A Lark Ascending

I suspect it was a marketing thing. The storyline of a 17 year old putting on an iconic concert might have trumped the myth of the great artist dragging inspiration from the ether. Or maybe they just forgot she was there! I found the bit about the Columbia cull interesting. I came to Jarrett via ECM and then Impulse. Never understood why there was this 'Expectations' album on Columbia.

Could well be. It is part of a series. I just heard it by chance last night.

Interesting 30 minutes about the concert and recording: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0103z8j Unfortunately, presented by Paul Gambaccini, whose presentational style (constant superlative!) will grate on some (he does on me!), but it's mainly left to the voices of those who organised it. Includes grunts and a tantrum about the piano. Available for 7 days for those can access the BBC iPlayer.

They spend a lot of their youth in the north-east waiting for the boat to come in.

Get the geography right, perhaps? Nottinghamshire is east of the Atlantic. Texas is West.

You're thinking of geology.

North-east, not north-west. Where is your sense of geography?

I wouldn't read too much into it. Catching a ferry across the Mersey is hardly the same as popping down to Liverpool docks to take a boat to New York, More like catching a bus to get to work. At the time it came out (1964) things Liverpudlian were incredibly fashionable in a Britain not just in the thrall to the Beatles but also to all things Northern and working class. Working the word 'Mersey' into a song was a way of getting a hit.

That's because Liverpudlians are Irish, not English.

mp3s I experimented with a few higher resolution things from places like Chandos and Gimell but could not hear the difference. I don't think God made me to be an audiophile. I'm increasingly finding I get my most pleasurable listening experiences via the iPod. Even with inexpensive earphones I get a much better sense of the separate instruments than on my main system. What started as a way to listen to music in the early morning at a sensible volume without waking the neighbours is becoming a preferred way of listening. The only thing that stops me doing it all the time is a) gets a bit wearing on the ears after a couple of hours; b) as I move round the house the wire inevitably snags on something and yanks then painfully from my ears. I recall a friend in the early 70s, who was much more knowledgeable about music than myself, being a bit dismissive of the enthusiasm of my fellow listeners for hi-fi (not that we could afford it!) - he maintained that someone really keen on music would happily listen to a 78 rpm, hearing through the imperfections to the music. Though I can't deal with badly distorted records or poorly transferred CDs, I've increasingly come to see the wisdom of his view.

America gave the world Sam & Dave, Simon & Garfunkel (notice restaurant reference!) Britain gave the world Chas & Dave and The Crankies

This particularly British (Scottish I believe) fast food look's like it has been through John Knox's hell fire. The deep fried battered Mars Bar:

Merry Xmas to you too, Vic. And to everyone else here.

Light brown, cardboard-textured sleeve.

Lights off, eyes shut. By far the best way to listen. The trouble is, these days I'm likely to nod off, however good the music!

I've still got roses blooming! We've not had many frosts so far this year.

I find it hard to follow music on TV or a DVD. Rarely watch music that way, unless its a documentary with a narrative interspersed with music. I do like the visuals of a live concert, especially classical where seeing the players can give you clues as to the structure of the music. Maybe I just need to try harder with the TV thing...though I hate the thought of finding another format to buy music on!

is it really the same crap?? the chinese incarnation of a big mac may be something other than what some of us westerners kill ourselves with. On my one visit to the US I found the beef in a MacDonalds burger tasted different to the UK version. Only natural, I suppose. British cows stand in fields looking over gates waiting for a passing composer to rhapsodise them. American cows have to run miles over plains being chased in and out of rivers. Must affect the flavour.

I thought that was a marvellous book. Just started: I know how to have a cheery Xmas!

It was the blues harmonica that struck me - never having paid much attention to Bowie, I'd never consciously heard it before. Placed the song right in the British blues rock tradition.

Most jazz listeners are male. I suspect that's why female jazz singers attract more interest.