Ian Anderson, Al Di Meola, Leslie Mandoki, Richard Bona In 1992, László "Leslie" Mándoki, a Hungarian drummer and producer, started his Soulmates project. The original line-up was: Ian Anderson (flute, vocals), Jack Bruce (bass, vocals), Al Di Meola (guitar) and Leslie Mandoki himself (drums, vocals). That's plenty to justify a post in these pages. But…Read more Blood In The Water
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Livin’ In A Bubble
Do you ever feel trapped? Hemmed in by petty laws that curtail your freedom. Or confined within the boundaries of convention, your creative spirit stifled, denied the oxygen that gives life to the fire of original thought? If so, you will know how Medicine Head's songwriter felt when he wrote Livin' In A Bubble. You…Read more Livin’ In A Bubble
The Trees and I
As a child, an oak tree grew outside my bedroom window. Its leaves were a rich dark green, and it produced a copious crop of acorns every year. On the next street corner, there was a sycamore tree whose seeds twirled like helicopter blades as they fell in the autumn. In the park that my…Read more The Trees and I
Gånglåt i femtakt
"Walking song in five beats" (Google Translate) This track came up in my Release Radar recently, and it pleased the ears. https://open.spotify.com/track/2cAINrpYiy2zEb6g8PP9ep?si=45718c55398d4383 It's from an album called Åtråvärld, released late last year by the Swedish band Å. They are: Joel Öhlund – vocals, guitar/bass guitar Milovan Fredriksson – guitar/bass guitar, backup vocals Erik Wallin –…Read more Gånglåt i femtakt
I Inside the Old I Dying
Looking back; looking forward. Times past; times still to come. Those are the thoughts that occupy our minds as one year fades away and the tick-tocking clocks beckon another. Was '23 a good year for you? Will '24 be any better? Let's ponder this with PJ Harvey as she sings the enigmatically titled track, I…Read more I Inside the Old I Dying
Stairway to Heaven
I've just received this from a member of Loughborough's Little Big Band. It was published just a few days ago and has already clocked up well over 150,000 views. You won't want to miss it, believe me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPDkz3l_CSE
Omission
Shh ... Don't say a word! This blog's mission is to fill in the gaps ... in your listening and mine. The unintended and unforgivable omissions from our collections must be purged. To that end, I would like to bring to your attention an acoustic guitar track by the jazz musician, Julian Lage. https://open.spotify.com/track/3k5DKMMsGADkmtIVa72D7p?si=88e0f6d4328c4321 A…Read more Omission
CYRM
I see a dark future ... This is a post for Curiosity Corner. Until yesterday, I didn't know there was such a thing as "doom folk". But here it is - and with a 5-star review in The Guardian's Sleevenotes column. https://open.spotify.com/album/7KBKojoN6AMpr5iQzKd2qD?si=B4KD_lQeTsOGUmzazeiHJg 45 minutes of doom-laden Irish folk music Folk songs are often inspired by…Read more CYRM
The Navigator
"You are the Navigator", said Max, the alien machine pilot of the spacetime ship. It's a frustrating job at times. The charts are in your head. You know the way to go. You know the quickest way; and you know the scenic way. But the captain has the wheel, and we must go where he…Read more The Navigator
Malice in Wonderland
The malicious Queen of Hearts It seems to me that almost all committees are dysfunctional. As soon as you get more than 3 or 4 people together round a table, opinions fly across the room in all directions, and the substance of the discussion dies in the crossfire. In theory, the meeting comes to a…Read more Malice in Wonderland
Crotchety Man 