Drum 'n' Fife

[Tom Audustus]

I made that trip hundreds of times in the 60s! I used to buy jazz LPs in City Radio in Cardiff. Hip Turkish guy would "click" his mouth in time with PJ Jones' rim shots...and let me listen to Blue notes I couldn't afford.

BN.

City Radio down in the Hays was one of my lunchtime haunts when I was in school (early 70s) as well as those music shops in the road and arcade by the Brains brewery.

[Serial_Apologist]

City Radio down in the Hays was one of my lunchtime haunts when I was in school (early 70s) as well as those music shops in the road and arcade by the Brains brewery.

Did you ever find faggots in their beer?

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Listening as I was to the results as they came out throughout Thursday night (because I couldn't sleep) when at one point it was commented that a Brexit vote could cause another banking crisis, I put my clothes on, got on my bike, and cycled the mile down to my nearest cashpoint, where I drew out a couple of hundred quid, thinking, it might be best to have some sort of cushion in case the banks stop people drawing money out.

South London at 5 am on midsummer morning was a surprisingly beautiful and peaceful place - only blackbirds singing, and just two cars passing by.

BRITISH blackbirds I hope? Not French ones being sarcastic? In Wales its "Year Zero", Ukip are demanding that all EU flags be taken down and the Anthem (Beethoven) banished. My friend who was very senior with the European Commission says she thinks there might be good little earner in cushion covers made out of old EU flags!Very Retro. You heard it here first!

BN.

[Ian Thumwood]

Well if you're including older musicians, Evan Parker's name comes straight to mind.

Working as I currently am on a certain musician's output in the year 1999, I was going through all the cassettes I made of British jazz from broadcasts in that year - a lot: I must have had a particular wish to document that last year of the old Millennium - I came across a live recording of Julian Joseph's trio in concert with bassist orlando le Fleming on bass (now in the States I hear) and the guitarist Adam Salkeld. Julian is interviewed by Kevin Le Gendre, and makes some revealing comments with regards to the technical abilities of the younger college intake of that time and its relationship to what he saw as the right attitude to playing "in the tradition". If that sounds very Marsalish, he obviously holds the brothers in high esteem while holding nuanced differences from their philosophy. If I can find the time I'll dictate down the pertinent parts of the interview from my D90, and replicate them here - maybe later tonight or tomorrow: it takes time to do. I think you might find yourself in not inconsiderable agreement with what he has to say, Ian.

I agree with you regarding Evan Parker but I am not convinced that it is a "tradition" issue. I suppose it is more like the change in the tradition of string playing which is much harder today than 50-odd years ago. I forget the name of the technique but a good example is the string section on the "Bird with Strings" album as that style of playing is hugely unfashionable these days. My point is more along the lines that what may have once been held precious in particular instruments is now no longer the case. The Greg Osby interview I read can be found here :-

http://http://jazztimes.com/articles...with-greg-osby

It is intriguing to read some of the comments in the light of the Temperley track. At the moment I am listening to the Coltrane ballads set and this has something of the same quality albeit I don't think it is as pronounced as on "Sophisticated Lady." There is a real case of the men being separated from the boys in some cases in today's jazz. Many younger players have the technique but I think there is something missing. For me, I am finding that I much prefer older players when performing straight ahead and appreciate their music maybe a bit more. Osby's comment about students finding Johnny Hodges "sugar coated and schmaltzy" is really telling. I grew up listening to Hodge and have always been a fan . Osby is right about this style needing to be re-visited but it is a shame that where there are musicians who have taken their cues from Hodges, they are often the likes of Jan Garbarek who no longer plays jazz. I find it interesting to consider the production of sound and tone to make a soloist recognisable and think this is becoming something of a lost craft. I suppose that this is why I love players like Josh Berman who can take inspiration from an almost forgotten era of musicians like Ruby Braff and refract them in some extremely "outside" jazz.