1 – The Godfather II – 1974
2 – Sunset Boulevard – 1950
3 – Come and See – 1985
4 – Atlantic City – 1980
5 – North by Northwest – 1959
6 – Bad Day at Black Rock – 1955
7 – This is Spinal Tap – 1984
8 – We […]

SEEN:
Nothing really. Spend most days with an unruly young retriever, walking miles across the West Cambridgeshire Hundreds – a patchwork of ancient woodlands dotted across the local prairie. Learning to i […]

I think they’re all worthy of a listen – but Part 5 is the regular spin as it’s the only one I have on CD. I bought it after seeing the choir perform the music at one of the Cambridge College chapels – with the […]

The best:

1 – Here I Am – Burt Bacharach/Ronald Isley
2 – Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell
3 – Once to Every Heart – Mark Murphy
4 – Eternal – Branford Marsalis Quintet
5 – Just a Little Lovin’ – Shelby L […]

Some Delius – accompanied by suitable images from the world of John Atkinson Grimshaw.

And for added effect, I bring you Ronnie Ronalde and his amazing bird impressions. He also yodels.

1 – Just Ain’t Good Enough – Johnnie Taylor
2 – Abandoned Garden– Michael Franks
3 – Here’s to Life – Shirley Horn
4 – The Audience With – Betty Carter
5 – Love Remains – Bobby Watson
6 – We Live Her […]

The YSP is fantastic and a frequent stopping off point when I’m on my way to the North West to see my mother. There’s a great long running Damian Hirst exhibition on currently with vast pieces of work scattered […]

Blimey, think I saw that film when it came out – think it was about the “singles scene”?

One highlight – minor Teddy P classic as title track – featuring top quality squidgy bass.

Mojo editor @JohnRMulvey has regularly recommended the music of Tuluum Shimmering – spacey extended…sometimes over an hour…guitar-based mellow psychy noodling based around lesser known 60s/70s classics. […]

Agreed @duco1 on the “Americana” album – play it very regularly. I’d be tempted to give “Promontaire” a go. It isn’t spiky like Craig Taborn or Paul Bley quoted in the Amazon review – tending towards lyrical […]

Indeed. Some beautiful architecture in Preston and the whole area around Avenham Park and Winkley Square is a delight – but head further north and it gets a little more gritty. We used to go to a pub in amongst […]

SEEN:

“The Changing Times of Ike White” is worth a look on iPlayer – a tale with plenty of twists and turns of a convicted murderer who released an album of slinky blues soul while inside and his subse […]

There was a time when I thought I was creative. Decent enough art A level was enough to do a Foundation Course in Art and Design at Preston’s wonderful Harris School of Art – sadly currently empty and all you […]

Some other old jazzers still out there:

Charles Lloyd (82) and Carla Bley (84) both have well-reviewed ECM albums out recently.

Ran Blake – at 85 – is also pretty prolific. I think Kenny Burrell is still […]

Always preferred Nicolette Larson’s version of “Lotta Love” to Neil Young’s whiny original.

Sad news – but as said above 91 is some age to still be playing and he was in fine form on his album last year. Brush work is perhaps the most underestimated drumming skill – sometimes barely a whisper – but he […]

Favourite puppet? Marina from Stingray.

Favourite puppet song?

What a great album that “Moments from this theatre” was.

It’s going to have to be The Real Thing’s “You to me are everything.” Best #1 record ever.

1 – The Show Must Go On – Sam Dees
2 – It’s Too Late to Stop Now – Van Morrison
3 – I am – Earth Wind and Fire
4 – Eli and the 13th Confession – Laura Nyro
5 – Francis Alberto Sinatra meets Antonio Carlos Jobi […]

SEEN:

A steady diet of Talking Pictures TV and too much news coverage. Much as I loathe the man, I’ve enjoyed watching Piers Morgan skewering feeble Tory ministers on breakfast telly with some pertinent q […]