A Lark Ascending

The band the spawned much of the current UK jazz scene! Their first two LPs have never been on CD - a pity as they are wonderful! The third did come out on CD but vanished long ago. Well, they are all still OOP but we are now promised: Full story: http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/component/content/article/67-2010/11541-jazz-breaking-news-loose-tubes-to-release-dancing-on-frith-street I look forward to that one. More here: https://thejazzbreakfast.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/new-loose-tubes-cd-later-this-month/ The-Poster-Formerly-Known-As-Bev

Not aware of any Sassoon revival over here. I read it c. 1978 and remember being very affected (the Graves too). Worth remembering this is the view from the elite! In fact, if you've an interest in WWI I'd recommend reading 'Forgotten Victory' by Gary Sheffield. Gives a very different interpretation of WWI but starts with an excellent historiography of the war. One thing it points out is how the view of WWI as portrayed in Sassoon, Owen and Graves only began to take shape in the 30s and, particularly, with things like 'Oh What a Lovely War' and the BBC 'The Great War' series in the mid-60s. In the '20s it was generally viewed as a necessary sacrifice with people like Haig treated as heroes. The 'standard' view is actually a revisionist view! Which doesn't alter what you say about the shock of the war. And if it got us bad, then its impact on France, Germany, Russia was many times worse.

Thanks, sidewinder. Yes, that's how I imagined it - I recall reading that Tony Coe is an Alban Berg fan.

This is the record I'm most curious to hear: I remember seeing it (and possibly hearing bits on the radio) at the time. And a section was played a while back during an interview with Tony Coe. I believe it crosses into contemporary classical territory. Vocalion or BGO would seem to be the people! Vocalion, after all, have a strong line going in their 'Epoch' series of obscure British classical composers!

This has been heavily advertised in the UK music press for the last year or so...I get a bit weary of seeing it. That Brennan fellow is a handsome chap, though. I'll take your word for it - always looks like someone who gets excited by ohms to me.

Why do you burn your mp3s? Conservatism? Having things stacked round the room where I can see them convinces me they are there - and I like to make a little facsimile sleeve. I've got a few thousand recordings - I'm not sure I'd remember they were there just on a hard disc. In my bizarre world the CD-R means I remember them. I get the convenience of instant access via download and the cheaper cost; but also the physical act of manipulating the CD-R into the machine. As I only have a modest set up all the hi-fi stuff is lost on me. So I can't distinguish between CD and download. Completely illogical, I know, but it works for me. But then I never thought I'd be able to do without packaging and weened myself off that (apart from my mini sleeves!); I'll probably find a way to part company with the shiny disc in the future.

I acquire the vast majority of new music as downloads; but then burn as CD-r and play as a traditional CD. Also listen via the iPod when out, gardening, sitting in waiting rooms etc.

This has been heavily advertised in the UK music press for the last year or so...I get a bit weary of seeing it.

Apologies if this has been flagget up elsewhere, but have you noticed: 1. Lament (Live at The Little Theatre, Rochester, Kent, April 2nd 1967) 15:35 2. What Is This Thing Called Love? (Live at The Little Theatre, Rochester, Kent, April 2nd 1968) 14:25 3. Nancy With The Laughing Face (Live at The Little Theatre, Rochester, Kent, April 2nd 1969) 11:32 4. Mexican Green (Live at The Little Theatre, Rochester, Kent, April 2nd 1970) 28:14 The blurb doesn't quite fit the track references...looks like a copying error with the years, unless this quartet made a regular visit to Rochester on April 2nd). But Simon Spillett is involved. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lament-Tubby-Hayes-Quartet/dp/B003YVNC5W/ref=pd_sim_m_h__5

Yes, very similar. Do you know Travis at all? A good jazzer but with a love of late/60s and early 70/s rock. His band with Mike Outram on guitar is well worth catching - I seem to recall they played the St Ives club at one point. He guests sometime with Gong (still going, it seems) and Porcupine Tree.

I'll remember that - I've been in the pub there. My cousin and his wife live in Porthtowan, immediately as you drive in after leaving the coast road. Another favourite of mine is the National Trust tea shop at Carnewas by Bedruthan Steps. Gets busy but makes for a lovely 10.00 coffee followed by a decent onto that marvellous beach. Don't know if you have followed Robert Fripp down the years but this might be of interest: http://www.dgmlive.com/news.htm?entry=3113

Trevarno indeed - the normal publicity shot, but I couldn't resist! I thought of you as I whizzed up to Wheal Coates one night to catch the sunset, passing signs to Mount Hawke (was staying at the campsite the otherside of Tehidy Park. One of my favourite cafes in the world lies just a mile or so away at Hell's Mouth. The breakfasts are amazing!) ********************* Was staying up near Rock a few days later (before Cameron got there and started misusing village names) - unfamiliar territory for me. Stumbled on this while walking the headland: Didn't know that.

Confused me there, Bill. The North-West is 'here be dragons' country for me. I constantly get Southport and Stockport mixed up. Couldn't understand why there would be a pier or where they would put it. Perhaps it was like Wigan pier.

You can still do this in recycling bins in supermarket car parks. THough I've never noticed any boy scout trips to the local Tescos. Anyway, I believe scouts nowadays are more tied up earning badges for applying hair gel or changing SIM cards (that's my old codger comment for the month).

It's been brill! Though sadly tied in with a week I've had to work indoors ready for school restarting next week. I'm sure I booked this weather for early August, not September. Hope it doesn't keep up next week...'Sir, it's too 'ot to wok.' I'd suspect so...given the tune 'Indian Summer'. Victor Herbert, Wiki says. Very nice Sidney Bechet version; and a lovely Jim Hall version from the mid-70s.

What happens when your drive gets wiped? (as happened to me). Can't beat non-erasable hard copy, IMO. That's why you download and then burn. And backup! Grinning smiley thing.

And not just that - every year the number of these middle aged decreases as they become old, and every year the number of those old decrease as they become dead. Well, I know for sure that Fed-EX doesn't deliver to heaven (or the other place). But they might just have an internet connection...

Perhaps because the powers that be alllowed him on TotPs every time, as well as giving him is own TV series! Whereas you had to look long and hard for any representation of what is now considered the soundtrack to that time on the TV. Yes, you are right. Figures seem to still show physical sales well exceeding downloads. But every year the number of the middle aged will be joined by younger people who are used to acquiring things digitally. I'd imagine economics would make these big concept CD sets of very well known jazz profitable; but as for the lesser known stuff? I'd have thought the digital route would be a far more cost-effective way of distributing things that tend to sell over a long period. I'd be much happier getting Mosaics via download. No sudden customs bills, no variable shipping times, no driving to bizarre warehouses in Sheffield and Rotherham because I was out when they tried to deliver. But I know that amongst fellow-obsessives I'm different in my download preference.

Back in the 60s/70s I remember the powers that be used to take every opportunity to get MOR singers like Ken Dodd on Top of the Pops, clearly under the impression that rock/pop was a passing phase and eventually misguided youth would find their way back to something more tasteful. They didn't really get what had happened. I suspect the same thing is going on here - the powers that be are still locked into a concept of physical discs in fancy packaging. Eventually (as happened in the mid-70s in the record administration) a new generation will enter management who understand how the technology has changed. Then they'll start thinking about how better to target audiences beyond the rock mainstream. I'm always amazed about how poor the navigation is on these commercial sites. Yes, you can get where you want via 'search' if you know what you are looking for. And there is the rather random 'customers who bought X also bought Y'. But where you do get attempts to break down genres into sub-themes it can again get very random. The plethora of cheapo downloads confuses things too (a real pain wading through e-music).

Strange given all the fuss companies make when they issue their boutique boxes that they put things like these up as downloads without publicity.

Be intrigued to know how this works. I thought Mosaics were on a limited licence. ITunes also has the Ellington Reprise set at a much more expensive £60!!!

I'm probably not quite understanding you. Are you saying you're not completely taken by Ellington's arranging? The orchestral bits rather than his own playing or the spaces he left for the soloists? That's right. I like quite a lot of the Webster/Blanton band stuff - but mostly the commercial things like "Main stem" (though the duets are wonderful). And I love the "Road band" CD from 1957, because the band sounds so mellow and juiced. But a lot of Ellington's orchestral stuff is just too much for me to get. Well, y'know I'm really an R&B fan MG Ah, I understand now. You'd have been one of those people crying 'Judas' when he first started recording pieces that took up more than one side of a 78 in the early 30s!

Thought it was a bit small for Maiden Castle - I recall the latter as being massive. Amazing what you just stumble on in the countryside. I was heading from Cheddar to Cornwall the other week and decided to try and find Athelney in the Somerset Levels where Alfred the Great hid from the Vikings and supposedly burnt the cakes, prior to his later victories. Just saw this from the road and had to stop: Burrow Mump it's called. Nothing to mark Athelney - you'd have thought there would at least be an Alfred and his Cakes Tea Room (though I think I spotted a pub called The Alfred or something similar). (pay close attention to the English Summer at the top of the picture)

Where is here, sidewinder? Maiden Castle? Or another hill fort?

I'm probably not quite understanding you. Are you saying you're not completely taken by Ellington's arranging? The orchestral bits rather than his own playing or the spaces he left for the soloists?