Royal Oak

I read this and I'll be curious what your take is when you finish reading it. I finished the book. I don't know what I can tell you... I enjoyed the sober prose style, and the fact that what did happen tended to do so quietly, under the surface (much like life I suppose). I don't know what I thought of Stoner himself. Part of me thought him a fool for not leaving his wife when they were so obviously unsuited, and part of me thought he could have been a bit more involved with his daughter. That said, I admired his stoicism, and I'm sure any person, on reviewing one's life, would find things they would have done differently. So, yes, a very human tale I suppose. Sorry that's all I have, I'm no literary critic (grade U at English Lit A Level, 1987).

Don't recall seeing them at Sidmouth! Think they did Cropredy that year........ So that's where Richard Thompson got that beret. Maybe somewhere in Communist Russia, there was a private wearing an Afghan coat....

Don't recall seeing them at Sidmouth! Think they did Cropredy that year........

Now "The Ashes is finished".......

Folk is something of an unexplored land for me, but there are a couple of folk tunes I love, the main one being "Annie Laurie". I heard a Jimmy Forrest (I think) version which was nice, but the version which did it for me was the one on this LP:

Couple more I just thought of "That Old Feeling" "My Ideal" "But Beautiful" "Come Sunday" Too many to mention really.

I remember Wild Swans being hugely popular here, maybe 15 years ago. It was a bit like "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" - every home had one. Maybe I'll get round to it one day - my mother has a copy.

Lover Come Back To Me is a great call. The bridge is gorgeous. I especially like Hampton Hawes's version on Contemporary. Agreed. Love the changes on those boppers' favourites like "LCBTM", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "I'll Remember April", "Cherokee", "All the Things You Are", etc. All favourites of my dad! I guess you like "Stella By Starlight" as well? Yes! And "Lover", too. I thought you might. "The Way You Look Tonight", "Lover", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Yesterdays", "I'm Old Fashioned", and most Monk tunes. He used to talk about "the changes" a lot - I didn't understand for years.

Lover Come Back To Me is a great call. The bridge is gorgeous. I especially like Hampton Hawes's version on Contemporary. Agreed. Love the changes on those boppers' favourites like "LCBTM", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "I'll Remember April", "Cherokee", "All the Things You Are", etc. All favourites of my dad! I guess you like "Stella By Starlight" as well?

Billy Strayhorn has been mentioned already - I add a vote for "Chelsea Bridge" Lover Come Back To Me is a great call. The bridge is gorgeous. I especially like Hampton Hawes's version on Contemporary.

I shall let you know, with pleasure. So far (about 70 pages) I get the feeling it won't really "go anywhere" in the traditional sense of storytelling. I think that may have been the author's intention. I could be wrong.

I can't believe I forgot "Django", and "I Remember Clifford"

Ordered this from an Amazon recommendation, which doesn't happen often, given the sometimes odd nature of their suggestions. Enjoying it so far.

'It could happen to you' is a strange song. It's generally sung or played as a ballad and this does bring out the beautiful melody. But it's sung too slowly for you to comprehend the words as a whole statement - which is witty and humorous. When I got Dakota Staton's album 'Dynamic' in which she sings the song at a pretty up tempo, I realised that the words NEED to be sung fast, so you can get that message. But you don't get the beauty of the tune. I wonder if anyone knows how the song was intended to be performed - or how it was on its first appearance? MG Well, here I must admit I'd never heard a vocal version of the song until watching the clip posted above. I was thinking of the J J Johnson version from "The Eminent..." album. As a result, I've always heard bitter-sweet, with the emphasis on bitter. Interesting, the way one projects.

One that springs to mind is "It Could Happen To You", but I think, like Bill, I may be hearing the harmony rather than the melody. I like "Amazing Grace" and "Abide With Me" for the same reasons. Is it the melody of 'All The Things You Are' that pleases the ear or the chord sequence? It's the chord sequence that pleases me. Chop the melody statements off and the magic's still there. My old man loved "All The Things You Are", especially the end of the "B" section leading back into the final "A". ISn't the last note of the "B" the same as the first note of the final "A", but it somehow sounds different because of the modulation? Something like that anyway.

Another hot day today.

Interesting story. The idea of tipping in a sandwich shop is laughable here in the UK. Any sandwich shop receiving a £130 order would probably be thinking they'd hit the jackpot anyway. I'm glad there isn't a culture of tipping here.

Coltrane, Ayler and Sanders?

No

Like it!

In my experience, all hospitals are "haunted"! I worked nights for 2 years, never saw anything remotely supernatural. I recall seeing a mouse run across the day room floor one night, and drunks walking past the windows on weekend nights........

Couple of pics from the hospital where I worked 1995-1997. And another, where I used to park my car.

About 40 minutes ago, we had the heaviest hail storm I have ever seen, summer or winter. Lasted about 10 minutes, hail the size of marbles. The pavements and gardens were carpeted with ice, the streets resembled streams. All quiet now, the flood water starting to recede, the sun is out and there are shredded leaves everywhere. Bill, did you get it?

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