I was in our local Hospice shop today – I spotted a copy of Bix Beiderbecke: Vol. 1 – Singin’ the Blues, on a proper CBS CD, for a mere 50p. Reader, I purchased it…
Well, this unassuming purchase has made me smile more than just about anything else I’ve bought for some considerable time! Let joy be unconfined!
Anyone else bought any music recently which resulted in a surge of unexpected joy? Doesn’t have to be a chazza purchase, of course…
‘There are – of course – three kinds of jazz; hot, cool, and what-time-does-the-tune-start?’
Jill Swinburne, The Beiberbecke Affair, by Alan Plater.
Not purchased but I’ve finally got access to my old hard drive which has a large collection of music on it. I’ve been compiling music from it for my birthday playlist for the party next month.
It may bring joy to me but possibly not to the other attendees at the party, but hey its my party so it gives me an excuse to inflict my dubious musical taste on others.
I’ve been picking up a few second-hand discs recently online. These two have raised a smile of unadulterated pleasure amongst a few others. I have a copy of Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring on it’s way from Japan that I’ve wanted for a while but it’s still in transit. It’s the Chicago Symphony conducted by Ozawa. It’s my favourite recording of The Rite so I’m chuffed to have found a copy.
I unearthed this last year and it has given me a lot of pleasure. I once saw Grappelli playing with Diz Disley. The memories are still strong – especially as it was the last gig I went to with my Dad. I’d never have thought that we would find common musical ground, but this did it for us.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91pFxvhX4OL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
The item that gave me most pleasure was a reissue of the Charlie Gillett compilation, Another Saturday Night. I was looking casually for it and it turned up in a chaotic second hand record shop near me. Nice…..
Just today… OK, I already had a copy… but the Beatles’ “Baby It’s You” CD single for £1.
The best of all their EPs? In that it has lead vocals on each song from John, Paul, George and, finally, Ringo.
Two weeks from now sees the 30th Anniversary of “Live At The BBC”.
A £1 Delfonics compilation in the summer gave me the same joy.
Could it also be related to the price paid?
Getting something really good at a bargain price certainly enhances the joy.
I agree about the Baby Its You EP.
Is Caroline Lavelle’s Spirit any good? I have read it likely right up my street, and found a mint Discogs copy for £4.99, including P&p, which is cheap enough for it even not to be as I am hoping.
It cheered me up after looking at the prices for the two most recent A Lazarus Soul albums, alerted to them through Christy Moore playing a couple of their songs on his latest. They will have to remain in my shopping basket until I get “paid” via PayPal.
On my most recent trip to Cromer, amongst a haul of 12″ singles at a quid each and 7″ singles (50p each), I picked up Magic Fly by Space (£2) and the Mike’s Murder soundtrack by Joe Jackson for £1.
You know what? I think Daft Punk might just possibly have seen this.
I’m going to be humming that all day now @fentonsteve.
Do, do do do do do , do do.
On my previous visit to Cromer, I picked up another French LP for two quid, which includes the other do do do do do earworm.
Jarre has done some fantastic stuff- Oxygene might have been ubiquitous but it’s still great. There are gems throughout his career.
Indeed. As a teenager, I went halves on his albums with my neighbour. When he moved away, we split the collection. I ended up with Revolutions (I definitely got the short straw there), Zoolook (which I seem to have lost) and Essential (best of). I’ve since been picking them up for a couple of quid, here and there. Zoolook has just been remastered and rereleased.
Zoolook was quite a shock when it came out- and it’s still quite odd. There was a similar experimental album recently called Oxymore (nothing to do with Oxygene), and another called Amazonia.
The new-ish acquisition I’m most pleased with is “Red Hot & Ra: SOLAR – Sun Ra In Brasil”
I really enjoyed reading about how Bix had brought you such spontaneous joy, Fitter.
My musical epiphany this weak was not in a chazza but at the Nalen, one of Stockholm’s oldest and most revered concert venues. A magnificent concert by Anais Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson and Josh Kaufman, better known as Bonny Light Horseman.
Ok I didn’t buy it, But I bought a ticket. And a T shirt
Anais singing the song which gave the band its name was a showstopper. I was entranced.
The YT notes are excellent.
“Johnson explains, “This is a song about a handsome soldier who may or may not ever come home. And we named our band after it not just because it sounds kind of cool, but because it’s somewhat emblematic of what we’re trying to do here: sing you ancient love songs of timeless humanity and heartbreak. Songs that are gonna make you feel something no matter what century you’re in.”
Ok I didn’t buy a record. But I bought a ticket and a rather fine t shirt. So hopefully you can accept my posting..
At the gig, to celebrate our fist Stockholm AW meet up, Locust gave @DuCool and myself a copy of a CD by pianist and composer Ariel Ramirez.
That led me to this song where he performs his composition, Alfonsina y el mar, with the great Mercedes Sosa.
Another goosebumps moment.
You’d reckon there would be a market for quality recycled CDs. Deluxe editions, mobile fidelity, classic remasters , box sets and anthologies. People have been dumping entire collections willy nilly for years art the chazzas or the tip.
I am over paying overs for used or reissued vinyl.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see vinyl sales start to slump due to the gouging that has inevitably started. On the back of that slump I expect a resurgence of interest in the humble CD. Some CD boxsets such as the Bill Evans complete Riverside or Miles Davis Live at the Plugged Nickel are already pricey on the second-hand market and some individual discs of the rarer and harder to find can be likewise. I usually pay between £2 and £10 for discs. The advantage of second-hand CD is the discs are usually in good condition and if they are packaged in a jewel case that has seen better days it’s easily replaced with a new one.
A lot of those monster CD boxsets are just completely impractical to release on vinyl. Just imagine how much they’d have to charge.
The 30-CD Complete Works Of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti? Never gonna see that as a vinyl set.
The 20-CD Prestige RVG Remasters box?
12-CD Köhnzert Zünd by Magma? Highly unlikely.
9-CD Complete Stax Singles 1959-1968? Also unlikely.
Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971? Don’t hold your breath.
The 222-CD J.S. Bach New Complete Edition would be a pretty huge object if there was a vinyl edition…
https://www.bach333.com/en/
On the subject iof Jazzzzzzz, this looks interesting:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/nov/16/soundtrack-to-a-coup-detat-review-johan-grimonprez-drc-congo-belgium-jazz-cold-war-cia
Yes I read about that and I can only hope it gets picked up by a streaming service. I can’t get to a cinema and would dearly like to see it. Fingers crossed.
It’s not being shown at any cinema within a thirty mile radius. I suspect we’ll be able to enjoy it in our own homes pretty soon.
It’s been a marvellous year for Jazz. My year end poll submission will be full of it.
Here’s a track that’s wonderful and it’s from an album that’s unlikely to make my top ten!
Ingebrigt Håken Flaten (Exit Knarr) – MILES Avenue for Austin
I agree. I won’t be submitting a list to the end of the year nonsense but if I were to do so it would be all jazz with the exception of a few ambient albums.
Disappointing, Mr P – how will I know what to spend any Christmas money on, if you don’t submit your list?
My admittedly marmite tastes don’t translate here so I don’t see the point. I gave it a go last year but I can’t be bothered doing so again. As I mentioned above it would be all jazz along with Selected Jambient Works Vol. 1 by Cowboy Sadness, Ritual by Jon Hopkins and Norther by Ex-Easter Island Head.
Of course, you must do as you see fit: but I suspect that this part of your comment – “My admittedly marmite tastes don’t translate here” – will be proven as wildly inaccurate.
I suspect Beth Gibbons will probably take home the laurels this year. Beth Gibbons wouldn’t be amongst my top thirty choices. I may be wrong of course and Tyshawn Sorey, Nduduzo Makhathni, Wadada Leo Smith or Nala Sinephro may top the poll, not that it matters in the slightest but I doubt it. I shall have fun reading what others rate of course but I shall be keeping my powder dry.
Well, I think the Jon Hopkins is aces, so you have at least one viewer.
I didn’t mean that your choices would top the poll, Mr P – that’s neither here nor there. I meant that your fellow travellers would relish reading about what you’ve listened to this year – and enjoyed enough to post about…
Help me out here, Tiggs, Hubes, KFD, Fenton, et al…
I know. I didn’t mean that, I used those musos as an illustration of how much my taste diverges from the site “norm”. I couldn’t care less who tops the poll here or anywhere else. I was planning to compile a list and have in recent weeks been actively engaged on doing so by listening to all the albums I have enjoyed this year but I lost the will to continue with it over the past couple of days. The pain from my arthritis has been getting to me and interfering with pretty much everything and has put me in a bad mood.
Well, Mr Hopkins is high up my league table following your recommendation. I’m also interested in your Jazz selections. Nduduzo Makhathni, for example, might top my poll, too.
I’m off to listen to your other ambient choices this afternoon.
😃
I wouldn’t put Norther in the ambient basket. I don’t know what basket I would put it in to be honest. It is rather good though.
Bloody hell! So it is.