A Lark Ascending

Just as well he stuck to music rather than philosophy.

One of my favourite discs with Garbarek is this one. It's under Ralph Towner's name but Garbarek is on fiery form: I'm particularly fond of his very folk influenced records, including Sami Joik music: A long way from the American jazz tradition so sample with caution - it isn't to everyone's taste. Not so keen on his music with beats from the early noughties or the Hilliard ensemble stuff.

I got most of my (rather limited) enjoyment of painting from those big classical LP sleeves. I was fascinated by the Mahler Kubelik series made up of sections of Klimt works - sometimes from works with people but you'd never know that from the cover. (I remember that Gerontius LP - though I ended up with the Boult version. I also had that RVW LP pictured earlier.) This was another favourite: And, from a bit further afield, another one of my early purchases: The only thing I miss about LPs is those 12 x 12 sleeves.

This was the second classical LP I bought back in 1974 (a Sibelius 5 in the same series was the first). Always liked the scenes on the front of those covers that seemed to evoke the music. Not sure if this counts - there might be two people in the boat. Another one where cover and content were a perfect match.

Not a pet, but a few summer's back a blackbird sat on a fence in my back garden and screeched all the way through one CD of Miles Davis's Cellar Door set. As soon as the record ended he flew away. Maybe he was requesting 'Bye Bye Blackbird'. I hadn't the heart to tell him it was no longer in the set list. The worms in the garden burrow a bit deeper when I play Messiaen.

You could fill this thread with RVW sleeves. I'll spare you.

Many thanks. This thread is starting to make me feel young.

He only played for a few minutes. Keyboards were played by a young chap called Billy Bottle (who sounds as if he might have absconded from a ship of the line in Plymouth harbour). Mike directed for the bulk of the performance.

He needs to go to Specsavers for a better fitting.

Some pictures off the iPhone from 22nd July. Note the traditional Devonian costumes being worn by the band:

After an indifferent week with some fairly drizzly days, Thursday was spectacular, Friday pleasant too. Much warmer than of late. I see an Indian summer coming on, just as the schools go back.

They are much beloved by fRoots - they fit the particular angle of that magazine that sees folk-type music and punk as natural bedfellows.

Ha! In years to come that photo is a must for the sort of multi-CD historic box currently reserved for Furtschnabelnini and co.

It's clearly time to run a few frigates into Brest or Toulon and remind them of their manners.

Various ok but nothing to get very excited about folkies - including a band who looked (and sounded a bit like) Jethro Tull (in their dishevelled farm labourer phase) and sang about hedges, long barrows and ley lines. Bonkers. Then a wonderful final concert with June Tabor and the Oyster Band. Including a version of 'White Rabbit' - no sign of bad acid but plenty of scrumpy casualties. Right - time for beard detox...

It was available as a CD-r direct from Neil Ardley before he died. I got a copy from there. It's certainly a recording deserving of proper reissue, even if just in downloadable form (perhaps the only cost effective way of making available music that will be unlikely to generate interest beyond a small audience).

Superstar night. Martin Simpson steering it all, accompanied through most of it by the wonderful Andy Cutting on squeeze boxes. Joined in the first half by Fay Hield and Jon Boden. And then in part two by June Tabor and Dick Gaughan. Only the latter disappointed - he was such a powerhouse in the 70s and 80s, pulling off both traditional and highly political song in a rich, deep, heavily accented voice. But every time I've seen him in recent years he's done the same songs. More June tonight with the Oyster Band.

A bit more stiff upper lip called for there, what? I blame all these 'You Can Be A Star' and 'Reunite with Relations you never knew you had' type programmes on TV. Bet Nelson wasn't blubbing, sprawled on the deck of the Victory, as he was told that the French and Spanish had been given a good hiding.

Well, I'm not watching any of it but even a sportaphobe like me can't help but get excited by the achievements of the Brit Olympians when listening to the news - i even keep checking the BBC site to see if there are more medals. As a nation we have self-denigration off to a fine art - even our Prime Minister is happy to talk tosh about our society being 'broken'. So it's great to feel this wave of pride and optimism for a change.

Amazing day of tremendous music: Fay Hield & the Hurricane Party - only a name to me until a few months back but Fay Hield is quite something. Very folky. With the sort of vocal approach that clearly comes from listening to lots of source singers. Supergroup band playing in that wonderful ox-cart creaking down a muddy lane manner. Brass Monkey - yikes, this one was full of nostalgia. I saw a couple of the first gigs by this band back in1982 or so. A trio of Martin Carthy, John Kirkpatrick and Howard Evans in a Nottingham pub and then the full five piece at Cropredy. Even more nostalgic, the second gig of any sort I ever attended was The Albion County Band in Swindon College with Carthy and Kirpatrick aboard. And here the are in 2012 playing with as much swagger as ever. Who'd have thought an experiment to take the rock out of folk-rock and replace it with a brass band would still be going 30 years later! Old Man Luedecke - actually a 30 something playing banjo and singing. From Nova Scotia - very nice oddball songs. Mawkin - fabulous. For some reason this well established band have kept a pretty low profile. I only came across them by word of mouth and up to now heard the only on record. Again rooted in that rusty waggon English approach but flying off elsewhere - The Kinks, music hall, Finnish tango, Hungarian and Swedish dance tunes. What a rich musical world we live in and have access to.

Yes, I found that really fascinating, coming from a background that knew nothing of 'The Arts' - helped explain and create a bit of curiosity about painting that was well outside my comfort zone. 'The Fatal Shore' is one of those books I keep meaning to read. R.I.P.

I'm exaggerating the age thing. We oldies may dominate the big concerts (maybe only we can afford the ticket prices) and there are lots of worse for wear Morris dancers and people clutching melodeons wandering the town; but there's also lots of dances and workshops which I suspect draw in much younger people. More of a chance there to participate and indulge in a bit of courting.

Jackie Oates - the person I was most looking forward to at Sidmouth. Marvellous singer - the audiences may be ageing but the young performers keep on appearing. Norma Waterson and Eliza Carthy Band - very, very moving. Norma has been out of action after a very serious illness and this was her first performance since. Tremendous, warm-hearted concert with Norma rattling away and loving every minute. Her voice may not be what it once was but the spirit and love of a wide range of music was there in bucket loads.

Chris Wood - England's finest contemporary songwriter, to my mind. Songs that are contemporary and topical yet richly connected to traditional music. A set made up of all new songs bar one. That's not a risk many would take. John McCusker/Michael McGoldrick/John Doyle - diamond sharp Irish/Scottish music from this supergroup. In a year where the main British jazz festivals have gone for crossover safety in order to stay afloat its intriguing to see a festival in another genre thriving by appealing to its core audience. Maybe easier to do in folk music which is far more participatory - I suspect most people are here for the dancing, informal sessions etc. There's a captive audience for musicians just doing what they do - no need to helicopter Bruce Springsteen in.