I have just confirmed a slot providing the post-speakers music at TEDx next Sunday at London Zoo in Regents Park – I am totally chuffed to be involved in anything to do with the awesome TED movement. For those of you not in the know go here and feed your mind – http://www.ted.com/

Details about the event are here - http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/3525 – I am playing after the speakers at 6pm with Jane and Basia on accordion, flute and violin.

If you have not seen this video please watch it – this guy is a total hero of mine and encapsulates everything that I love about TED – http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html

Whoops, I seem to have forgotten to post on my site that my 3rd album ‘The Nearest Door’ is now launched. You can find it on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Jamendo and many other sites.

The place I would most like you to listen and consider buying it from is http://music.robingrey.com as this bandcamp powered site gives me the highest cut of the money and includes custom artwork, lyrics and commentary for each track.

“Never lament casually; and if one is to express the great inevitable defeat that awaits us all, it must be done within the strict confines of dignity and beauty.”

wow… quite the acceptance speech, but would we expect anything less?

see – http://1heckofaguy.com/2011/10/24/leonard-cohens-prince-of-asturias-awards-speech-direct-transcript-enhanced-english-video/

and

acceptance

We had a lovely show last wednesday at the RHS Harvest Festival surrounded by some of the largest and most impressive fruit and veg I have ever seen.

To the left of me above is Caitlin my new accordion player, on the right is Basia and then Helen Babbs with a copy of her delighful book ‘My Garden, The City and Me‘ which I have read and love. Find out more about it here – http://helenbabbs.wordpress.com/book/

Anja and I just recorded this cover of ‘The Park’ by Feist for our american friend Mr Ron Trembath. I hope you like it!

The Park by Feist

Wow – an epic week up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in which Basia, Jane and I managed to clock up over twelve shows in a week!

Click on the above image to hear us play ‘The Suitors Ballyhoo’ on the last Pleasance podcast of the festival.

Highlights included an amazing show at the last Golden Hour for The Forest Cafe and a lovely moment when we got to serenade a group of Maths academics in The Pleasance Courtyard who got another group of friends to watch us play via skype on their laptop.

Podcast recording and filming … L-R: Paul on camera, Robin on guitar, Basia on violin, Jane on accordion and Al on microphones.

A slightly tired Basia and Jane having a nap on the train heading north to Edinburgh.

I have had my music on the magnatune website for over a year now and they have been awesome, handling all of my music licensing stuff and generally being the most ‘on it’ and accountable crew I work with.

You can hear loads of music on their site which you might not find elsewhere – it is all curated by one guy called John who has great and eclectic taste!

They are currently in the business of starting a website to provide music for businesses and restaurants called moodmixes which you should check out too.

My next show is at The Urban Physic Garden in Southwark, sharing a stage with Sam Lee and Dear Winesburg.

The evening is being put on by The Magpie’s Nest and Folie à Deux, my favourite north and south london folk promoters working together for the first time.

The garden is a lovely green spot with table tennis tables, see-saws and a camp fire. Need I say more! Do come – facebook page is here.

Wednesday 10th August, 7pm
The Urban Physic Garden (map)
100 Union Street
Southwark, London, UK SE1 0NL

I had a lovely day yesterday collaborating with Sam Lee on a musical commission for ‘A Smaller Sound, A Bigger Crowd:  A Film Installation and Performance by Ian Giles telling the story of The Docklands Bell’

We are both going to be floating about the Thames a week on friday playing the song we wrote to Ian’s lyrics, with Sam singing and me playing some appalachian dulcimer – see here for more info – http://www.floatingcinema.info/events/#events-38