A Lark Ascending

Ah there was a time when I really enjoyed a full Irish, but now, it's just too salty and and as much as I used to love black and white pudding and soda bread, now it's just heart-burn city. Oh, soda bread with a fry-up! That's one of the joys of being in Ireland! Not so keen on the white pudding. It's quite hard to get white soda bread in England - they do the brown stuff in Sainsbury's but I like the white better.

What decadence! Weekdays: bowl of muesli (with blackcurrant cordial...milk is for wimps!). Weekends: 3 pieces of toast with orange/tangerine marmalade or honey. Teabag in a mag with boiling water on in both cases. If I'm away I'll indulge in a fry-up.

I noticed mention of this on another thread: Due out in April. Should be interesting. Bruford is always articulate and has a nice sense of distance from the music he's played.

A glorious winter's day after a very dull week: Taken around the village of Laxton in North Nottinghamshire, one of the few places in England where they still operate the medieval three field system of agriculture. About 20 farmers still have strips in each of the fields.

Peter Grimes? Billy Budd? The Turn of the Screw? Death in Venice? The first at least has an international place in the repertoire. Britten operas are regularly performed both in London and by the regional opera companies. Tippett's don't do too badly. Most contemporary opera (most late 20thC classical music) 'failed' in the the sense that it was too high-brow for a general audience. But I'm sure much of it 'succeeded' in other terms (I'm part of the general audience so most of the atonal/serial stuff goes right over my head). Just a pity it scared off so many from writing for a wider audience and pushed some marvellous composers writing accessible music to the margins.

I suspect he'd have just written another piece in response and called it "L'Assertion".

I think we should help cheer him up. The adjective is used in the old fashioned sense: Maybe when Gordon and Barack have their first high level meeting?

The cellar of 10 Downing Street is rumoured to have... A contemporary Scottish band is currently recording a suite called 'The Economy Reels'.

Who is taking who to the courts? I notice the 'Complete Jazz Classics' downloads discs are pouring onto e-music now. Whoever is doing this seems to be working alphabetically. Lots of Benny Goodman today. Be nice to know if this is the original company or someone else.

I picked up the Berger too, WorldB3, on your rec. Very nice indeed. That Kenny Wheeler is wonderful...doesn't get much attention as it lies outside the ECM sequence of those years. Nice to hear Stan Sulzmann who was rarely recorded at that time (though a frequent player on the UK scene). There's a marvellous tango on there!

Well, look what I found! No timings but... Apologies for any errors. I'm sure there are others here who can spot them instantly! E.S.P. Eighty-One Little One R.J. Agitation Iris Mood Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Tony Williams (drums). Recorded at Columbia Studios, Los Angeles, California from January 20-22, 1965. Orbits Circle Footprints Dolores Freedom Jazz Dance Gingerbread Boy Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (acoustic bass); Tony Williams (drums). Recorded at the Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York, New York on October 24 & 25, 1966. Nefertiti Fall Hand Jive Madness Riot Pinocchio Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (bass); Tony Williams (drums). Recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York, New York on between June 7 and July 19, 1967. Prince Of Darkness Pee Wee Masqualero The Sorcerer Limbo Vonetta Nothing Like You Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (bass); Tony Williams (drums). Additional personnel: Bob Dorough (vocals); Frank Rehak (trombone); Paul Chambers, Buster Williams (bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums); Willie Bobo (bongos). Recorded at Columbia Studio B, New York, New York on May 16, 17 & 24, 1967; Columbia Studio A, New York, New York on August 21, 1962; Columbia Studios, Los Angeles, California on May 9, 1967. Stuff Paraphernalia Black Comedy Country Son Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (acoustic & electric pianos); George Benson (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Tony Williams (drums). Recorded at Columbia Studio B, New York, New York on January 16 and from May 15-17, 1968. Water Babies Capricorn Sweet Pea Two Faced Dual Mr. Anthony Tillmon Williams Process Additional (my choice...not part of commercial release) Splash Splashdown Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano, electric piano); Chick Corea (electric piano); Dave Holland, Ron Carter (bass); Tony Williams (drums). Recorded at Columbia Studios, New York, New York between June 7, 1967 & November 12, 1967. These two were my own cobbled together discs of extras: Water on the Pond Fun Teo’s Bag Circle in the Round Thisness Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano, electric piano, celeste, electric Harpsichord); Ron Carter (bass); Tony Williams (drums). + Joe Beck (g) 1, 4 + Bucky Pizzarelli (g) 2 May 1967 - Jan 1968 Sanctuary Side Car I Side Car II I Have a Dream Speak Like a Child Ascent Directions, No. 1 Directions, No. 2 Miles Davis (trumpet); Wayne Shorter (tenor, soprano saxophone); Herbie Hancock (piano, electric piano, 1-6); Chick Corea (electric piano 6-8); Ron Carter (bass, 1-5); Dave Holland (bass, 6-8); Tony Williams (drums, 1-5); Jack de Johnette (drums, 6-8) + George Benson (g) 1 (4 has either Benson or Joe Beck on g) + Teo Macero (tambourine, 6). + Joe Zawinul (e-p on 7, organ on 6) 1-5 Jan-Feb 1968 6-8 Nov 1968

I've re-assembled the 65-68 and IASW discs as original LPs (with a couple of discs with the oddities on). There is overlap between the two with 'Files de Kilimanjaro' and 'Water Babies'. Not sure where the Word file went that I used to make the CD-R sleeves - but mine was very basic - titles, timings and musicians. I find it much easier to listen to this way.

I do...and I'm first generation, nouveaux lower-to-middling middle class! Can't cope with G+S, have to suspend my disbelief at the plots and the exaggerated nature of the singing in most opera. Hate the ritual that surrounds it (especially the ripple of gentile laughter at a weak joke that everyone has heard a million times before). But if you can get past that, there's some wonderful music and powerful drama in Britten, Janacek, Berg, Wagner, Puccini, Strauss and so on. Though I wholly agree that opera is disproportionately favoured both by the Beeb and the Arts Council. Strong cultural prejudices there (was it John Tusa who once said that the whining of jazz fans about their music being underrepresented should be ignored?).

Pushing this one up, just in case anyone has any recent suggestions. Especially Seeline, who has wonderful instincts in this area.

Now that does look interesting! I'll be following that up...thanks.

Nice programme. And you have to hand it to Geoffrey Smith for ending the subsequent JRR Valentine Special with Eric Dolphy's 'Straight Up and Down'.

Wonderful voice. Very much associated with the UK 'light entertainment' industry, but some of his hits from the 60s/70s are as much part of the soundtrack of my youth as The Byrds or The Beatles.

Sunrises/sunsets never fail to delight, whether over sea, land or cityscape. Nice shots, Chris. I like those winter woods shots too, alocispepraluger102. The middle one has that nice mix of 'almost' patterned yet quite anarchic. Lovely textures too.

***** Thanks! Really good pics! Great shots....looks not unlike Sheffield!

That's why we worship them round here.

Winter ready to give way to spring. Eh up, me duck!

It's available as a download in the 'Complete Jazz Series' on e-music and amazon (in the UK at least). http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Jazz-Seri...2992&sr=1-1 Still awaiting confirmation on the Chronological Classics thread but these seem to be the JCC in new clothes for the download age. If you don't do downloads, won't be much help. But it is a way to get the music (no discographical info, though).

Saw him last summer - still the same great voice, though he's still doing the same material that I recall from 15 years ago. There are so many. Off the top of my head: Robert Wyatt Joyce Monica Salmaso Rachel and Becky Unthank Sandy Denny Julie Fowlis Christy Moore Andy Irvine Jackie Oates Ulrika Boden Joni Mitchell June Tabor Crosby, Still and Nash Neil Young Chis Wood The Watersons Emmylou Harris Lena Willemark Plenty more...

A more original title than 'Webern's Greatest Hits'.

With this now released it might be time to bumb up this thread: Just to repeat from the 'listening thread': "Disc 1! I actually think listening to music that you didn't have years ago can be more nostalgic than listening to records you've heard again and again for years. Much of the material here turned up on the first HC album. But there's a piece at the end I half recall - I think I recorded a version of it done on a BBC programme (probably Peel) from the radio, before the Legend release. On a long lost cassette. Two songs at the start sound like Caravan!!!! A marvellous Sunday afternoon wallow." Nothing profound but I thought it made sense to keep any discussion of HC here - probably of little interest to the board at large.