A Lark Ascending

Shakti and Remembering Shakti. I like McLaughlin best in this context. Start with the three original discs from the 70s. Then explore the reunited (though with changing membership) discs of Remembering Shakti. This Zakir Hussain disc with McLaughlin, Garbarek and the stunning Indian classical flute player, Hariprasad Chaurasia, is absolutely magical: The perfect Sunday morning record! Andy Sheppard did a wonderful duet with a tabla player at the Jazz Britannia afternoon show - ended up dueting with a bird (feathered kind) up in the conservatory there. Lovely. Sadly, the CD I bought of his recently that I'd hoped would cover this ground was a very chocolate box affair.

One of my favourite records - I bought it on LP in the Autumn of 1977 and now have that wonderful box. I had very little jazz at the time and this was one of those discs that helped me cross over - I knew most of the names from King Crimson (!). I'd also seen this band in Exeter a few months before (without Tippett - I cannot, for the life of me, recall who played piano; just recall initial disappointment at not seeing Tippett). For me this record stands for what I really like in jazz - a wild, flexible, rhythmically loose ensemble, threatening to tip into chaos but always holding it together. Tippett is just magical in his playing - he often loses me in his totally free stuff bit here there is enough structure to relate to my more conventional ears. The long tracks keep you hooked every step of the way. Moholo, Tippett, Osborne and Miller get plenty of praise - listen here for two other marvellous voices who we rarely hear now - Malcolm Griffiths and Marc Charig. The disc ends perfectly with the short but upbeat 'Eli's Song'. [Pedantic note: no u in Osborne]

Many thanks, all. I'll fiddle about with those settings. When I've got the time I'll try EAC as an alternative.

Actually, while we are here, can I ask another question. I recently made some quick copies on my PC for car use. Now it might just be me being oversensitive, but when playing them they sound a bit 'off' - almost like there is a faint jitter that makes the music sound faintly out of tune. I've suspected that copying at high speed might lead to poorer sound. I notice there are options to record at different speeds. I'm using Real Player. For transfering to the PC there are options from 32 kbps to 320 kbps. Which is the best to use? I assume 320. For burning the default is set at fastest available. There are then options from 4X to 48X. Which is likely to be the most accurate? This has me puzzled. Does 48X mean very fast (and possibly inaccurate) or very accurate (and possibly very slow)? I usually record on my Pioneer but sometimes if I mess up a transfer (e.g. recording an LP the needle skips and I have to record it again) I download it onto the PC and make up a proper copy from there. Any suggestions would be welcomed. As you have probably guessed my audio/pc knowledge goes little beyond the basic.

Thanks, Claude. That makes sense. No cigarette smoke here. I have only one addiction! It also explains something else; my Arcam picks up errors much more regularly than my ghetto-blaster (what a quaint term?) or walkperson. I'm playing the Ardley (Symphony of Amaranths) currently and there's none of the bother I get on the Arcam. I'll just have to play CD-Rs on the Pioneer - a simple switch of a button. Thanks again for your help.

A have half-a-dozen recordings I've bought from musicians who have put out their own CD-Rs - the late Neil Ardley, Steve Berry, a Stan Tracey recording and a couple of English folky things. I first noticed an oddity on an Ardley recording - there seemed to be a weird interference - like a circulating, rotating swishing noise that appeared part way through the disc and increased in volume at musical peaks becoming a series of regular electronic pops. I assumed it was the disc. Then the same happened on two Berry discs and a Stan Tracey (a private pressing of his Genesis suite). This morning I received a folk recording and 3/4 way through - exactly the same. YET When I play these discs on my CD recorder (Pioneer PDR 609) I get no interference. Discs I've burned myself play happily on my main deck (Arcam CD-72). Any idea what is going on? Is the technology of the Arcam unsuitable for commercial CD-R's; or is it dying? Thanks for any suggestions. I know there are some knowledgeable audio buffs here.

Wow, David. That looks a fascinating combination!

I received the following private message back on 20th Jan from one VILLADAWG: I've not yet located a place where these can be obtained. Any clues?

Must have played these at least once a day in the school holidays during 1966-7! The Ur-texts of my musical taste!

Thanks, Frank. That sounds like the London Jazz Festival! Hope it's a Saturday!!!!

Oh, I don't know. 'Tilting at Windmills' might well define Marsalis' career, as regards his view of what jazz 'is'!

A European tour is required, please!

I'm not a Blue Note junkie (I have other addictions!) but I bought this after a recommendation on this board and absolutely love it. Very, very entertaining music. Makes you feel good.

Middle aged men deconstruct 'We are the Champions'. How daring!

One of Kenny's finest moments lies on a track called 'Wedding Song' on Louis Moholo's long OOP Ogun LP, 'Spirit's Rejoice'. is a beautiful trio disc. One of a number of trios he's recorded in the last few years with the likes of Abercrombie + Mark Copland (a new one from tem due any day now!), John Parricelli + Stan Sulzmann. This is another excellent recent release: I have this Canadian release that I got direct from the leader: Kenny has also done some fine releases for the excellent Italian Egea label: http://www.egearecords.com/principale.html I think he is now settling into working with another Italian label, Camjazz. ECM was not offering him the recording/release opportunities that he wanted.

I just buy the Radio Times!

Friday, 25th March, 2005 BBC Radio 3 11.30-1.00 UK time + streamed for following week at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/jazzon3/ Partisans are: Julian Siegel - reeds Phil Robson - guitar Gene Calderazzo - drums Thaddeus Kelly - bass Siegel is a very distinctive tenor/soprano/bass clarinet player; Robson one of the UK's best jazz guitarists (also to be heard backing Christine Tobin). On the edge of the F-IRE scene...they're a bit older than most of those musicians - and very, very exciting.

This is a lovely Kenny Wheeler disc that rarely gets mentioned. It's on Soul Note.

This happens to be recorded five years ago. I don't own it myself, but I've heard it once and it was a very fine set. Hersch in particular shines, but so does Wheeler. Hey, you can hear ME on that one! I was at the concert in a very odd (and cold) Oxford church with Byzantine murals on the walls!

I'd also back sidewinder's recommendation of 'Song for Someone' - a great one from very early in his career. As a complete contrast try this...he's only on it occasionally but you get to hear him in a totally free context, a place he has operated in consistently since the sixties, despite the lyrical nature of most of his music: Freezone Appleby, 2003 Details here: http://www.emanemdisc.com/psi04.html

I've not heard "What Now?" but be warned - Kenny's playing is not what it once was. He's still got the ideas and intelligence but the execution can be a little wayward. As a starting point I'd go back five years and before. I enjoy the recent stuff, in the same way you can come to love a gnarled bluesman or folk singer whose spirit still shines despite the loss of technique. But I suspect to a new listener it might be puzzling.

Some of Kenny's most beautiful playing lies on the Azimuth discs: (the first three discs...start here!) Be warned - this is very much chamber jazz. Piano, trumpet/flugel, voice with occasional synths and one guest appearance by Ralph Towner. I love this trio. But 'swing' is a minor consideration in their concept. Though if you're looking for KW I suspect the 'swing' imperative is not central.

I'd highly recommend: and Both from c.1990. There was a discussion of the first here: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...topic=10028&hl= Kenny Wheeler takes up nearly half a shelf of my wall unit; I'd say that if you like anything at all by him you're likely to find something of interest on any of his discs. He's currently releasing discs like there's no tomorrow!

Sounds like a similar thing in the UK in the 70s where someone would shout out 'Wally' at some point in a concert or during a festival.

How far east? Worksop is quiet and never too hot!