A Lark Ascending

Thanks for the info, Mark. Didn't know most of that.

From Wiki: Ann Callaway Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra (1985–87) (Laureate Press, distr. MMB Press) Peter Maxwell Davies: "The Seas of Kirk Swarf" for bass clarinet and strings (2007).[5]Dietrich Erdmann: Concerto for bass clarinet and orchestra. Osvaldo Golijov: "Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind" for solo clarinetist (soprano clarinets, basset horn, and bass clarinet) and string quartet, later arranged for solo clarinetist and string orchestra.[6] Todd Goodman: Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra[7] Joseph Hallman: Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Chamber Ensemble[8] Rafael Leonardo Junchaya: Concerto Silvestre for bass clarinet and orchestra Op.14a. Premiered by Marco Antonio Mazzini and the GUSO Orchestra conducted by Steven Decraene in May 2009. First version for bass clarinet and string orchestra (Concertino Silvestre Op.14) premiered in Guatemala in July 2009. David Lang: "Press Release" for solo bass clarinet (1991) (For Evan Ziporyn) Donald Martino: Triple Concerto for clarinet, bass clarinet, and contrabass clarinet. Thea Musgrave: Concerto for bass clarinet and orchestra. Andrew Rindfleisch: "The Light Fantastic" for bass clarinet and wind ensemble (2003). Jonathan Russell: Double bass clarinet concerto. Josef Schelb: Concerto for bass clarinet and orchestra. Karlheinz Stockhausen: In Freundschaft for unaccompanied bass clarinet, Libra for bass clarinet and electronic music (a separable component of Sirius), and Harmonien for unaccompanied bass clarinet.

Napoleonic forts/Fort Boyard clones in the middle of the English Channel perhaps, filled up with server stacks? Shades of Radio Caroline.. Then it was piracy. Now it's entrepreneurship.

Not seen mention of this grouping very much. Given the range of guest musicians involved at different times I'd have thought the records would have a higher profile. I bought one of their recordings about ten years back ('Amassed') and it had quite an influence on getting me listening to more free music. But I didn't follow up their other recordings. I played it for the first time in ages a few weeks back and was really moved by it. Followed it up with two other recordings ('Masses' and 'Live') and have 'Songs and Themes' and 'The Sweetness of Water' waiting in the wings. Don't know much about the core duo - Ashley Wales and John Coxon - but they appear to have been a drum'n bass pairing who took a left turn. I really enjoy the dreamy, late 60s/early 70s soundscapes with really free playing on top, drifting in and out of tonality. The music is also mercifully free of the sort of arthritic pounding beats I associate with drum'n bass (I might be misinformed there). Just wondering if anyone else had enjoyed these recordings.

Don't understand the question. I can probably be described as recording-acquiring junkie. I buy way more recordings than I can ever hope to process effectively. But the medium by which I acquire them is purely based on the most practical means of acquisition. For me that's downloading.

Well, I'm still trapped in 'ownership' mode so I only stream to explore; then I download if I want that recording. The thing about streaming is that it is a very new technology. I accept it poses serious issues over how to recompense those who make the music. But the problem isn't streaming as such; it's how streaming is managed - and in a world run on principles of free market capitalism ('the market will ultimately make everything all right, trickle down etc, etc') we're going to get this unfairness. Dare a say, a bit of government interventionism wouldn't go amiss! But then, we are told, the wealth creators will flee to another zone where they can enjoy the free market unhindered.

Eric Dolphy's bass clarinet is one of the many beauties of jazz. I recall being taken by it in the earliest days of my jazz listening when I was largely listening in a fog. As others have said I've no interest in finding another Dolphy but I'm always drawn to recordings with bass clarinet featured. Leaving aside the 'who's best?' silliness, I'd agree with sidewinder and Alex about their choices and would add in John Surman (not used so much as in the 70s) and Julian Siegel amongst the interesting Brits. Interested in that Jason Stein recommendation. Never heard of him but will explore.

Making 78s, LPs, cassettes, CDs etc were/are also fat cat schemes. The problem with digital transfer is it makes it so much easier to bypass the performers' rights to earn a living. But that is a problem of society handling the medium, not an inherent problem of the medium (think back and when the very first recording methods appeared there were concerns that performers would have their livelihoods stolen). I would gladly pay a premium to ensure that performers get paid fairly. But this is the world of capitalism and I'm not sure that's how the capitalist free market works. Just like the t-shirt you wear probably got made where the worker could be paid least. The problem is not the technology that made the t-shirt. It's how we as humans have decided to manage that technology and recompense those who do the work (and deal with those out who lose their livelihoods when the technology they have been trained to use becomes obsolete). As things are in the world of global capitalism the only thing open to the individual is to make a personal, moral decision to purchase where the performer is likely to make some money - through legitimate retailers, direct from the performer, in a local store you trust to be fair etc; refusing to download for free or buy bootlegs etc. But the morality lies in making that choice where you buy; there is no morality in choosing a CD over an mp3.

I get no pleasure from that situation; it just seems that's how things are. With the reductions in storage and transport costs (for the producer) that downloads/streaming represent I'm surprised the CD has held out as long as it has. I appreciate totally how many listeners are still drawn to the older mediums. When I bought my first download a few years back I was really unsure - did they sound as good? did it feel the same as having the full package? It took six months or so to decide a) if there were sonic differences I wasn't the sort of listener to hear them; b) I didn't particular want the package, just the music. I hope the situation continues that we can access the music we love in a variety of formats (so can we put a stop to those vinyl only releases please!!!!!). But I'd not put money on it.

I do wish labels like Emanem and Ogun would make downloads available. I'd buy more. Don't know if it's a feeling that they'd be sacrificing quality, returns from downloads being considerably less than physical (wouldn't volume of sale make up for this?), the small scale of the businesses making it too big a venture or fear that pirating would be easier. They wouldn't even have to use the iTunes/Amazon route - just having them linked to their website. Classical music labels seem so much further ahead in this and seems far less hung up on fear of change. Don't you have Eric Rose's Music Inn nearby? (not that they would necessarily have the stuff you play). Is it still going? It used to have a big shop a mile out from Nottingham city centre; then moved to an arcade in the centre. I'd assumed it had folded. Still advertising in Jazz Journal so assume still there (although not sure if it is mail-order only). Still seems to have an address in West End Arcade - not a place I pass through on my rare visits to Nottingham. Will have to look next time. Found this from David Rose (son of Eric, I believe) from a 2007 online comment: Nice to see elitism is alive and well in sunny Nottingham ('we all know'...good lord, my A Level students don't get away with that sort of assertion).

I think you are the future, Bill. I can't quite wrench myself away from ownership. Capitalism still has my soul.

Don't you have Eric Rose's Music Inn nearby? (not that they would necessarily have the stuff you play). Is it still going? It used to have a big shop a mile out from Nottingham city centre; then moved to an arcade in the centre. I'd assumed it had folded. It was always a hit and miss place. Its heart was in Stan Kenton but it used to get batches of interesting stuff in (I bought a lot of those French Fantasy two-fers there in the late 70s/early 80s. Was never strong on post Swing/West Coast/Hard Bop music. Anyway, I'd have to drive 30 miles to get there. Back in the days of well stocked record shops I'd do that gladly. Once or twice a year now and not for CDs. With me: I need a good quality recording but I've not got the ears for the 'best possible sound'. I like receiving the product as rapidly as possible. I'm not interested in the packaging. Used to delight in it but eventually realised I only paid attention to it when I bought it. I do like to have a physical copy to play in the CD player, stacked on a shelf with a simple cover. So downloads transferred to CD-R work for me. This year I've popped into record stores in Nottingham, Sheffield, Lincoln, Oxford, London, Exeter and Truro. In every case I've lost interest very quickly which I wouldn't have believed 15 years ago - think it has more to do with the complete lack of surprise in what I'm looking at. I've probably been spoiled by the internet experience of finding nearly everything I've searched for. I do share the impatience with waiting for physical CDs to arrive. I only buy them if there is no download option or if I'm concerned there might be gapless problems (tend to go for opera on CD). We might look at this time as a golden age in future given the variety of formats we have to choose from.

I don't really understand this 'support your local brick and mortar' idea. Yes, if you have a local you've used for years and know well then I can see why you might want to help them out. But beyond that I think all you are doing is helping to keep an increasingly outdated means of distribution on life-support. If you prefer physical CDs or vinyl, fine. Personal preference. But despite all the 'vinyl is back' headlines I can't see the vinyl/physical CD option being much more than a preference for those who grew up with it and like to stick with it and a 'boutique' option for the younger buyer who wants to be seen as different from the crowd. The one place I do see CDs doing a roaring trade is at concerts - lots of people like a memento there and then. But given what I see young people doing with their mobiles I'm pretty sure that approach only has a limited life span. I've heard of concerts where you can pick up a CD-R of the performance an hour later. Why bother with that when it could be streamed or downloaded while you drive or catch the bus home? I'm sure shirts made on hand looms were very nice things; and you can still buy hand made clothing. But the power loom swept most before it (there are some very nice folk songs about what a terrible thing this was).

Move to Worksop and try to hold true to that 100% physical stores approach.

Nah! They'd stick a blue plaque on it.

Can't imagine anything a smartphone can do that this can't: Proof: http://youtu.be/91_jymgH8QY

Doesn't sound like Van. I like his music but boy can he bollox. Another nice line from GP:

They also say some interesting things about our fear of losing control. Essentially that we are wired to want to control our environment - so with art (I use that term to mean painting, sculpture etc!!!) or music we want to see or hear something, absorb it, understand it and then file it in a definite place, making us feel secure. Whereas our most powerful experiences are when we lose control. Strong argument for free jazz there!

I'm not sure I agree with myself. If I follow his reasoning then I'd say 'that will do' with my record collection as it is. Can't link as it's from the physical copy. Not on their website.

Nice little article in this week's New Statement where Grayson Perry (my favourite de-bolloxer of the moment) and Brian Eno discuss the art and music world. I liked this from GP: Made me think of all those times I've bought upgraded versions of recordings or new HiFi only to find that I can't hear much (if any) difference. Or all those times I've bought recordings in the full knowledge that they're not that good but they 'complete the set.' I think 'The Man' understands this human trait only too well.

Stumbling around Google I discovered that the 'Destination Out' site has a download of this long OOP record I've been wanting to hear: http://destination-out.bandcamp.com/album/no-gossip God bless th'internet.

Juggling these three:

According to the news today it is being suggested that the reason so many trees blew down was because of all the digging going on to install broadband cables. Has rendered the roots unstable. Hmmm.

Recommended if you get the urge to sing about riding out one bright May morning and encountering milk maids.