A Lark Ascending

Interesting article in this months Gramophone by Simon Callow about the associations we carry with music and how hard it is to disassociate them in later listening. He gives the obvious example of Mahler 5 and Dirk Bogarde wandering round Venice; and the less obvious example of buying a copy of Elgar's First and on the way out of the shop bumping into a figure he half recognised who he later found out to be Sir Oswald Mosley (leader of the British Union of Facists in the '30s). The latter must really spoil your listening! Thought about it again this afternoon whilst listening to Alex's organ trio record - the sound of the organ threw me back to the 70s when it was a major sound in rock. I don't imagine that association ever enterred Alex's head, nor would it make any sense to anyone who came of age after the mid-70s. I wonder if this is part of the reason we become so attached to older music; because the power of music is not just in the notes but in what was going on around us when we heard that music (or even a sound or style which we might hear in a very different context). Or is it possible to completely detach the music from everything else and hear it pure. I would imagine that this is what some of the more extreme free musicians might be aiming at - Year Zero with no associations at every moment. I'll admit that, for me, music is always drenched with associations not explicit in the sounds themselves - I seem incapable of detaching them. How about you?

Indeed. And there's a lovely version on Santana's album of the same name. There's a bunch of great ballads by Coltrane from that era - 'Dear Lord', 'After the Rain', 'Alabama', 'Soul Eyes'.

Just listened to volume 1 (it appeared, along with volume 2 on e-music a few days back). Great record! I was immediately thinking 'Lifetime' - but without the heads or the rock drumming. Has the boiling energy (but much easier to listen to than Lifetime as it's better recorded). I was intrigued to see the blog review above reference Jon Lord. There's nothing in the actual playing that sounds that way, but the sheer sound of the organ threw me back to the early 70s. At a time when guitar-heroes were all the rage in rock, I was always drawn to the keyboard players and those organs were very much in presence (presumably because they were easier to move round and amplify than a piano!!!). Lord, Emerson, Crane, Rattledge, Sinclair, lesser known players like Graham Field. They were part of the sound of the turn of the 70s before synths took over. A free disc but one that I think even those not too keen on the totally free would enjoy. Organs seem to be mainly associated with the Jimmy Smith tradition (with all its variations) at present. I think organophiles will be really intrigued by this very different approach. Will give volume 2 a spin a bit later. Looking forward to the mellotron album....

Yes, I have that Arriale. I agree it has a folkish feel. Which is unusual for Walton who generally steered clear of the folk-influenced style of RVW, Holst and others. I've put the record on 'save for later' on e-music for when I refresh in a few days time. Erskine did a marvellous concert at Cheltenham (or was it Bath?) about ten years back with music written specifically for a British jazz orchestra. Never appeared on disc. Thanks for the recommendation, John.

The last of the four Javier Falcon quartet. A taught, exciting thriller - given how much running around there is, Hollywood might just get interested. The Wilson books set in Seville are highly recommended if you enjoy a contemporary thriller/detective novel. There are also two excellent books set in Lisbon. I must read his first four African novels.

Of course, true audiophiles will use white chocolate. Better definition of instruments, a wider dynamic range and an overall creamy sound. I'm astounded that they are starting this with brown chocolate.

Thank you so much for this suggestion. I downloaded it from eMusic yesterday and used it for my wake up album this morning. Wonderful, peaceful, inventive music. There's a new duet album between Guy and Fernandez just up on e-music. If you don't know them I'd also recommend Guy's trio discs with Marilyn Crispell and Paul Lytton.

I'd imagine they've gone the same way as these things: Gosh, I can still imagine the taste and texture! Can't have been around since the 60s.

Vanished overnight! Just a few, forlorn dollops of snowmen left. Horrible wet rain now! Still cold. Of course, if you see a field full of carrots its really just a snowman's graveyard. There will be a few mangy scarves too.

Doubt that you can legally. There might be gizmos that enable you to do so otherwise.

Vanished overnight! Just a few, forlorn dollops of snowmen left. Horrible wet rain now! Still cold.

Isn't that a William Walton piece from his Henry V music rather than a folk tune? (sorry...just being pedantic!) http://www.williamwalton.net/works/film/henry_v_suite_chorus.html I don't know that record, but Erskine also recorded it on one of the trio albums he made with John Taylor on ECM. It's a lovely tune.

I CD-R'd a Stan Tracey/John Surman album from the late 70s last night. When I came to transferring to iTunes there was no recognition. As it probably only had limited distribution (it was on Stan's own 'Steam' label)it's probably not on the database. Though all bar one track was put together with the Tracey/Tippett TNT for CD release (by Blue Note, I think, during Stan's brief period there). That would probably show up.

Anyone heard this?:

8 degrees C here in Cornwall. Just about to dig out my shorts and find the sun cream. They'd be putting the outside tables up in Nottingham if it got that warm!

I must get hold of this new one - Stan's had a really good run in the last few years with some marvellous discs (I especially like the one with Peter King and the Wellins Monk album). Though my favourite period is the late 70s/early 80s (the Steam Years!). Not only was he playing superbly but writing marvellous tunes. 'Captain Adventure' is well loved but there are some othe quartet records from afterwards that are fantastic. Art Themen was a more abstract player (maybe 'smeary' would be a better term) than the people he's used since, bringing out something else in his records. I'll be interested to hear Simon Allen - recall seeing him with Clarke's band at Appleby.

Worst day of the winter so far! Nothing to speak of snow wise (though I believe it is bad in the west). But early in the morning it rained onto cold ground. Black ice everywhere. It's quite unnerving when you go into first, press the accelerator and...nothing happens! I was lucky, only a few slides. But the area around work was mayhem. Loads of colleagues did 180 and 360 degree turns, a few crashes (none serious). Once again, very disruptive to the school day. Even the kids are fed up of snow now. Looks like the temperature is going up on Friday, thank goodness.

There's a splendid 20 odd minute track on the 2nd disc of the Eric Clapton 'Crossroads 2' box with Santana joining Clapton's band - a very exciting perfornce. Recorded in Providence, Rhode Island in 1975.

Ah! Keith ramming his zimmer frame between the keys!

Information is starting to leak out on Cheltenham. Nothing very exciting on the main board yet: Though I'd like to see Carla again. I don't know who Stewart Lee is but this looks interesting: And there is supposed to be a Norwegian theme - Farmers Market, Beady Belle (?) and Food are mentioned. John Surman and Nicky Yeoh too who got hit by the power cut last year. And Cuong Vu. And Fly (the Mark Turner bans, I assume). Christine Tobin and Liam Noble doing Carole King! Hopefully something more to get the pulse stirring in the next few weeks.

Yes, how could I forget Humph. Gets my vote for his two books on jazz in the 20s to early 40s which resolutely tell you why you should listen to particular musicians rather than why other musicians are found wanting. ************* Alex mentioned Jazz File - they used to do some wonderful multi-parters. I recall a very good one on Eric Dolphy. There was also a huge 'History of Jazz' - might even have been a whole year! Licensing probably would not allow it, but that really would be a series of programmes worth archiving on the website.

That was re-shown by BBC4 as part of the 'Jazz Britannia' season I think (or major parts of it embedded within a more recent documentary). Probably the latter. I recall the drift of the '77 programme was of a onetime mainstreamer now swimming happily in the freer waters of younger musicians. Stan seemed to back away from that later on (I recall hearing him talk about how he got fed up of playing free, especially in one session where he played 'God Save the Queen' throughout a set and no-one noticed). Though he returned again with the two marvellous discs with Evan Parker a while back.

Is Stan about to become famous again! He came to my attention when he was hanging around with Keith Tippett around 1976/7. I recall watching an hour BBC documentary about him early in '77. He then had another brief moment in the sun when he got that Blue Note contract in the early 90s.

That would be excellent! I used really to enjoy the Jazz File programmes as well - the things on at 6.00-6.30, in-between JRR and 'Live from the Met' (except for those weeks when they were doing a Wagner etc. ) I always loved Brian Morton's 'Impressions' in the 90s - 'Jazz on 3' eventually replaced it. I've warmed to Jez Nelson, but he doesnt communicate the passion that Morton did. And going back a long way Charles Fox's 'Jazz Today' in the late 70s; and Peter Clayton's late Sunday night programme. They were my guides into jazz. And Jazz Record Requests remains a gem...not prepared to scare anyone with much beyond Ornette (stylistically), but still hugely wide ranging.

I know I've suggested that one on a few occasions - BBC 9 or whatever. The problem is that the BBC understands the importance of being commerially viable (R1+2; and it understands the importance of supporting, non-commercial 'high art' (R3). But put the argument used to justify classical music forward as an argument for more jazz or folk or world and the 'not commercially viable' argument comes back. Two quite different measurements are at work. Having said that, I do agree that the programmes they do put out are often excellent. But I would like they equivalent of the Saturday morning 'Record Review' for jazz.