Books #12 - Reading Jazz - Edited by Robert Gottlieb

As I am still working my way through the amazing box set, 'The Ultimate Jazz Archive' (all 168 CD's of it), I have now discovered the perfect book to accompany it.

'Reading Jazz' is a collection of very fine writing on the subject of - yes, you guessed it - jazz.

At over 1000 pages long, the book is almost as comprehensive as the CD collection and editor Robert Gottlieb has gathered together autobiography, reportage and criticism from 1919 to the late 1990's.

Without me listing every single artist or writer involved in this mammoth publication, it would be fruitless for me to even begin to mention the names included and while I might not agree with all of the critical pieces, I find the articles interesting, Suffice to say that there are some absolutely fascinating pieces and as none of them are too lengthy, I find it perfect to pick up and browse over a cup of coffee, or more appropriately, while I'm listening to the aforementioned music collection.


I see from browsing online that used copies of this book can be picked up at very reasonable prices. If you are an aficionado or even a casual fan of jazz music, then I would recommend you get yourself a copy.

John McLaughlin and that Whitley Bay connection

Several years ago when I was 'between homes', I stayed for a short while with a friend who resided in Warkworth Avenue, a pleasant pedestrianised street in the English north east coastal town of Whitley Bay.

Hold that thought but please bear with me as I change subjects entirely to speak now of one of my many musical heroes, John McLaughlin. I first became familiar with his work in the late 1960's thanks to the Miles Davis albums, 'Bitches Brew' and 'In a Silent Way'. From then on I collected many of McLaughlin's recordings including his excellent album 'Extrapolation' and his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and beyond. (The Emerald Beyond perhaps?)

Throughout that time I was aware of some connection between McLaughlin and the aforementioned Whitley Bay but I never discovered what that connection was. Even Wikipedia on the subject of McLaughlin, makes no mention of Whitley Bay, saying only that he moved from Yorkshire (where he was born in January 1942) to London in the early 1960's.


Well now, thanks to the research of writer Colin Harper, the mystery appears to be solved. According to Harper in his book 'Bathed in Lightning' (of which more in a future post), McLaughlin spent a good part of his childhood residing at number 54 Warkworth Avenue.

Which just happens to be only a few doors away from where I stayed long after McLaughlin had departed.

Perhaps one day, Whitley Bay will gain due recognition for the influence it is bound to have played in the development of the young McLaughlin.

I'd certainly like to think so.

RIP Horace Silver

Yesterday jazz legend Horace Silver passed away peacefully at the age of 85.

Having switched at an early age from tenor saxophone to piano, Silver went on to play his distinctly funky style with people such as Art Blakey (with whom he formed the Jazz Messengers), Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley. 

His best known album 'Song For My Father' was released in 1965. Even if you are not familiar with his work, you will possibly recognise the opening bass line of the title track, later used to great effect by Steely Dan in their hit, 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number'.

Below are links to both of these tracks.

RIP Horace.


Song For My Father

Rikki Don't Lose That Number  (The riff starts at 0.26).

Jack White - Lazaretto

'I got three women, red blonde and brunette'.

So sings Jack White at the start of his latest album, on an uptempo re-write of Blind Willie McTell's 'Three Women Blues'. It may not be politically correct but it sure is a lot of fun.

For the remainder of the album, White sticks to self penned songs though I understand that he raided some notebooks and diaries from his teenage years for lyrical ideas. Whatever the source of the songs, White has again produced a widely varied album utilising a veritable host of musicians and singers. The title track begins with a stop-start hip-hop rhythm, then becomes a rock song complete with squealing guitar and finally we hear a brief snatch of jazz-rock fusion violin. 

And this trend continues for the remainder of the album.

'Temporary Ground' is pure country - and totally gorgeous to boot - while the instrumental 'High Ball Stepper' is almost Gothic. 'Just One Drink' is rocky with White sounding very much like an early 70's version of Mick Jagger yet the following 'Alone in My Home' bounces along nicely to some barroom piano, the verses linked by a strummed ukulele break.

On first hearing, I felt that having ditched his usual style of recording quickly and relying on more sparse arrangements, White had overdone things on this album and it all sounded a little bit self indulgent. Also I scorned some of the lyrics. Whether they came from his teenage notebooks or not, I winced when I heard him sing

"You drink water, I drink gasoline". (This being a slight rewrite of Tommy Johnson's classic line)
"Once of us is happy, one of us is mean. 
I love you but honey why don't you love me?"

Or, "Birds of a feather may lay together, but the uglier one is always under the gun."

However, I am coming around to the complex arrangements if not some of the lyrics and I am now convinced that this album is a one which will grow richer through repeated listening. Whatever else you may think of Jack White, he is certainly prepared to take risks and with 'Lazaretto' I believe the gamble has paid off.

Incidentally, I have learnt that 'Lazaretto' is Italian for leper hospital. 

Who says that rock music is not educational?

The Slowlight Quartet at Newcastle Lit & Phil

Having heard some glowing reviews of The Slowlight Quartet recently, on Friday I took my seat in the Lit & Phil with a feeling of anticipation and I sensed similar in the sizeable crowd around me (extra seating having to be carried in from other rooms). But would I be disappointed, I wondered.

Well, the answer to my own question was no: I was not disappointed!

Comprising of Paul Loraine on piano, Ian 'Dodge' Paterson on upright bass, Jonathan Marriott on drums and Tom Quilliam on saxophones, this young Newcastle based outfit have played together for about 18 months and the reason for their growing reputation soon became apparent. Unlike other acts I have seen at the Lit & Phil, these lads did not play the usual repertoire of jazz standards, but presented to us a dozen of their own compositions. Also, unlike other jazz acts, they steered away from lengthy self indulgent solo improvisations. The emphasis from the Slowlight Quartet is on tight melodic sounding pieces  with interesting chord structures and varied, exciting rhythms.

Taking 'In Flight' as an example, it begins with some gentle, stately piano and as each instrument is added, the piece grows until Tom Quilliam is allowed free rein to provide some soaring sax phrases to bring the song to it's conclusion. Throughout their performance, Jonathan Marriott provides a wide range of textures using every part of his kit, constantly switching between sticks, brushes and mallets, even within the same piece of music. Staring at the ceiling as he keeps a rock steady rhythm, he and Paterson provide the foundation upon which Quilliam and Loraine build sublime melodies. Loathe as I am to single out any individual from this fine unit, I have to make particular mention of Tom Quilliam. Boy can he play!

As if these four musicians were not enough, an extra dimension was given to many of the pieces by the addition of a string quartet who came to the fore during some of the quieter moments. The contrast between the hard driving saxophone and the more pastoral piano and strings added considerably to the whole listening experience. 




The ovation for these wonderful musicians felt like it might never end and perhaps it only did to allow people to join me in the queue to purchase the limited edition five track EP. Personally I can't wait to hear their first full length album and hopefully to see many more performances from this exciting new band.

Please check out the website for the band at http://www.theslowlightquartet.co.uk/
This also contains a stream of four live tracks recorded at a Newcastle gig in March 2013.
I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

The Funny Side....

While out walking yesterday I spotted this interesting street sign.





Interesting.... 
....yet I failed to see the funny side.

However I did see the very funny side of this simple but effective cartoon from Private Eye magazine.



On the subject of Comical Corner in South Shields, I understand that it has been in existence since at least 1881 so perhaps there is a story there. A little bit of research for me when I have a bit more time.

RIP Rik Mayall

I was totally stunned earlier today to hear of the sudden death of Rik Mayall, one of my all time comedy heroes.

I first encountered his comic genius as the character Kevin Turvey in the BBC TV show, 'A Kick Up The Eighties' and of course we all surely grew to know and love him as student Rick in the riotously funny 'The Young Ones'.

I find it almost impossible to comprehend that he is no longer with us but I am grateful for the legacy he left behind and when the grieving is over, I will celebrate his life by watching again some of those wonderful performances.

RIP Rik.

Jolie Holland - Wine Dark Sea

I was drawn to Jolie Holland initially by the fact that she had been a founder member of the Be Good Tanyas and that she was receiving a good deal of endorsement from non other than Tom Waits. Consequently I bought and enjoyed her debut solo album, 'Catalpa', a low key collection of songs recorded in someone's living room, tapes of which were passed around among friends, before demand grew for an official release. That release came in 2003 and I admit to having heard nothing of her work since. I know! - Shame on me!

'Wine Dark Sea' is the latest album from Ms Holland and things have clearly moved on since that low-fi debut. The country acoustic sound of her first album (and of subsequent works I understand) has now been replaced by a grungier rawness as demonstrated by the distorted electric guitar and thumping bass drum of album opener, 'On And On'. 

Fans were given notice of the change when press releases gave warning that Holland had recruited a host of free jazz musicians who were allowed to express themselves with her compositions. I even recall the music on this album being described as 'melodically adventurous' and immediately made a mental note to seek the album out as soon as it hit the stores.

Had the release not been given such a momentous build-up, I may have been more impressed but because my expectations were raised to unrealistic levels, on first hearing I was somewhat disappointed. Sure there are moments of free form expression on tracks such as 'Dark Days' and 'I Thought It Was The Moon', but I wasn't convinced that they added much to the quality of the songs. 

When a track did come along that was relatively unadorned by such effects the song shone out. Such is the case with the soulful Joe Tex song 'The Love You Save' and  even more so on the following 'All The Love' a gorgeous ballad that reveals that Holland can do soul like the best of them. This soulful feel is then taken further by the honking saxes of the final track, 'Waiting For The Sun'.

Now after several listens I have to conclude that this is actually a very good album indeed and credit has to go to Jolie Holland for trying something different instead of continuing down the same path as many of her contemporaries in the Americana genre. It's just a shame that my initial thoughts were influenced by the pre-release fanfares.  

I now look forward to hearing her future releases, which I intend to receive and listen to with a more open mind.

The album 'Wine Dark Sea' is now available on Anti-Records.
 Here is a taster, the track 'All The Love'.  Enjoy!

Wild China #4 - Festival of Fire in Dali.

Continuing my tales of a visit to some of the slightly less well known parts of China.

It just so happened that our arrival in the ancient city of Dali in Yunnan Province, coincided with an annual torch festival held by the local Bai ethnic minority group of people. 

There were clues to this as we explored the city and the surrounding area. Everywhere we went, we witnessed large pieces of wood being carved into shape and decorated with brightly coloured paper flags, lanterns and even pieces of fruit. These creations were then somehow supported in upright positions throughout the city.

It was explained to us that this festival had been celebrated by the Bai people and other minority groups for hundreds of years though the origin was unclear. It was believed to follow the ancient tradition of fire worship because of the ability of fire to repel insects and drive away evil spirits, thus protecting the precious crops. The Bai people themselves are only one of fifty six officially recognised ethnic groups in China and are mainly based in Yunnan Province.

The houses set within the ancient city walls are clustered together at the foot of the Cangshan mountain range and very close to the beautiful Erhai Lake. 

Many of the narrow streets have small streams running down one side and are lined with quaint houses, shops and restaurants built of stone and wood. 

We paused at one to sample some of the local delicacies.

Despite all the activity, the city and the countryside with its Buddhist temples and pagodas, invoked a feeling of peace and calm, yet we sensed an underlying excitement building as the locals prepared for their festival. It was as the sun slowly fell behind the mountains and darkness penetrated the city that the celebrations began in earnest.

One by one, the torches were lit and flames were soon shooting into the black night sky. 

Not high enough for some of the local people apparently, as pine resin was then thrown into the flames causing them to shoot even higher towards the overhanging tree branches that seemed perilously close. 

Fortunately orange suited firemen were strategically placed on crossroads with quad bikes converted into mini fire engines ready to negotiate the narrow streets. 

Pieces of burning debris were soon tumbling from the higher torches as people stood close-by clapping and cheering, young children scampering around at their feet. The locals did not seem to share our propensity for health and safety regulations.

Along every street, torches were soon burning furiously. Smaller pieces were broken off and were carried around by children. Fortunately we witnessed no accidents but decided to retreat to a safe distance. 

Throughout the city, there was a carnival atmosphere as people strolled about witnessing the scenes or just relaxed at one of the many bars and restaurants to watch all the activity around them. 

Soon we found a bar from which we could view the proceedings whilst sipping one of the delicious local beers. Smiling people in beautifully coloured ethnic costumes waved as they passed these strange westerners who seemed reluctant to venture too close to the flames. 

The celebrations went on late into the night and to the best of my knowledge, no one was killed or maimed.




As we leave Dali behind, I will next report from another of our destinations.

New Albums from The Delines and Temples.

Having spent a few days in Liverpool and completing a particularly challenging walk in the Yorkshire Dales, there has been little time for anything else in the past week. However a couple of new albums have come my way so I thought I should use these pages to give a few brief initial thoughts.

Getting my hair cut these days tends to be a pretty quick affair. The usual trim and I'm out of there in less than ten minutes, However, as Richard's scissors snip away at what dark hair remains, leaving only the grey behind (I must speak to him about that), we exchange views on what is happening in the music scene. Gigs we have attended or albums we have heard. That sort of thing.

On the latter subject, Richard mentioned the band Temples and what he regarded as their excellent album 'Sun Structures'.

'A bit like The Beatles', is how they were described to me, which makes sense considering that Noel Gallagher has been banging on about them for a while now and his former band Oasis made a career out of attempting to sound a bit like The Beatles, though personally I could never really get away with Oasis.. Anyway, I reckoned that Temples were worth giving a hearing. So I did.

Certainly the opening track 'Shelter Song' starts in a promising fashion with some distinctly Byrds sounding guitar and the album title track throws in several late 1960's cliches during its five minute duration. Catchy pop hooks abound and stylistically I am reminded of one of my favourite albums of last year, 'We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic' by Foxygen. However whereas Foxygen threw in the kitchen sink as far as their influences were concerned, I feel that Temples seem to lack the variety required to sustain an album lasting almost 53 minutes.  Nevertheless there are some fine moments on the album and you can sample the opening 'Shelter Song' by clicking here.

I have followed the career of Richmond Fontaine since their 2004 album 'Post To Wire' and have also been a follower of the literary career of songwriter Willy Vlautin beginning with his wonderful novel, 'This Motel Life'. Now Vlautin has reappeared with a new band, The Delines and they have issued their first album, 'Colfax'. 

There's certainly no mistaking the fact that Vlautin wrote this collection of songs as they retain his trademark storytelling with tales of downtrodden characters, drab bars and diners, trailer parks and dusty highways. What sets this album apart however, is the fine voice of Amy Boone. Whereas Vlautin's songwriting has in the past been somewhat constrained by the self confessed limitations of his own voice, here he is set free as the range of Boone's vocals offer him a far broader palette. I am still absorbing these songs which mostly retain that fine plaintive steel guitar sound familiar to fans of Richmond Fontaine, but clearly we have here a contender for one of the best albums of the year. 

Click here to listen to 'I Won't Slip Up' for a taster of what this album has to offer.