Magic Flea - Freddie Green 1968

Michael Pettersen has transcribed one of Sammy Nestico's tunes as played by Freddie Green Master of the Rhythm Guitar.



Magic Flea is very rapid piece with a tempo of 306 beats per minute. Freddie had a special technique called the "one note chord" which allowed the music to be simplified so it could be played. More details of this on the Freddie Green website.

Jack Davies - Flea Music

Flea Circus is Jack Davies' latest small group project, inspired by Dave Douglas' Charms of the Night Sky group, the French Bal-Musette, and Ivo Papasov's incredible Bulgarian band.



In stark contrast to much of the electrified music being made today, Flea Circus is an entirely acoustic chamber group.

Drawing on the canon of European jazz and contemporary music, Flea Circus juxtaposes lyrical melodies and exuberant improvisation.

The line up

• Jack Davies (trumpet)
• Rob Cope (bass clarinet)
• Aidan Shepherd (accordion)
• James Opstad (bass)

Current current works include

• All The Night's Adventures
• Three Miniatures
  1. Monster
  2. So Let Us Melt
  3. Lamppost
• La Puce
• Zapushalka
• Dance of the Proles

For more information visit http://www.jdaviesmusic.co.uk

Flea Circus London

Hidden in the depths of the Candid Arts Centre, Angel Islington is the "Flea Circus". Inspired by the combination of grime and wonder that the name 'Flea Circus' brings to mind and aiming to bring you the most exciting bands, the funniest comedians, the most brilliant poets, and anything else that'll stick if thrown at a stage!

Entrance is a tiny £3, and drinks a recession beating £2, so everyone's happy!

Flea Circus attracts crowds of 150 entirely down to the quality of the acts. Previous acts have been nominated for if.comedy awards, won chortle student comedy awards, been interviewed in the Guardian music section, and won poetry slam competitions.

The Next Flea Circus is: THURSDAY 17th December 2009

For more information, and to find out when the next one is on, visit www.fleacircuslondon.co.uk

Jumping Flea Tune

Composer and story teller James Clark is writing a song about the flea circus. He's put up a draft version on his blog and hopes to add more instruments such as an accordian. Why not have a listen and tell him what you think?

Alberti Flea Circus - Review

Karl Kunkel visited the MerleFest earlier in the year and sent me a review of the Alberti Flea Circus, here's his comments for your reading.

"The Alberti Flea Circus, with its wonderful cast of entertainers, has been a mainstay on the flea entertainment circuit for many decades. The troupe, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., is headed by the talented Mr. Jim Alberti and ably assisted by professionals such as Capt. Spalding. Mr. Alberti and his troupe constantly draw an audience of kids of all ages eager to participate in the many stunts performed by the fleas. The High-Dive into a coffee can is a popular segment as is the one in which a flea is shot from a cannon, flies around the fairgrounds and then lands in a puff of powder on a soft powderpuff. Mr. Alberti is a true historical treasure. He was born and raised in the Tin Pan Alley tradition of entertainment and actually uses props that go back 100 years, in some cases. This Spring's MerleFest music fest in Wilkesboro, NC (www.merlefest.org) was that much better because of the presence of the Alberti Flea Circus." ....Karl Kunkel, High Point, NC