A Lark Ascending

Another long lost Friedrich?

Edinburgh has a military one.

I picked it up in Bath Compact Discs - a classical music shop that does a few 'world' releases - in the new release section. As far as I could see it was the only non-classical disc there. Judging what was next to it I think it must be properly considered to be baroque!

Oh, for the group hugs. We Brits are much too distant to try that at home. One of those smiley things.

I loved Ibrahim's performance with one of the German radio orchestras at Cheltenham a few years back. But I found this one hard to concentrate on. I don't think it was the music - certainly the audience at the Pavillion went wild. I suspect I was suffering listening fatigue after two+ days of concerts; and though I understand why they rearranged the seating to get in everyone who wanted to hear the trio, it made it very uncomfortable. Crushed and very, very hot. I'm not sure I care for the daisy chain of tunes played without a break for an hour either. No chance to draw breath between tunes or have the chance to let off steam by clapping etc. Clearly a masterful performance - low key, quite serene. But for some reason it didn't really touch me. My fault I'm sure. [The rest of the weekend was a scream...some fantastic unknowns from across the Channel!]

I managed to track down the Lowther, Garrick's Lotus and the Skidmore in the Bath jazz shop on Saturday. Black Marigolds had sold out. Not had a chance to listen yet but will report back.

I think my point was merely that in the 80s when the term was first coined there was a limited following for music beyond western pop/rock; jazz; blues; classical etc. So an umbrella term made sense. Now perhaps your average record store still shifts limited amounts beyond those categories. But interest in 'World Music' has increased greatly - lots of festivals, documentaries, radio programmes etc over here. It just seems a very, very broad category. I'm just surprised it's still being marketed as such, even by its champions, as if the audience for kora playing, Finnish tangos and Carnatic music are necessarily going to be one and the same.

Perhaps a reflection of the patronising nature of the European/North American market! I do understand what you're saying. Having a 'flamenco' section with one CD in it would be equally annoying! And not all record stores blanket categorise it. You can find big record stores in places like London where there are much more specific categories.

Though I can see the reasoning behind 'World Music' as a label in the 80s it's a bit patronising now. We are talking about the music of most of the world, after all. I was trying to find a flamenco record a few weeks back and it was a nightmare in the shops. Most had 'World Music' arranged alphabetically under artist. Browsing for flamenco was impossible unless you looked under compilations where some sort of geographic organisation existed. It gets worse in some shops when you have 'Folk and World' sections.

I love the first three albums. I think I aclimatised to the sound of brass/reeds on those records. Good tunes, interesting arrangements, a distinctive sound. Dodgy political thinking! I wonder if they still dedicate their albums to 'the revolution'?

I'm not sure. But most of these people tend to be pleonasmed out of their skills.

This strikes me as one of those 'summers arn't as sunny as in the good old days' sort of stories. Fills up a few minutes on a news bulletin for light relief or if nothing much else is going on. The statistical method used...questioning a sample audience about what it remembers 50 years ago to have been like compared to today...seems highly suspect. Go into any British town on a Friday night and the streets will be thronged with people in high spirits...when they're not beating the hell out of each other. Certainly the people I know and work with are always on the edge of comic hysteria (but if you work in a school it's a bit like working in Fawlty Towers!). I don't recognise the gloom scenario at all. Never felt happier.

In the UK Monday is the official release date.

I'm speculating here, but... This one is on FMR, a label I'd assumed was legitimate. It certainly puts out a lot of both new and re-issued UK material. It has just put out Surman's 'Morning Glory'. However, according to a post on AAJ, Surman is unhappy about this and says there will be a proper release later in the year. I'm not sure where that puts FMR.

I thought McLaughlin was from near Doncaster (Kirk Sandall is part of Donny). A good 30-40 mins from Sheffield. A world in English regional accent differences. Both Martin Simpson and Martin Taylor come from Scunthorpe, not too far south-east of Doncaster. Maybe there's a South Yorks/North Lincs delta!

Oh, don't get me wrong, akanalog. I'm fascinated by these releases. The posters you refer to at AAJ are much more intense about this music than I am - there's a couple who seem to write about the music, do sleeve notes etc. So its quite understandable that they should be excited about these releases. For me the UK jazz of the 60s is music before my listening time so I'm more intrigued than champing at the bit. I'm actually more excited by the jazz currently being made in the UK. Just a matter of personal choice and the different degrees with which we respond to different things.

It's mid-Atlantic. Dave Holland speaks like that too. You sometimes catch the Brummie in him but the twang is more pronounced. It's interesting why some people mutate and others retain their accent (it happens within the UK too). Richard Thompson and Martin Simpson have lived in the States since the mid-80s (Though Simpson has now returned); both sound completely unaffected in their accents.

Some definitions of 'cool' from Google - I've left out the ones to do with temperature or meaning 'unfriendly': marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances); unemotional; "play it cool"; "keep cool"; "stayed coolheaded in the crisis"; "the most nerveless winner in the history of the tournament" aplomb: great coolness and composure under strain; "keep your cool" lose intensity; "His enthusiasm cooled considerably" fashionable and attractive at the time; often skilled or socially adept; "he's a cool dude"; "that's cool"; "Mary's dress is really cool"; "it's not cool to arrive at a party too early" www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn Cool is a complex aesthetic of motion and interval, of tension and tranquility, of juxtaposition and coexistence, that has its roots in various West African cultures. The cool aesthetic permeates traditional West African cultures and African-American culture, as well — in black artistic and musical expression, in the hitch in the "pimp" strut of urban black men, in dress, demeanor and speech. Over time, "cool" has been appropriated by American and world popular culture, generally, especial en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_(aesthetic) the style of the early 50s, taken up by many white musicians and popular on college campuses. The basis was bebop, but the fastest tempos were not used and the sound was quiet and understated. Miles Davis was one of the main originators. www.humboldt1.com/~jazz/glossary.html This popular expression is used to describe something that is very good. Ex: “That band is cool!” www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/1914-/language/slang.htm A relaxed but emotionally detached mood www.outsideshore.com/school/music/almanac/html/glossary/ I know those definitions don't even began to cover nuances. It's that 'detached' manners, that I detect in some musicians for whom a 'cool' stage manner matters, that bothers me. I love musicians who go out of their way to engage with their audience; not just musically but personally. Those with a sense of being one of 'everyman' rather than those concerned to be one of "a select few" (to quote from post 42).

Thanks for the 'cool' response. Dude!

You mean Henry Winkler was intended to be a role model? I always thought he was meant to be sending up hipsterism. More cross-Atlantic signal distortion. For a role model I much preferred:

If I think of people like John Surman, John Taylor, Keith Tippett, Mike Westbrook, Stan Tracey I just don't see any 'attitude' at all. Tracey can be a bit grumpy but in general there's a politeness there, a respect for the audience, a lack of self-consciousness. 'Cool' and 'hip' seem to be about being very aware of how one cuts it in company, somehow keeping a step ahead. There's a narcissism about it. As I say, understandable in adolescents; ripe for ridicule in adults.

Not true. Dexter Gordon certainly comes across as a very warm personality, but his stage announcements and demeanor are the height of cool. Perhaps a definition of 'cool' is necessary. I've always assumed 'cool' excludes 'warmth'. If by 'cool' poise is meant - an ability to carry things off seemingly without effort or affectation - then I'm fine with it. But the term is frequently used to suggest being ahead of the game in finding the next big thing but moving on before it becomes the next big thing; or being able to access something that is beyond mere mortals. In that sense 'cool' is all about style, not substance. There might be a cross-Atlantic divide on this. Jazz 'cool' was mercilessly pilloried here in a comedy show ('The Fast Show') in the 90s. The best you'll get from UK musicians is ironic mockery of 'cool'. They'd be laughed off the stage for exhibiting any of the mannerisms associated with jazz 'cool'.

Give me 'warm' over 'cool' any day. Cool = detachment, playing to an insider code, exclusivity, elitism, affecting an 'in the know' stance. Understandable in children. Ridiculous in adults.

Bugger 'hip' or 'cool'. Give me a musician who is warm, friendly, approachable, humble towards their audience. A couple of weeks back I saw Enrico Rava's band play an exquisite set, shorn of any 'hip' or 'cool'; great playing accompanied by a willingness to connect with the audience between numbers. Worth a million affected 'cools'.

Mike Westbrook Stan Tracey Keith Tippett Harry Miller Barry Guy