Musings on the byways of popular culture
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Yes, indeed: so let’s have some, to celebrate…also taking the opportunity to mention Valtteri Bottas, a man without a seat for 2025. I hope he finds one, I always liked his attitude – even when he stopped winning things.
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In 1998 or thereabouts, I first heard Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset. From this and investigations of the other musicians around him I heard trumpeter Nils-Petter Molvær and keyboard player Bugge Wesseltoft. Scandi-jazz, as it soon become known, intrigued me. From there it was an easy hop into the ECM catalogue and all it’s treasures and the German ACT label. But “Electronique Noir” was the starting point.
What were your starting points?
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Now that’s what I call a Wold Championship.
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I was delighted to read that Finland has chosen PKN to represent them in Eurovision. It may be a small country but it has an uncanny ability to go its own idiosyncratic way. I was delighted when Lordi gave Finland its first every ESC victory. Now I have something new to smile about.
They’ve gone for a middle-aged punk band with disabilities. How un-show-biz can you get? They hope “to raise awareness of people with learning disabilities – and “have a fucking good time” along the way.” A commendable mission statement.
I know that Eurovision is one big, ridiculous circus and has little to do with music as we know it here on the AW. But I’d like to think that these four both ordinary and unordinary Finnish chaps can liven it up and do some good along the way.
I confess a vested interest. We have a Down Syndrome daughter and something like this sends a message to her, her pals and kids with disabilities all over Europe: the world is full of all kinds of possibilities that you never even dreamt of.
I will of course encourage her to go into atonal jazz or form a prog » Continue Reading.
