I still tune into Later but for last few series I’ve generally been fast forwarding more than watching. The latest one though is really good. Jazz themed and thankfully that doesn’t mean Gregory Porter (apologies to any fans out there). Proper young guns of the UK jazz scene doing their stuff, impressive young new artist Joy Crookes , and some dude called Kano doing interesting things with rap backed by strings and choir. Even co host Jamie Cullum was good and boy can he play the piano (the obligatory duet with Jools). Not a hoary old rocker in sight – worth tuning in.

I hope you will forgive a shameless bit of self publicity interrupting your Saturday morning. A new Feedback File album has emerged and available on all of the usual streaming platforms as week as my own Bandcamp site. It’s a bit of a side-step from the usual singer songwriter fare as all instrumental and features my good pal @Twang on a few tracks including this one which is a paean to my all time musical hero Nick Drake.

https://thefeedbackfile.bandcamp.com/

Second series just starting and again presented by David Scott of the Pearlfishers. The first series is well worth a listen. Includes the Incredible String Band, John Martyn, Alex Harvey, Aztec Camera, Blue Nile.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06b2655

According to 6 Music.

I’ve looked at this list and thought No, Who?, No, No, Who? etc. Still what do we know.

I wouldn’t say that there is anything I’ve heard that you ‘need’ to listen to but would just plug the new Calexico/Iron & Wine collaboration ‘Years To Burn’ – I should do a review but I’m a bit tired. Its just great songs beautifully played and sung and that’s all you really ‘need’ to know.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4h6zgqYWjr246ngT7HpysX3/10-essential-albums-from-2019-so-far-as-recommended-by-6-music

Nairn’s stem ginger oat biscuits. Knocks the perennial ginger nut into cocked hat. Chocolate digestives – hah – condemned to the tin of indifference. This biscuit know no bounds – it works in every situation. Tremble biscuits of the world – the new king is here.

It was 1977 and I had been living in the Big Smoke for 6 months having slowly migrated south via Rotherham and then 4 years enjoying the experience but failing the diploma at Leicester Poly. But here I was living the life – sharing a flat in Finchley Central (£4 a week rent I’ll have you know)– a first job, money in my back pocket and pretty much out on the razz most nights. It was the best of times.

We were invited to a party somewhere near Euston – in a hall of residence for the University of Iowa (yeah I was wondering where the hell that was at the time). I started going out with one of the girls there – Beth – my first proper relationship and we were in love – you know that special one, the one you will never ever forget, the one that simply cannot be repeated. Of course it was doomed – she was going back to the Midwest in a few months and we both accepted that we were just running towards the edge of a cliff. After 6 months she went back and I followed like a sick dog » Continue Reading.

Ive noticed over the last year or so certain words that have started to take on new nuances and usage in the media – often in music or film reviews but also in general journalese.

Albums, films and books now often seem to have an ‘arc’ maybe we should blame Steve Winwood ?

And have you noticed that there is often a ‘narrative’ that underpins a story. I’ve even heard it used in reference to a football match.

‘Construct’ is another often used in psychobabble eg “the concept of reality is simply a human construct”.

‘Trope’ – that one gets put about these days – cropped up in a recent political podcast .

And finally ‘the optics’ – journalists love this.

I don’t mind any of these – its just an observation. Although ‘construct’ does make me want to shout ‘bollocks’ in response.

Anyone spotted any others that seem to be in vogue ?

Im probably way behind the pace on this one (as per usual) but just discovered this band. A trio of young folk who are seemingly borrowing from all manner of guitar based music incl Fleetwood Mac, The Shads and even (mellow) Frank Zappa. Its all very tasteful, highly melodic and groovy as hell. Seems to have absolutely no relevance to anything going on at the moment but they are suddenly getting a lot of attention. Thats what I love about the music scene these days – so many strands covering all kinds of everything.

This site is worth checking out. You may remember Richard Williams as the first face of the OGWT and also as contributor to Melody Maker back in the early 70s or maybe, in a later guise, as a sports writer for the Guardian. This blog is mainly focussed on music and within that very much jazz and left field artists oriented. But he’s a really good writer so the articles are always worth checking out and contain lots of ‘anorak’ detail. Current feature is about the keyboard player Larry Young who of course played with Johnny Mac in Lifetime (wake up @Colin H !).

http://thebluemoment.com/

Anybody fancy going – knock once for Yes

http://bandsintown.com/BertJansch?came_from=234

I had really no idea about the complexity of the situation within Syria until I saw this brief video. How on earth anyone can feel that more bombing is going to help bring about any improvement or stability must be a far wiser man than me. I am very conflicted about what the UK should do but have a deep unease about the likely outcome.

Happy Monday everybody !

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11/28/syrian-civil-war_n_8672068.html

I’m finding it increasingly difficult to choose what the play and end up with stack of favourites/recent purchases next to cd player which rarely changes and just grows. Meanwhile in the living room I have a stack of cds stacked in 6 storage towers.

So the new game is throw a dice several times to pick a cd (bear with me – its sad life but someone has to live it)

1st throw is which column to choose 2nd throw is which section to pick going down the column. Now it gets tricky as there are more than 6 sections so…. 3rd throw if even is start from top or odd start from bottom then repeat 2 and 3 to count across the cds to find the actual disc

The first cd I got was Vetiver’s ‘Things of the Past’. Guess I hadn’t played it for about 4 years and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Go on give it a go you know you want to.

PS of course when it lands on Trout Mask Replica and I’m not in the house on my own problems could ensue – what would Luke Rhinehart suggest I wonder ??

Following on from the post about the nadir of British sport I had write this.

As a Rotherham United fan I had to laugh this morning when I heard that Steve Evans (our manager as of about 2 weeks ago) had been appointed. This is the man who not many months ago turned up at the last match of the season at Elland Rd in sombrero and flip flops and said he would never work for someone like Cellino. Well it looks like he wont have to as literally minutes later it was announced that the Football League had banned Cellino. Have Leeds United finally blown a gasket – what is going on? Much as it pains me to say this but Yorkshire should have a premiership club but at this rate it wont be Leeds.

I did like Cellino’s comment on why ne appointed Evans – “I wanted them to play heavy rock football, but instead it was like Country music” – so no point Willie Nelson applying for job then after Evans leaves (in about 3 weeks time).

Any Leeds fans out there – what do you make of this ?