CLASSICAL MUSIC: Difficult, dangerous, disturbing. Young people stay away!

Stephen Hough ….. Recently a study was published revealing that an increasing number of children were choosing electric guitars and keyboards over violins and recorders. I must say I was surprised when I read this, not because of the shift itself but because I’d imagined this had happened long ago. The study suggested that wanting […]

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BLUES: Our office playlist 15/11/22

Spencer Mackenzie – No GoodDavey Pattison Blues Band – Have A Look At YourselfAnnika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers – Mississippi QueenJohn Primer and The Real Deal – Don’t Wait Too LongJed Potts & the Hillman Hunters – To The MountainsJed Potts & The Hillman Hunters Won’t Be No UseThe Hiding Magpies – Make It AlrightBoogie […]

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CRYSTAL SYPHON: Elephant Ball (Vinyl LP/w digital download)

A member writes … A truly astounding West Coast Psych masterpiece from ’67 to ’69! They combine the best elements of Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service, have a listen! All completely unearthed material! Comes in an old-style “tip-on” jacket with a digital download shipping at the end of May For decades, Crystal Syphon were, […]

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BLUES MUSIC: A Short, Sad History

by Bob Strauss Updated September 13, 2017 The musical genre known as the blues is difficult to define, but you know it when you hear it: a simple chord progression, a deep bass line, and lyrics that evoke wisdom, sadness, and resignation. A “standard” blues is twelve bars long: lyrics are repeated twice in the opening […]

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WILLIE NELSON: Don’t fret about the end of the world

From the archives ….. Willie Nelson tells Martin Chilton about his new book as he talks about President Obama, and about the end of the world. “If there’s one soothing voice you want talking to you about the end of the world, then I guess country singer Willie Nelson will do fine. But it’s just […]

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If sell-out crowds, rave reviews, and Grammy nominations are any indication, Karrin Allyson is one of today’s top jazz vocalists

From the archives: Born in Kansas and raised in Nebraska, where she began her college studies as a classical piano major, she developed her craft in Minneapolis before moving to Kansas City. There, singing took precedence over piano playing and she recorded her first album, I Didn’t Know About You, in 1993. In 2000 Allyson […]

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JAZZ: Tapping the rhythm section

Jazz usually has a juicy beat that you can feel. A basic difference between swing and a stiffer beat stems from the placement of accents. People who’re unfamiliar with jazz often clap on the first and third beat in every group of four. Jazz audiences, by contrast, usually emphasize two and four, with a looser, […]

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MILES DAVIS / JOHN COLTRANE: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 – AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek

The sixth volume in Legacy’s Miles Davis Bootleg Series circles back to 1999’s Miles Davis and John Coltrane: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955-1961, with an exclamation point. The four discs here are taken from five concerts in March 1960: Two sets from L’Olympia in Paris, two at Stockholm’s Konserthuset, and one from Copenhagen’s Tivolis Koncertsal. […]

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Quill

BRIAN BLADE: Fellowship – More Than Just a Word

John Kelman writes: In the 21st century, few drummers have managed Brian Blade’s kind of crossover success. Beyond playing in saxophonist Wayne Shorter’s quartet for nearly 15 years, beyond being a first-call drummer for producer/singer/songwriter Daniel Lanois—whether it’s for his own projects like Black Dub or working with everyone from Bob Dylan to EmmyLou Harris—and […]

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WES MONTGOMERY: In Paris: The Definitive ORTF Recording (2CD)

We are told: ‘In Paris: The Definitive ORTF Recording’ captures jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery on his only tour of Europe on the night of March 27, 1965 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France. The first official release of this legendary concert, considered perhaps the greatest live Wes Montgomery performance ever, In Paris […]

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