1995 - Different branches

During 1995 my presence on the Nottingham jazz expanded further, and I began to appear as a guest with various bands at The Bell Inn from time to time, and did quite a few gigs with various traditional jazz bands, largely for the experience of playing with different people. I was still playing craft fair gigs with Pete Tomlyn on bass, sometimes with Matt Palmer on clarinet and sax, but often with a variety of other reeds players, and I began to appear at gigs further afield in the East Midlands, from Leicester to Derby.
By now, my trips to Liverpool and Samois were par for the course, and I would travel down to Dorset to jam with Pete Dalby, or he would come to Nottingham.

Jamming with John Witty and Pete Dalby at Samois in June 1995

Playing with Gary Potter at the Atlantic Inn, Liverpool

My heart was still in gypsy/jazz guitar, and I had continued over the last few years to build up a big collection of music. My favourite contemporary player on the scene was Bireli Lagrene, and a personal highlight was going with my friends Terry Lynch and Nev Goddard, to see Bireli perform a stunning solo guitar set at Ronnie Scott's in Birmingham, where I got chance meet Bireli, who was very affable and friendly.

Django's Tigers and Knights of Jazz continued to do gigs, and as Matt Palmer's own musical career continued to expand independently, Zoot Simms from Leicester took over his role on clarinet and saxes at the Elm Tree's Sunday lunchtime jazz spot.
All in all, 1995 was a pretty smooth year, but around the corner the following year, I would form a musical partnership that would last for almost 15 years, resulting in the most important band of my days as a gypsy/jazz guitarist.