A Lark Ascending

Another Guardian vinyl-craze article. But this one made me smile: Vinyl destination: who is actually buying records? Lonely, middle-aged men love vinyl. Before you rush to litter the comments section with gnarly insults under the pseudonym NotAllLonelyMiddleAgedMen, this statement derives from actual data.According to YouGov, the much talked-about record resurgence is driven not by a boom in millennials who want to embrace the novelty of a physical item, but by midlife nostalgia...... I've wandered into one or two of those Berwick Street shops in the last year or so and found them utterly depressing - like jumble shops. By chance I was watching an episode from a late 90s series ('Cold Feet') last night and there was a scene as two characters moved through the Virgin store in Manchester. Now that did fill me with nostalgia. Acres of CDs all looking pristine with separate rooms for classical, jazz/blues/folk etc. Those were the days....

Including his two greatest hits.

Disc 5

"Cold Feet" Never saw this when it was mega-popular 20 odd years back (though I still somehow developed a crush on Helen Baxendale). A frothy rom-com - sex amongst the Manchester yuppies - but very enjoyable and rather touching in places (though 'This is England', it ain't). Been through series one this week and just started 2 on the ITV 'on demand' channel - 24 days to get through the lot! With the usual channels I watch lost to the Olympics should fill in the gap before the autumn schedules start. "The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook" Episode 1 His analysis seems a bit glib - it wasn't about Thatcher, it was about us (our desire for consumer goods and our aspiration) - and he races through events (The Falklands in 30 seconds) but it's fun watching the events, clothes, hairstyles etc. The 80s still sound to my ears like the decade music forgot but it seems to be regarded as a golden age by others (based on the views of the younger colleagues I used to work with).

No. 7 of first

I really enjoy John Hollenbeck's larger orchestral pieces - recognisably out of the jazz tradition but with a contemporary feel (though you might want to try before buying with his last two - arrangements of 'pop' songs with vocals which won't suit all. I love them). I also really like the orchestral jazz that Bob Brookmeyer wrote towards the end of his life - doesn't get mentioned much. But you can hear his influence in Schneider and Hollenbeck. I also like those O'Farrills. In the Latin vein I also greatly enjoy Guillermo Klein's arrangements. I've enjoyed those Christine Jensen's too. Looking forward to seeing her next week in a small Anglo-Canadian group in London.

And the following morning: Symphony 2 - much more 'American' sounding (in the Coplandy sense) than the first...or the third or fourth come to that.

No 5 of the latter (7 being what generally gets called the 8th...confusing!)

Disc 2 of the Bach - two sets of Preludes, French Suites 4-6 and a Prelude and Fugue in A Minor

All those times you sat down with a good book instead of going to the gym were not in vain: Book up for a longer life: readers die later, study finds

I have those Brahms recordings too. Music I've yet to become properly familiar with (too many records!). The Birtwistle has yet to grab me...tough stuff; really liked the Matthews - two big orchestral pieces and one for small ensemble. Contemporary (as in from the last 25 years or so) but accessible. Disc 1 of the Hewitt - French Suites 1, 2, 3, Sonata in D minor; Six Little Preludes. Lovely disc by this little known composer from the north of England. The Symphony is from 2001-2 (he seems to have been writing from the 1940s) but sounds like it could have been composed in the 1930s. Wears a heavy Sibelius influence but there's Ravel and Debussy in there too. A little reminiscent of Bax - similar cragginess. Of absolutely no use to those who require music to be 'important' but a very pleasurable side path into a landscape that seems familiar but still has its own personality.

Yes, the Britten quartets are marvellous - stretched across his composing life you get a real sense of the way his style changed; yet it's Britten throughout. No 1 of the latter. It might wear Brahms and Dvorak on its sleeve but makes a very nice listen. You'd not guess where he was heading apart from the occasional hymn-like theme.

About three or four down the list! Just started the bio today: What an awful childhood he had - spiv of a father living well beyond his means, bankrupted, imprisoned yet always up for the next dodgy deal; and a mother who vanished when he was 5. A boyhood spent in public schools, worried that the nature of his father would be found out. Just got him to Bern in 1948 having walked out of his school, studying German language and literature even though he was not yet really up to the standards and was living hand to mouth. And he's just been recruited! No wonder the characters of his books are so oily and untrustworthy. I've only read the one so can't comment really - more familiar with the films/TV series! I did enjoy that one...it just seemed less murky and imprecise. Those 60s 70s novels leave you with loose ends and bits you don't quite get, not to mention the prevailing murky atmosphere of a Britain sinking into decline as a world power. I want to read the later ones but will work that way roughly chronologically ('Smiley's People' is next).

Thanks for the warning. I only use iTunes to manage the iPods. This would have scuppered me.

Sinfonia Concertante Think DG were going for the "My Little Princess" market with that cover.

'The Secret Agent' (BBC1) Can't say I enjoyed this a great deal. A worthy, well-filmed account of a 'classic' of literature but I kept going out of duty rather than compulsion. I read the book a long time ago - I recall it was a tough read (like I've always found Conrad). Perhaps too literary to translate effectively to the screen. Really enjoyed the first three of these. Science for the viewer who was scared off science at school. I'm currently reading Bill Bryson's popular book on science so this re-enforces well. Superb photography in some strange places - those of a nervous disposition should not watch the ibex crossing a near vertical dam wall in search of salt. I like Brian Cox's delivery - really calm but bewitched by the wonders of the natural world. Failed politicians given TV documentaries should be made to watch him. They might learnt to stop shouting and waving their arms about all the time. Reliant on backed up programmes and things like the iPlayer for the next few weeks whilst the whole of BBC1, BBC 4 and great chunks of BBC2 are given over to egg and spoon races and the like.

I'm working my way forward, slowly. I read at least one of his more recent ones a few years back. Enjoyed it but it seemed more straightforward than his earlier style - you don't get the bureaucratic fogs that can be trying but ultimately give much of the atmosphere to the books. I have the recent biography on the shelves to read fairly soon - intrigued to know where all this came from.

Some nice news on the Westbrook front: "MIKE WESTBROOK SOLO IN PARIS Jon Hiseman will record two solo performances by Mike Westbrook at Helene Aziza’s gallery, 19, rue Paul Fort, PARIS 75014 on July 19th and 20th.(see diary for details). An album will be released in the Autumn. As with A Bigger Show, Patrons will be invited to pledge support in advance of the release. More details soon. " According to an e-mail this was recorded and orders are being taken. The website doesn't seem to have been updated yet but anyone interested in being a 'patron' just needs to e-mail as follows: "If you would like to become a Patron of the PIANO-LIVE album, please email us at admin@westbrookjazz.co.uk with: Your name Your postal address The number of copies of the CD that you wish to order The sum that you wish to pay" Sept 1st is the cut-off date - after that you are a mere customer rather than a patron! Looking forward to this. Mike's 'Piano' of the 70s is one of my most played solo piano records. It may not have the virtuoso flash (not to mention length!) of Jarrett's records but contains wonderful little gems with a very distinctive harmonic approach. Been hoping for a new solo record for many years.

I like that Granados record too - one of my first CDs. I like the Albeniz from around the same time even better. 4, 5, 6

Finished 'The Honourable Schoolboy' last week (long book!). Very, very good. Le Carre of this vintage spoils you for thriller writing - he takes his time with the narrative, often losing you in insider jargon, half-references to things you don't quite understand and there are long passages which are essentially about bureaucracy (a tremendous chapter about a meeting where Smiley tries to get approval for an operation from competing mandarins - the way he brings out the internal politics and jealousies and tracks Smiley's restrained nudging of the agenda is masterful). The main character - a foppish, seedy public school boy who is actually a ruthless operator - immediately put a picture of Boris Johnson in my head which stayed with me through the book! Wonderful depictions of Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia in 1975 especially in the second half when the 'action' picks up. Also Saul David's marvellous book on the Zulu War of 1879 - only ever knew about Rorke's Drift from the classic film. Turns out that it was quite a minor event and a lot of the VC awarding was something of a smokescreen to deflect attention from the main action at Isandlwana where the British were comprehensively beaten and massacred. Archaeologist goes on nine walks (well, one's a boat journey and another a motorbike trek) through landscapes associated with 'Dark Age' Britain. Chapters interspersed with short sections about a walk along Hadrian's Wall taken over a year from his home nearby. Highly evocative of both the landscape and the historical period. Gets a bit huffy at points about lack of people walking and some of the contemporary estates he comes across but very enjoyable. He has a book on the golden age of Northumbria that I'll read in the autumn. Just started: Did a lot of reading about prehistory several decades back. At some point it disappeared off the secondary school curriculum (some genius secretary of state deciding that older history was best suited to primary children, later to secondary!) and my interests went elsewhere. A visit to Stonehenge last week (and a recent TV documentary series) made me want to re-familiarise myself with pre-Roman Britain. This one puts the focus on family and home as a guiding theme.

A week at the Sidmouth Folk Festival in Devon. Nearly two dozen acts seen from elder statespeople (Tom Paley, once of the New Lost City Ramblers probably the oldest) to through to the last young whizzes. Mainly very enjoyable with just a few humdrum acts (I don't want to hear another slick Scottish-Irish instrumental band with drums and rock god fiddler for a while). Highlights: Khiyo - Anglo-Bengali band from London. Thrilling interpretations of Bengali folk and popular songs, nicely propelled by acoustic bass and tabla; some wonderful guitar instrumental passages bringing to mind Shakti (probably says more about my limited experience of Asian music than about the music itself). The Rheingans Sisters - My third experience of this wonderful duo in just over a year. Mainly two fiddles playing English/Swedish/French folk music in strange tunings. A bit of banjo too; and Rowan Rheingans is turning into a quite superb songwriter, avoiding the 'relationship' songs that dominate (understandably) the writing of the younger singer-songwriters, preferring lyrics that are ambiguous and keep you puzzling. She also played an excellent concert with her other band, Lady Maisery - hadn't really taken to them on record but they were much tougher in this concert than I recalled. Lynched - one of the most celebrated of the new bands from the last couple of years and my did they live up to the hype. Most Irish folk of recent years tends to have fairly fey vocals; but this bunch are broad Dublin and sing with immense power and wonderful harmonies. Not just folk songs but stuff from the music hall. They've been lazily labelled punk folk but that's a useless definition - these musicians are 100% musically accurate both vocally and instrumentally. I'm going to have to catch them again on their autumn tour of the UK. Anna and Elizabeth - Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth Laprelle brought out one of my favourite albums of last year and they simply bewitched the audiences at Sidmouth. Not just wonderful singers/musicians of 'Old Time' (or whatever it's called) music but clearly devoted students and collectors. They hardly look out of their 20s yet could talk about the songs and their origins with the precision of archaeologists. Lovely to hear Anna get very excited about being in an English town with morris dancers and on the same coast where Jane Austen lived...I hope no-one told her it was only like this for a week. Interesting that in my trips to Sidmouth in recent years it has been the American folk musicians who have really wormed into my brain - these two, Tim Eriksen a couple of years back and the very occasional English band playing old time music run by Ben Paley (Tom's son), The Long Hill Ramblers.

100th anniversary of his death on the Somme today. "The Ring Dance of the Nazarene" lost me completely; but the choral pieces afterwards are very engaging.