Album Notes

S'mai Wa!

After my time in Cardiff, as some of you may know, I moved to that London. The two best things I found in that London were Le Quecumbar (the fantastic club in Battersea dedicated to the Gypsy Swing style of the late great Django Reinhardt) and these superb spiced Turkish sausages that I used to buy from the local corner shop.

I have not found said sausages since leaving London but have been very fortunate in finding some fantastic and dedicated musicians in the area I now live who excel at the Gypsy Swing style. The very fine musicians appearing on this CD are Andy Mackenzie (lead and rhythm guitar), Phil Gardiner (rhythm guitar), Eryl Jones (rhythm guitar and mandolin) and Dave Turner (double bass). These guys let me fly and are a real pleasure to work with for which I thank them most sincerely.

I am now proudly based in Bala in the heart of Welsh speaking Wales living with my wife Rhi Rhi and our boys Mabon and Sam. I am loving the Welsh language, the community and my recording studio that I have had built in the large attic space in our home.

I plan to record many interesting albums here of both my own projects and those of others. For further details please go to www.thompsoundmusic.co.uk or just follow the links from my main web-site www.billythompson.co.uk.

I recorded this album at a gig I was doing for the North Wales Jazz Society at The British Legion in Llay (near Wrexham).

The last track, Oh Sam!, is my studio recording of a tune I wrote for our wonderful baby Sam. On this track I am playing the violin which used to belong to my late uncle Russel Thompson and would like to dedicate this album to his memory.

Diolch yn fawr am eich cefnogaeth i gyd. Gobeithio wnewch chi fwynhau y CD. Many thanks to you all for your support. I hope you enjoy the CD.

Billy.