various gigs and bands and Orchestra's Jenny and Neil went to Greece the following March to work with a UK band. There were illness problems with two members of the band and jenny came home early in August.
In the month following (September) Jenny was recommended by vocalist/tutor Trudi Kerr to Colchester Institute College as a pop/soul/blues vocal coach. Jenny went for the interview and subsequently got the job and started that same month. Jenny was
allowed her own pianist. She brought in 'Bernie Smith' (who is now Kylie Minogue's keyboard player) whom the students loved. Bernie was an outstanding player, fantastic pop player, brilliant keyboard sounds etc..Bernie stayed for six months, and then Alex Bennett took over, who was and is a brilliant jazz pianist.
At this time Jenny started doing trio jazz gigs with Chrissie lee (the female drummer of the all girl Big Band) Some of the gigs were at Tracks Night Club. with Ray Ward on piano and Bernie Hodgkins on bass guitar. After which, Jenny was also given a further night of her own once a month, which she used for herself and as a musical venue
for her vocal students to perform with a professional band in the form of Bernie Smith, Roger Innes on Bass, Damian Rodd (from the ships Orchestra) on drums, Terry Johnston from the pit band in the Abba show in the West End, Neil martin on saxes, plus student brass players.
This developed and went on all through the summer holidays. Therefore when returning to College in the September, although the venue then changed to the Soundhouse in Colchester , students had had a year of live performing skills under their belt. These skills were then passed on to the 'New People' so to speak, starting from September of 2002.
With the re-entrance of guitarist Paul Stevenson..Jenny decided to record a new album. The project started in May 2003, and took over a year to finish. The other band members were 'Terry Gregory' on Basses, and Damien Rodd on drums. With tenor sax player Derek Nash on 'Ball of Confusion' and 'Mark Fletcher' on percussion on 'Betcha
by golly wow' All the tunes are in the main sixties covers,but in the main quite unrecognizable as to their original state. Such renditions as 'I was made to love him', (Stevie Wonder) Get it on (Marc Bolan)..Only 'Alfie' was slightly true to the original. The album was recorded at 'Clowns Pocket Studio, Bexley , Kent . The engineer/producer was saxophonist Derek Nash.
Jenny performing at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (Poster, 2001)
In the October of 2002.. Jenny decided to concentrate on her Students. Although she gigged with various bands, generally at the weekends she worked in 'The Windows of the world 'restaurant at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane , London , on the 8th floor with the resident band. One evening in October guy came up to the front stage and introduced himself. his name was Tony Velardi, and he lived in Antigua . He was opening a new club out there. He offered jenny a 4 week gig starting February 2003 (in the end it was march) The Grand Princess was a beautiful expensive venue. Jenny worked with the Islands top keyboard star 'Rawden Edwards' and made many friends on the Island . Jenny went back again in July for 'Boat week' and then Christmas where she met and became very good friends with drummer Bruce Harris who worked with her at the venue. Jenny came
home three weeks early on January 13th 2004, she received a phone call in the early hours of April 2nd to say that Bruce had died on the 31st of January of a heart attack. he was just 38 years old. It was a terrible shock, and although invited back to Antigua for the funeral, Jenny declined; work commitments were pressing plus she had only just left there..and thirdly..it was just all to much. Jenny finally finished the album mix that August as yet it has to find a label; With its mixture of jazz, blues, and rock roots it has a
European/world music aspect to it which is a difficult market to sell to in the UK . In the April of 2004, Jenny joined the 'Nick Ross Orchestras female vocalist. Together with Matt Richardson's VIP Band, plus gigs with her own band, and other work… and of course the College plus private students. Jenny has had more than enough work to be getting on with.
This brings us to the end of December 2004.......
Promotional flyer advertising a gig at Great Yeldon, Essex
New Years Eve 2004
(An extract from jenny's diary)
I returned to Joel's in Birmingham after the gig. Felt queasy, very similar to how I felt on Boxing day. Joel has cooked pasta, which I have eaten ..but.....
January 1st 2005
Stopped off on the A14 services and slept in the car. Dreamt of a Crusader Knight, who had a red cross on his white tunic. he spoke telepathically to me and said ...'I have come to be with you'... The next day jenny became very ill with excruciating stomach pains.
It took almost two weeks to get a a diagnosis...She had a mass on the ovary which was diagnosed as possible cancer...
The following words are Jenny's own....
....I left Ipswich Hospital as if in a dream. Suddenly my whole life passed before me...was I going to die, was this it?. I drove to the College and watched Catherine Winter perform her recital as I had promised, but I couldn't really concentrate. All I kept hearing were the lines in the Nina Simone song she was performing 'Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me....' and somehow I knew that this was a message to me of hope for the future, and that I would get through this.
Just over two weeks later I had my operation on the 2nd of February. There was no hysterectomy and no cancer. Only two tiny incisions where they did the laproscapy, plus a two cm scar where they took out my ovary...the tumour was beneign, a bad infection...I was saved. Two days prior to my going into Hospital my beloved cat Elvin died. He had a stroke in the early hours of the Sunday morning. By the time I got him to the vet he was in a lot of pain..I was then told he had a liver tumour and would never recover. he died in my arms at 4pm Sunday 30th of January, probably the 31st in Antiguan time, the same date as Bruce's passing only a year before. Elvin would have been fifteen this coming July, but I knew he wouldn't make it to another summer; I had already asked God the previous year for him to have just one more summer...
My wish was granted.
Elvin was named after Elvin Jones 'The jazz drummer' by Mark Fletcher 'The jazz drummer.'
Bob Webb called early morning on the 9th of February to say that Alex his 20 year old son was killed in a car accident on Saturday the 29th of January, just one day before Elvin and one year and two days before Bruce,. then Caz's beloved cat Mickey died on the 1st of march.
Such a tragic start to the year. After the Tsunami on boxing day 2004, and the death of a young local wine bar owner by the name of Danny who was involved in a car accident on the 20th of December last.
So many no longer here, the young and the old, the known and the not known...and I, I am still here, By some great design. And I have come to the conclusion that it is because I still have things to do, students to teach, places to go. People to meet..
I give special thanks to all the people who gave me support when I needed them... Lisa and Steve Perks, Sally Prue, Dave and Jenny White, Damian and Jo, my good friend Margaret Caston, Nick Ross and the Orchestra, Matt Richardson and the guys in the band; Sue Smith, Andy Watson, Carl Hudson, Terry Gregory... My student and good friend Caz Winter and her partner Rod Frost...Ann Harley.. Paul, Steve and...Rob.
A week after my initial diagnosis I became a Christian.
March 27th Easter Sunday
At last I am back to normal; No pains, no aches. Just a couple of tiny fading scars...I feel really well and so energetic, bursting with health. Caz called in today to borrow my cat basket to pick up three rescue cats from just around the corner. As I looked down the street I saw Caz's Mother and Rod sitting in the car waiting for her...they were all beaming, just sitting and waiting.. and wanting so much to take home their Easter cats...
As Caz turned her head back to wave she looked at me and laughed with glee...and once again this year I felt hope...
Jenny Darren
