A Lark Ascending

Yeah, I think I see what you mean. Must have ended up something like this ... :lol: ;) You Germans can do snow. We Brits go to pieces.

I've been using a pair of these for the last 18 months and they work fine for me. Just £20 (in fact I bought a back up pair for £9.99 in a sale so look around): The clip on keeps them on your ear, even when walking (or running, I expect). The actual buds are wide enough to fill your ears with sound. They rest just outside so you don't get that feeling of something wongly inserted in your lughole. A few weeks back I spent £80 on a Sennheiser pair, expecting something wonderful - don't like them at all. Thin sound and they fall out of my ear even sitting down. The Philips are not intended as Hi-Fi, but they do the job very well for me.

The completely unexpected snow in early Dec (way more than we are used to) backed up everything, including tons of Xmas presents and online Xmas orders. It took them until well after Xmas to deal with that. Things were taking nearly 2 week within the UK. The problems to the US more recently seem to have other reasons. Everything seems to be back to normal here now, though.

Oh, I understand completely a personal preference for an older technology over a newer. I'm sticking with paperback books until someone invents a floppy Kindle that I can mould to how I'm sitting, throw on the couch, stick in my pocket etc. I'm just not convinced CD and vinyl can survive as much more than a bespoke niche area given the advantages of the download in terms of distribution, storage, accessibility etc. Especially in a time where there are so few shops selling none mainstream music anymore - so it's a case of buy a CD from Amazon to arrive a few days later or download it and listen ten minutes later. Perhaps a sign of our impatient, instant-gratification culture - but part of a continuum of increasingly demanding expectations (who would put up with turning discs over every 3 mins in order to hear a Beethoven symphony these days?). Permanence? Well you can break or scratch CDs or records too. Once upon a time you just had to buy new ones - at least today you can back up. On the Harriott front I was listening today to Michael Garrick's 'Promises' from the early 60s and was utterly spellbound by him on 'Parting is Such'. However the music gets out, it deserves a chance for the curious to be able to hear it.

A bit out of-date on the 'crappy MP3' assertion. They may not be up to the exacting standards of the Hi-Fi buff but I'd say they sound 'very good' these days. Certainly much better than the first generation of CD remasterings of pre-digital music - or the thin vinyl that I bought most of my records on in the post-Oil Crisis years! You do lose the art work - but as I generally only glance at this once. I'm content without. If Mosaic did downloads (not an option, I know, because of licensing reasons) I'd go that way rather than go through the hassle of getting the boxes sent over the Atlantic. My concern with a Harriott Mosaic would be that it would lock Hum Dono into a package with other recording I have. Though, maybe, once the trouble had been taken to prepare it for the Mosaic a single release might follow. It's happened before. Though I suspect the economics of all this have changed dramatically in just the last few years. The idea of older music as a cash cow that can produce major returns if rationed doesn't quite work in a world of easily available illegal downloads and diminishing interest in music that was once considered the core of a 'collection'.

Not all of us, the "non-downloaders" (like me) wouldn't. But that would be a personal choice. Hardly a reason for not making the music available in the most economic form if the costs of a more physical option are not affordable. If there was enough demand, then I'm sure physical releases would be made in the way that vinyl copies of CD releases appear for some recordings. I understand why some people don't like downloading; but surely it's better to have music available in this form rather than not available at all?

I'll have to suggest an amateur production of Peter Grimes at my local fish and chip shop. Should keep the customers entertained while we queue for our cod and regular chips.

Which probably means there are no end of illegal downloads available. In this day and age it seems a pity that there are not legal alternatives. I can understand why pressing a CD version might be uneconomic; but putting up a download version (no need to remaster) and having it permanently available would seem to be a relatively inexpensive option for whoever owns the rights. Ditto Hum Dono. And it wouldn't prevent the issue of those discs on CD, vinyl or whatever with posh packaging at a later date for the market that prefers them that way. Deletion, witholding and eventual re-release seems to me to be a marketing strategy that is well past its sell by date.

I'd rather see the effort (and its not in Mosaics area of normal operations) devoted to getting Hum Dono out (and, while we're at it, Cleopatra's Needle from Ronnie Ross). And maybe getting the Joe Harriott recordings already digitalised put up somewhere where they could be purchased easily by download for those who do not have earlier issues.

I have those - very enjoyable. The Haas pieces were completely unknown to me. Though they are getting a lot of press and promotion. So you could up your cool credentials by getting in early denouncing them as robots.

Very windy. I assume that somewhere over the Atlantic there's a stormy eye flashing at the sound of lies.

That's a sad one. Saw him many times, both in a free and straightahead setting. A regular at Appleby back in the good old days.

I really enjoyed the Tingen - in fact it got me exploring the electric music more fully a few years back. I too found I had to suspend my disbelief during the spiritual stuff. Says on the dust jacket he is based in Scotland and California. Think the latter has got him. Wonder what it would have been like if he'd had allowed John Knox to be his spiritual guide? Good book though.

Dust.

This one gives a nice survey. As much Barry as I've needed (so far!!!). 1. Persuaders 2. Midnight Cowboy 3. Ipcress File 4. Knack 5. Wednesday's Child 6. Space March (Capsule In Space) 7. Girl With The Sun In Her Hair 8. Vendetta 9. Danny Scipio 10. James Bond 11. Goldfinger 12. Diamonds Are Forever 13. From Russia With Love 14. You Only Live Twice 15. Thunderball 16. On Her Majesty's Secret Service 17. 007 18. Walk Don't Run 19. Beat For Beatniks 20. Hit And Miss 21. Born Free Though this one has a few more tracks, including some later scores: 1. James Bond Theme - Barry, John Seven 2. Goldfinger - Bassey, Shirley 3. Midnight Cowboy 4. Out Of Africa (I Had A Farm In Africa) 5. John Dunbar Theme 6. You Only Live Twice - Sinatra, Nancy 7. On Her Majesty's Secret Service 8. Ipcress File 9. View To A Kill - Duran Duran 10. Girl With The Sun In Her Hair - Barry, John Orchestra 11. 007 12. Zulu - Barry, John & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 13. Knack 14. Chaplin 15. Lion In Winter 16. Moviola 17. Persuaders 18. Seance On A Wet Afternoon 19. Born Free - Monro, Matt 20. Thunderball - Jones, Tom 21. Somewhere In Time - Williams, Roger (1) 22. Beyondness Of Things - English Chamber Orchestra 23. We Have All The Time In The World - Armstrong, Louis 24. Diamonds Are Forever - Bassey, Shirley

I drink that quite often. This 'flavoured' beer is good too: A slight licorice taste.

Played 'Good Days at Schloss Elmau' earlier today. Good record - think Jarrettin his Facing You days; with a strong early 20thC classical influence. Won't appeal to those who need a strong blues content or Cecil Taylor like abstraction.

Very impressive! I'm an armchair woolly-minded liberal (small-l)!

Wasn't that good? I know the tune from Bobby Hutcherson's 'Patterns' which shares Cowell on piano. Enjoyed the Sonny Stitt Jazz Library too.

I think I'm thinking of something different. It was in the Pillar Room with Stan Sulzmann on reeds. A broiling, high energy performance. I think he'd just come from a performance with Lee Konitz. I also saw him at Appleby one year on electric piano doing a very 70s, fusion set. Not something you notice by his recorded output.

I've had mixed reactions. Saw a thrilling concert at Cheltenham a few years back; and I really enjoyed his last album. But his classical roots show through and he can be quite florid. An interesting player and one I'll keep my ear on(I have his recent solo to listen to later today), but hardly the next big thing in UK jazz! But then journalism likes next big things. [And given that a lot of the current 'next big things' in UK jazz seem to be of the Ayler meets Nirvana variety, I think I'm a bit happier with Simcock!)

Enjoyed this greatly - not 'great literature' (or should that be 'fine letters'?) but an engaging read. Very strange - a long way from your usual detective novel. A strange women keeps a paralysed intruder in her cellar!

You won't regret it.

Excellent! Go for it.

I'd have thought anyone who loves the Beach Boys for their harmonies - and there's plenty of MOR arranging on Beach Boys records - could relate to the SU if they gave them a chance. Absolutely. She's on this marvellous 1979 record alongside Norma Winstone: Their voices weave beautifully through the instruments: Eberhard Weber (bass - cello); Norma Winstone, Bonnie Herman (vocals); Bill Frisell (guitar, balalaika); Gary Burton (vibraphone, marimba).