Though I loathe the term ‘Bucket List’ I’ll use it here for shorthand and due to familiarity…I never quite realised that James Taylor would be a Bucket List Gig for me until it was announced that he was touring. I’ve been a fan forever – at first somewhat forced one me; the greatest hits albums […]
Portico Quartet We Welcome Tomorrow (ep) Gondwana Records London’s nu-jazz combo, Portico Quartet, has a nice finite catalogue for you to explore – they have always been interested in jazz as purely starting point, from there they have ventured out towards prog via breakbeats – it’s a big ol’ melting pot really. Hypnotic, but busy, […]
Chet Baker, Chet Baker Plays The Best of Lerner and Loewe (1959) I’m big time into Art Pepper right now – which means a trip back to Chet Baker too; the two inseparable for me even though they didn’t always work together. They burst from the same scene, or created the scene and then burst […]
Various Artists: I Still Play Nonesuch Records I Still Play is a compilation of brand new solo piano compositions by composers across jazz, classical, pop and experimental (modern) music that have recorded for the Nonesuch Records label. The majority of the works are performed by classical pianist and composer Timo Andres (who also contributes a […]
Robin Williams only had a few bits and he did them over and over again, talk show to talk show to stage and screen always on, always braving it strong with the same set of voices, the same comedic choices – a hyperdrive improviser he bought and sometimes stole his material but there was never […]
Emily Writes wrote the book and then it was turned into the amazing play/show – and head of that 2019 run (and it went around the country to various spots – no luck this years, thanks Covid) it was trialed with a workshop-styled short season; they sought feedback and made a few changes. I got […]
V/A, Bunny Lee: Dreads Enter The Gates With Praise (2019) “Striker” – Bunny Lee – one of the architects! Here he is making the selections for one of the Soul Jazz Records label’s fantastic compilations; this a representation of some of the heavy-hitters of the 1970s and is a must-have for reggae-heads. It was recommended […]
Hey, how was that lockdown for you? We’re at level two now and so the walks can extend a bit further and you can add to your bubble, or pop it, or whatever…there are still some rules of course but all going well they’ll ease in the coming days and weeks and hopefully talk of a ‘new normal’ disappears since there’s no new normal and not much is normal now – but we do adjust and most of us do what we’re told eh…
I have been enjoying making some playlists to reflect my moods in these times and group together some of the songs that have been the most enjoyable, including some throwbacks, some brand new (to me) tunes and of course old and regular favourites. Continue reading
after it happens you can only think of what happened hope isn’t there at all or what’s there is so small but you hold on to it until the end in the end all that’s there is hope Werner Herzog says, “in the house of the hanged/They only speak of the rope”
Augustus Pablo, El Rocker’s (2000) I remember being introduced to the music of Augustus Pablo – early 2000s. Like many things with music (and you don’t often know it when it’s happening) it came at exactly the right time. I was a fan of some reggae and dub music but didn’t know a lot and […]
Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change, and Courage Tori Amos Atria Books As soon as I caught the news that it was happening I was excited about this book – I see myself as something of a lapsed-fan when it comes to Tori Amos; I have nothing but fond memories of the first few […]
Over the last few years I’ve got back into basketball – at first casually, and then with a lot more interest – even buying a ball and going back to shooting hoops and obviously I’m currently bereft because there’s not only no live basketball to get to (or watch on TV) but also I’ve finished […]