Entries for Dec 2017
New Ramble is a description of vibraphone technique, based on a moment playing yesterday
Site was temporarily broken, because I accidentally broke it. But then someone told me it broken, so I fixed it! So it's fixed. Sorry.
yana got a good review in Wire Magazine for the new album!
I am reading some very complicated things about Patreon. I have never used it and so won't pass comment: but if you're wondering how to support my work, then simply buy some recordings!
It was freezing in the space today. But I've done a little "name the composer, name the song" thingumy. As before, the composer is still alive and playing. Can you name them and the song?
If you're in Derby and would like to buy a yana CD from me over the next few weeks, you can (I even take card payments)! Many thanks to everyone who has supported the album so far, and to Two Rivers Records!
It is always a difficult time for a lot of people. Living is difficult, and nothing is easy. It can be difficult to describe how we feel about our separateness. It can be difficult to talk about our connection (or lack of connection) with others. It is always difficult to talk about events, timing, occasions.
But it is just as difficult to listen to others as they speak difficult lines about their lives; to notice a difficult, subtle harmony; to spot where the rhythm is off. So we create a distancing, layers to offset that difficulty. And those layers work, and in a sense that is good.
But we have more ways to communicate with each other now than we did, even if we look back thirty years ago. The difficulty in listening to others (which is really an analysis of feeling) is something that we can always overcome. And it takes effort—doing that thing that is difficult. The lesson of The Samaritan is that we do not pass by; we have to love each other, and reach out.
We can share information about The Samaritans; but (and I know I have to work on this!!) we can also try to talk and listen to each other.
Wishing everyone the best.
Five years on, I group together more thoughts about journalism in creative music.
In my reminiscences, I remembered that time when the council here were going to cut the arts mightily. There was an independent report into the "efficiency" of the arts. Five years on: where is it?
Now remembering the campaign (started by Ashley Slater) involving LOCOG and unfair payment of artists. If I were to recount the REALLY ODD phone calls I received over that period (seriously); and the lack of support from a certain union... I was very tired in 2012.
Do I watch the kernel compile, or do I enjoy life? All this because Arch realtime kernels set the system resolution too low.
Four years ago, I asked for suggestions of classic jazz* reviews... have you read any reviews over the last year that have displayed knowledge, skill and effort in the writing?
While I'm thinking about reviews, here's an article from almost SIX years ago about jazz* critique:
And here is its sibling, showing (indirectly) how little things have changed: