A Lark Ascending

Yes, it's Bach, Beethoven and Chopin as you'd expect.

That would seem to fit in. From the Hyperion link: The faulty discs were all manufactured during the five year period from 1988 to 1993. The problem was that the lacquer used to coat the discs was not resistant to the sulphur content of the paper in the booklets and inlays, which resulted in the corrosion of the aluminium layer of the disc ******** I've had no problems with CD-rs I've burnt myself over the last 10 years. I have had problems with the handful of bought ones I own. When Neil Ardley was alive he issued CD-rs of his OOP print recordings. One of those had a strange revolving sound that got louder as the disc went on. Another folk one on a label specialising in hardcore folky stuff - Musical Traditions - has a similar problem, I suspect it's connected with bulk burning.

Do you have any idea when they were made? There was a big problem with a pressing plant that allowed the print on the discs to seep into the sound layers leading to bronzing and, eventually, damage. Happened around 1990. A lot of Hyperion discs which used that plant were affected. I have a few that have bronzed badly. Most I've CD-rd before they can collapse but I never got to a Shostakovich Preludes and Fugues in time. That misplays dreadfully. Details: http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/bronzed.asp

Saw his gospel themed show at Cheltenham a few years back - one of the highlights of the weekend.

The last series of Lewis. Really enjoyed these.

Hopping between 3:

I only know 3 of the composers here. But it's nice to see a classical guitar record that doesn't just record the usual suspects. This has also just come out: More recent Goehr music.

"Harlem Air Shaft" has long been one of my favorite Ellington pieces. I wrote one of my infrequent blog posts about it - here. For those who don't want to read the long version: I love this piece for the way Ellington messes with the big band riff tune conventions of the time. That delicious trumpet riff in the first chorus is combined with a long-lined saxophone melody rather than a contrasting riff, for instance. And the introduction of "Harlem Air Shaft" is a mini-overture - it condenses the entire piece into twelve measures. It's kinda brilliant. Just listened to Harlem Air Shaft alongside your blog analysis, Jeff. Fascinating - I know I've said it before but you could put your descriptions in print. They don't require any technical knowledge - just help the non-musician focus on what's going on.

"Perhaps you would like to reconsider what you have asserted about Eric Clapton..."

Ah-hem!

The bit at the end looks like a price. How long before someone starting asking about shipping rates?

I think it means the HMV branch in Vladivostok has been saved.

The Blinded Man - BBC4 The latest Scandinavian crime thriller for a Saturday night. Very good. Opened with Monk's 'Misterioso' which seems to have been woven into the theme tune.

Heard some of this on BBC Radio 3's 'CD Review' programme this morning and it sounded wonderful. Petrushka played on two accordions - worked perfectly given its folksy nature.

Glorious early spring day. Temperatures are still unusually low but with the sun out it's tee shirt in the garden time. Once the sun has gone it get very cold though. Apparently it's so cold we have no wheat. Expect bread riots in the near future and, perhaps, a storming of Wormwood Scrubs.

"Winter Wine" off Caravan's 'In the Land of Grey and Pink'. The care that went into that song - lots of delicious key changes, a beautiful contrasting dreamy passage in the centre, some tremendous (and idiosyncratic) 'Canterbury' style organ; and a totally 'English' vocal delivery from Richard Sinclair (in an age when even English singers sounded like they'd spent too long in Memphis). Still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Ellington-a-thon 17 (April 6th, 2013) A fresh set. As always, let me know if I've duplicated earlier ones: Rainy Nights Rainy Days 1924 Jubilee Stomp 1928 Cotton Club Stomp # 1930 Raisin’ The Rent 1933 REMINISCING IN TEMPO 1935 I’ve Got To Be A Rug Cutter 1937 Jitterbug’s Lullaby 1938 Lonely Co-Ed 1939 Harlem Air Shaft 1940 I Didn’t Know About You 1942 I Don’t Want Nobody But You 1943 Frustration 1944 Night Walk 1951 Ballet Of The Flying Saucers 1956 ASPHALT JUNGLE SUITE 1. Wild Car 2. Cops 3. Robbers 1963 And some odd ones that I don't have dates for: Santa Claus, Bring My Man Back To Me Show Me Gone But Not Forgotten Woods Who Said “It’s Tight Like This”?

How odd. The Radio Times has it at 8.00 to allow for Das Rheingold to start at 5.00! Which doesn't bode well for the next three weeks as the clocks have changed and Rheingold is the shortest of The Ring operas! I love Wagner but I'd not expect it to throw Emmerdale or Eastenders into distant parts. Moving JRR from the 5.00 spot is like moving Christmas (the BBC clearly view it as Easter).

We now have a new early spring sport to rival the Boat Race and the Grand National. It's called spot the JRR.

Hope it works out - especially the promise to return to the music/DVD focus. I hardly frequent music stores at all these days but when I am in a town for one reason or another it would be nice to browse a music section with some depth of catalogue.

Really enjoyable 2CD set with great side people: Bass – Dave Green Drums – Charlie Watts Percussion – Luis Jardim Piano – Brian Lemon Producer – Charlie Watts, Dave Green Saxophone [Alto, Soprano] – Evan Parker, Peter King (2) Saxophone [baritone] – Julian Argüelles Trombone – Mark Nightingale Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Henry Lowther Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Gerard Presencer Vibraphone – Anthony Kerr Yes, Evan Parker does his own thing at one point.

Just listened to the BBC broadcast. Very enjoyable and introduced, as always, with the sort of clarity that doesn't befuddle the lay person. Imagine in years to come there will be an 'Alex Hawkins Larger Groups: The BBC Tapes' release for enthusiasts!

I love his refusal to take any of it over-seriously.

HMV is sold to Hilco in rescue deal I suspect the horse has already bolted but there's a little hope for those who like to buy from shops here.

Evan Parker - "Live at the Western Front 1918" would have been even more impressive!