I think I’ve documented this before, but when Simon Jeffes, leader of the Penguin Café Orchestra died I cried for about 20 minutes at the unfairness of it all. As musical heroes go, Mr Jeffes is not a Hendrix or a Townshend or even a Fripp, he existed on a different plane for me. I like my heroes unassuming and humble and doing their own thing and he ticked those boxes with his music in the Penguin Café.
Back in 1997, I wasn’t quite as connected to the Internet as I am now, in fact there were no such thing as news feeds or a way of searching for news and I came across the news of his death aged 48 years old of brain cancer about a week after the event. It shocked me to the core. And I did cry.
I remember my mother crying the morning it was announced Elvis had died and couldn’t understand her grief. I remember the assassination of John Lennon and the emotion on show and still couldn’t equate how you could feel sorrow for a stranger. Mind you, I was only seven and ten years old respectively in those cases.
But with that horrible news, I glimpsed how you might be emotionally attached to someone you don’t know, but have been touched by their art. For me it was another case for life being unfair and rotten. I knew he had more music in him and his work was ended prematurely. That hurt.
A decade went by and in late 2007, Arthur Jeffes, son of Simon, assembled members of the original Penguin Café Orchestra and performed a tribute concert to his father. Unfortunately, I’d moved away from London a couple of months before and deeply regretted both moving away from my spiritual home and missing the gig. I thought no more of it because it looked unlikely that the Penguin Café Orchestra would ever play again. I cursed my misfortune and stupidity for missing another exciting musical opportunity. But I am forever the fool.
Last year, I became aware that Arthur had assembled his own band together and was playing festivals throughout the summer. Of course, I was a bit tied up with my own life to break away and see them perform, but it was exciting news to know. Then more recently, I picked up the live CD/DVD the new band put out in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust and was once more transported to the mythical and mystical musical world of the Penguin Café.
My love was reignited and I purchased all the recently remastered albums again (as they were on special offer on Amazon) and worked my way through them. During these listening sessions, Verity picked up on the music and loved the sleeve illustrations of Penguin men. She is now a fan and demands “Penguin Music” to which she dances in her own sweet way across the living room. “I’m dancing like a penguin,” she says, and I realise that my daughter has excellent taste in music.
Verity even has her favourite song from the group. It is Steady State – which one would think a little unusual as it is one of the slower numbers, but this is the one she demands to hear the most. I am truly blessed with a wonderful child.
And so tonight, I missed another gig I would have happily given ten years of my life away to attend. Tonight the new Penguin Café performed at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms season and gave a truly magnificent performance. I don’t know if you can be proud of other people’s children, but I am truly proud of Arthur Jeffes for he has done justice to his father’s musical legacy and taken the weight of responsibility for the Penguin Café on his shoulders. For not only does Arthur and his group give faithful representations of the classic repertoire there are also new songs in there to keep the grey matter nourished. Now I don’t know if he is channelling the energy of his father, or has a direct line to the Penguin Café or is really adept at producing remarkable pastiches, but these new songs are strong and feel right. The newest of these is called Landau (after Martin perhaps?) and I’ve cheekily posted at the foot of this for your consideration. If you like it, buy the CD/DVD set above.
I’m no Simon Jeffes and I don’t record music a millionth as good as the Penguin Café, but I secretly hope that when this useless, flabby old body of mine finally gives up the good fight Verity and Herbie might look at my music collection and do something positive with it. That would make me very proud indeed.
But congratulations to Arthur Jeffes – I think you’ve made an awful lot of people very, very happy.
As a footnote, I recorded a tribute to Simon Jeffes in 1998 and here it is for your consideration. After hearing Landau, it suddenly reminded me of this track for some reason.
Direct download: CLICK HERE
And for those of you looking for my review of the Penguin Cafe concert at the Barbican on 9 February 2011, you can find that here.
I had the fortune to have been made aware of this prom several weeks ago by a friend, and living in London jumped at the chance to go and hear them play.
I am so glad that I went.
I’m not sure if it made the radio, but Arthur’s final piece, a piano solo as a memorial to his father was very moving.
I’m one of the people Arthur has made very happy. Couldn’t in a million years dream they’d play at the Proms! 🙂
Yes, that piece “Harry Piers” did make the radio broadcast. You can hear the broadcast at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/whatson/0809.shtml#prom73