The witch will burn for her beliefs People believe all sorts of strange things. Everyone used to believe in witches - some still do. Unfounded rumours have always spread like wildfire. And, of course, fire was often the preferred way to rid the world of that evil wizardry. But fire never seems to expunge belief.…Read more Burnt Belief
jazz
Potter’s Daughter
There's something mesmerising about a potter's wheel. In the 1950s, the BBC used a short film of a potter as an interlude (reputedly during breakdowns and when moving cameras from one studio to another). He didn't seem to be making anything in particular. His blob of clay rose from the turnable to become a tall…Read more Potter’s Daughter
Ebi Soda
Ebi Soda is a curious name. It sounds like a soft drink or a foreigner's pronunciation of 'episode'. But, in fact, it is neither of those things. It is a 5-piece contemporary jazz band based in the seaside resort of Brighton on the south coast of England. The Crotchety Library contains almost no other information…Read more Ebi Soda
Distractions
I have been rather distracted over the last couple of days. When the schedule called for blogging I was reading about quantum theory or wrestling with crosswords. But today I'm determined to be productive. Of course, I'm short of time now, so what better way to salve the conscience than to offer two of the…Read more Distractions
Half a World Away
The picture here looks like a scene from a fantasy world but, in fact, it's a photograph taken one misty morning in the New Forest in the south of England. It's a far cry from the concrete jungles of our inner cities but it's really only half a world away. And, like the white horse…Read more Half a World Away
Mercury Music Prize 2021
This year's shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize was announced on 22nd July. The prize celebrates albums by artists from the UK and Ireland released in the qualifying year. According to its website it is "the music equivalent to the Booker Prize for literature and the Turner Prize for art". Allowing for some understandable self-promotion…Read more Mercury Music Prize 2021
Roots
Roots by Vincent Van Gogh Many years ago now there was a regular light entertainment program on the radio†. It included a series of comedy sketches, one of which purported to answer listeners' questions on just about any subject relevant to contemporary living. There might be questions on important issues in art or politics, for…Read more Roots
Straight Path
Save every tree as if it's the last Let's go travelling today. We'll take the Straight Path all the way to Lahore in Pakistan. There we will meet a band called Jaubi that amalgamates Indian classical music with western jazz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0K_h1K0T2s This track sounds very much like something by Alice Coltrane. The scales and the…Read more Straight Path
Isolation
Fed up with Covid restrictions? Longing to get back to the old normal? Well, here's an album that will put a spring in your step and banish those isolation blues to the musty pages of the history books. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_laIbzhC50SwNk5dui0F639xGE9D0jpy2c The Backstage is a band born in adversity. When Steve Hackett's U.S. tour was cancelled last…Read more Isolation
Spice, Gold and Tales Untold
Undeciphered eyes of amber ... A few days ago an email dropped into my inbox from Ana Patan offering a free download of her recently released album, Spice, Gold and Tales Untold. There was no mention of that artist in the Crotchety Vaults and she offered no description of her music, just the briefest of…Read more Spice, Gold and Tales Untold
