A Lark Ascending

I've got these visions of John Wesley spreading the good news with his alto sax in the 18whatevers...but in a distinctively European way, of course.

This book is now being advertised as available. I somehow think readers will be in for a bit of a shock if the publishers blurb is anything to go by: http://www.yalebooks.co.uk/yale/display.as...&x=44&y=12&DC=2

Excellent folk festival in Cambridge every year in late-July! Watch the main roads around the city. Speed cameras everywhere. Very nice city with great bookshops. Can't help on the technical points of coming here, unfortunately.

...at home ...one of the family ...well in ...part of the furniture ...our mate ...one of us!

Given the mmountain of wonderful Irish music in other genres it does seem a bit peverse to want Irish-themed jazz. A bit like seeking thrash metal recommendations for an Ann Summers party. On second thoughts, that might be a bad comparison...

I first heared 'No Pussyfooting' as the walk on music to the live gigs KC did in '72/'73. I think it came out on disc in '74. Fripp has always been my favourite rock guitarist. I love it when he plays that really glissando like guitar, something that became rarer from the 80s KC onwards. I could never understand why he whipped out the solo in that style in Matte Kudasai for the reissues of Discipline (now restored as a bonus). The ending of the second side of 'Lizard' and the studio version of 'The Talking Drum' have some classic examples of that style. Fred Frith used to do something similar but more jagged.

The last track on this little beauty is a wonderful version of 'Danny Boy'. Turns into a Scottish strathspey in the middle but should do the job. There's a strange version of 'Teddy Bears Picnic' on the album too. Might appeal to your boss's tastes!

Thanks, King Ubu.

"Exposure" is a wonderful, peculiar record - one minute KC power chords, next beautiful ballads, then oddball intellectual punk...with some very weird soundbites of Fripp's guru. "No Pussyfooting", the first Fripp/Eno collaboration is very beautiful; I also like the recent 'The Equatorial Stars'. Very ambient but attractive. I really like this one: The Robert Fripp String Quartet which is Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn and The California Guitar Trio. Very melodic with thak trademark snakey guitar. This one is very different but great fun: Thrang Thrang Gozinbulx Official Bootleg: Live in 1980 by The League of Gentlemen. Sounds like punks with ph.d.'s doing strange, off-kilter pogo dancing.

Iron Maiden clearly had fans amongst Unionist paramilitaries in Ulster a few years back:

I've never been able to take Parkinson seriously since the 70s when he was forever trying to put words into guests mouth about how awful rock/pop was and how jazz was so much better. I'm surprised I wasn't put off jazz for life. Don't care for the fawning either but I suspect that goes with the territory of being a chat-show host...unless you're Chris Evans!

Bloody hell! You go to Greenland for a Sunday afternoon ride?

He's been playing in Guy Barker's Septet for a few years:

I've always thought of Mahler as being on steroids. I must be getting old... Mahler was definately on acid!

These are breathtaking pieces of music. Ravel's Introduction & Allegro for flute, clarinet, harp and string quartet operates in a similar hazy world. The flute is widely used in early 20th British pastoral-type music, heavily influenced by Debussy/Ravel. Here's three lovely pieces: Holst: Fugal Concerto for flute, oboe and strings. Bliss: Pastoral "Lie Strewn the White Flocks" - a choral/chamber piece with a major flute part. Boughton: Concerto in D for flute and strings. The opening to Delius' 'Brigg Fair' has a marvellous flute cadenza. I have a very nice flute CD from 1990 on Chandos called 'La Flute Enchantee' with various Gallic flute pieces by Jolivet, Saint-Saens, Ibert etc. The flautist is Susan Milan. I'm not sure if it's still in print.

Bliss...

"My mind is running back, To the west coast of Clare..."

The Midlands of England (only just, the North starts two miles up the road). I see myself as a sort of 21st century version of those soldiers on Hadrian's Wall. Keeping people like Tony from disturbing the civilised part of the country. Not to mention Clunky!!!!

I can hear the Billie Holiday; also some Peggy Lee. I rather like a singer drawing off those influences rather than the soul diva approach of so many female vocalists at present. I really enjoyed Dreamland and like this one too.

Now how did I forget them! Marvellous albums. They were my backwards way into Ornette Coleman.

Their new album is available for order direct from Babel in advance of it official release: http://www.babellabel.co.uk/ecomcart/

This new Naxos release might interest some:

OGCD 016 You can order direct from Hazel Miller for £12 (that's what I did!). email: hazel@cadillacjazz.co.uk or phone 020 7619 911 or fax 020 7619 0901 for details

Thanks, David. The joke got lost in translation!

I saw Dewey a few years back and he was remarkable. I keep meaning to buy this which has some of the tunes he was playing at the time: Most of the recordings I have of his come from the 70s - the wonderful Jarrett American band, some of Carla Bley's recordings, and my favourite Pat Metheny disc, '80/81'. I bought a few Joshua Redman CDs in the mid-90s but found they wern't walking back to the CD player very often. Joshua is playing the Cheltenham Festival in late April...there might be a UK tour.