AS WE hurtle relentlessly towards yet another Christmas (Sorry for dropping the C-bomb there. I know it’s still November) it’s often time to look back and reflect on the previous year.

And in the case of boogie-woogie piano whizz Ben Waters and his sax star son Tom, it’s been a pretty full-on 2017.

Together, they’ve toured Australia, New Zealand and Canada and they’ve been working with, cue fanfare and sincere applause, Sir Ray Davies.

(And such is my undying love and admiration for the Kinks mainman, I actually stood up to write that last sentence..) Ben has also been recording with fellow ivories thumper Jools Holland for his new CD due for release very soon and has also been filmed for a Sky Arts documentary which is due for broadcast later this year.

There’s also shedloads of gigs booked in for 2018, including dates at Ronnie Scott’s and, ahem, Sydney Opera House.

Meanwhile, boy wonder Tom is at the Purcell College of Music during the week and at the Royal Academy of Music at weekends so on any rare time off back home in the shire, they like to organise a ‘pop-up- gig. Which is what’s happening tomorrow night, Saturday, November 18, from 8pm at the rather nice Strangways Hall in the seething metropolis that is Abbotsbury It’s a mere tenner on the door tomorrow for an evening of floor-filling boogie-woogie mayhem.

And there are a few more chances to catch Ben playing locally over the next few weeks with gigs at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis on November 30, The Exchange in Sturminster Newton on December 29, Weymouth Pavilion with Amy Mayes on December 30 and the New Year’s Eve Bash at Moreton village hall, conveniently on December 31.

Moving on, and I’ve always had a soft spot for reggae artist Bob Marley every since I heard that song he wrote about his wife walking out on him and taking the telly with her.

Yes, No Woman No Sky is certainly his most well-known and loved song and fans of the music of the late, great Jamaican icon are in for treat with a gig at the Weymouth Pavilion on Friday, December 1.

Legend: The Music of Bob Marley does exactly what it says on the tin in a two-hour show which takes in his ska roots and early days with The Wailers through to the mega-hits of the 70s, such as Could You Be Loved?, One Love, Stir It Up, Buffalo Soldier and Jamming, and all expertly delivered by a top-notch band whose CV includes work with The Mighty Diamonds, Desmond Dekker and Burning Spear and the like Tickets are £21 from the box office on 01305 783225.

Till next time...

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (17)

The Producers (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Silly Band (Finns, Weymouth)

Nick Sellars (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Mark Davis (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Finnian McGurk (Kings Arms, Weymouth)

Dave Griff (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Park, Weymouth)

Darren H (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Lewis Craven Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

The Big Heavy (Brewhouse & Kitchen Dorchester)

Gut and Steel (Old Rooms, Weymouth)

Strings and Reeds (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

4 Go Mad (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Karen Kay (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Mojo (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (18)

Ben and Tom Waters (Strangways Hall, Abbotsbury)

Captain’s Beard (Finns, Weymouth)

Cuba Libre (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

The Crack (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Silhouettes (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

The Leggomen (Gloucester, Weymouth)

New Era (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

TBC (Park, Weymouth)

Haze (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Replay (RBL Club, Portland)

Southern Sinners (Market House, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Gut and Steel (George, Chideock)

Elvis Pete (Duke of Albany, Weymouth)

Revolution (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

DB Acoustic (Black Dog, Weymouth)

Frank E Finn (Bridge Inn, Preston, Weymouth)

The Jimmy Hillbillies (Belvedere, Weymouth)

Groove Rush (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (19)

Dana Immanuel and the Stolen Band (Café Jagos, Dorchester) 2pm.

Finnian McGurk (Boot, Weymouth) 5pm.

Aaron Carter (Kings Arms, Weymouth) 3pm.

Roger’s Singalong (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Dolmen Acoustic (Park, Weymouth) 4pm.

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 3pm, followed by..

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Elmore Goes Electric (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) 5pm.

The Big Heavy (Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester) 4pm.

Ricky Solo (Sailor’s Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth) From 3pm.

Folk, country and blues (Old Town Hall, Weymouth) From 7pm.

Sheryl Lee (Duke of Albany, Weymouth) 6pm.

Nathan Jon (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Georgie Broad (Black Dog, Weymouth) 4-7pm.

MONDAY (20)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic session (Belvedere, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (21)

Matt Seabass Taylor (Boot, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Rock, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (22)

Tim Andrews (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Royal Exchange, Portland)

THURSDAY (23)

Skint Imperials (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Leggomen (George, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

FRIDAY (24)

Southern Sinners (Finns, Weymouth)

Emma C (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Pelle Van Smith (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

The Riffs (Kings Arms, Weymouth)

Rich Baxter (Gloucester, Weymouth)

Mad Hatters (Park, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Elijah Wolf Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Shooter (Market House, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Bad Intention (Golden Lion, Weymouth)