The grand piano usually leads a solitary life. It rarely teams up with other instruments, especially electronic ones. So, the intimate connection between Erol Sarp's grand and Lukas Vogel's electric hammers and dampers may be unique. Together, Sarp and Vogel are Grandbrothers. Sarp is a classically-trained jazz pianist; Vogel is an electronics engineer who builds…Read more Grandbrothers
dance
Ukraine
In the summer of 1971 a group of school-leavers embarked on a trip to Russia. The 19-year-old Crotchety Man was one of the party. In those days, a political Iron Curtain separated Europe from the U.S.S.R. and we were warned to behave ourselves. High jinks and selling our Westerner's jeans to the locals could lead…Read more Ukraine
Attention Earth!
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Yes, folks, the aliens have landed. And they have brought their extra-terrestrial music to save us from ourselves. Billions of years ago Zpor was forced to leave his home planet of Agricular before it was consumed by its dying sun. He visited Xylanthia in the Sirius star system where…Read more Attention Earth!
Là-Haut
When Crotchety Man was a student studying biochemistry in the early seventies the class turned up for a series of laboratory practicals to be told that we were getting a new supervisor. For the next few weeks, instead of the fully qualified doctor of philosophy we had expected, they had appointed a 'demonstrator' who was…Read more Là-Haut
Fine Time
A song from 1988 appeared again on the Crotchety Early Warning Station's radar screen a few days ago and it reminded me of the 7" singles I used to have. Although I spent my formative years in the days when sales of singles far outstripped those of albums I only accumulated about a dozen of them.…Read more Fine Time
‘Cause I’m A Man
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. John Gray Sometimes it seems that men and women come from different planets. Men are tough and strong; women are comparatively fragile and weak, both physically and mentally. Men are insensitive; women are warm and caring. When they are angry men are physically aggressive whereas women are devious and…Read more ‘Cause I’m A Man
Believe
Cher was 70 on Friday and in recognition of her achievements as a singer I've chosen Believe as my Track of the Week. Cher, of course, is not just a singer. Among her many occupations Wikipedia lists actress, author, dancer, songwriter and record producer. She has won an Academy Award, a Grammy, an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and a Cannes Film Festival Award. She…Read more Believe
Dirty Harry
There is a comedy slot on BBC Radio 4 at 6:30 p.m. weekdays. One of the programmes is called "I've Never Seen Star Wars". In it the comedian, Marcus Brigstocke, talks to well-known people and encourages them to do something they've never done before, especially if every other Tom, Dick and Harry on the planet seems…Read more Dirty Harry
Crotchety Man 