Podcast Recommendations

Recent podcasts that I have enjoyed and would like to recommend -

Culture in Quarantine: Sounds of Silence

Washing her wigs and singing the traditional songs of her ancestors in a basement in Birmingham… that’s where we find opera singer Abigail Kelly during her lockdown.

In the second episode of ‘Sounds of Silence’, the British-Jamaican soprano questions the colour of her voice and its connection to her heritage. But what are the sounds she’s hearing in the void? And how is she reflecting on the memories of her past, the silence of the present and her expectations of the future?

Composer and presenter Soumik Datta captures the thoughts of instrumentalists and singers across the UK, to discover their sounds of silence during the global crisis.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000lw21

James Acaster's Perfect Sounds

For James Acaster 2016 is the greatest year for music of all time. Following a breakup James set out to rekindle his love for music by buying hundreds of new and niche releases from 2016. Now he’s sharing his obsession with fellow comedians, exploring his favourite albums: from Beyoncé’s internet-breaking Lemonade, to Colombian math rock fusion, and everything in between.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08ky04t

Enjoy.

Good Morning

Book 62 - David Rothenberg "Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound"

David Rothenberg "Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound" (Basic Books)





It's a surprisingly well-written book by a non-marine mammal expert. I have to say that David Rothenberg did a stellar job interviewing many of the well known cetacean researchers and presented facts and arguments in a non-distorted way. After reading too many media coverage on marine mammal studies by main-stream media that are usually so way off the facts, I consider this one of the best books if you want to have a grasp about cetacean bioacoustics from the lay person's point of view. However, I do not consider the way he did the playback to whales just to see how animals would response to the music brings much merit to the discussion of the importance of underwater sound to these animals, however the music is excellent as the author is a musician and plays jazz clarinet and the CD is included in the back end of the book. Worth checking out.

Book 63 - Richard Williams "Long Distance Call: Writings on Music"

Richard Williams "Long Distance Call: Writings on Music" (Aurum Press)




If you recognise the man on the cover, you'll know you want to read this book. If you don't, I'm here to tell you - it is Chet baker - then you need to read this book. You may think that some of the pieces in here are not for you (Sinatra, Muddy Waters, whoever) but you'd be wrong. Richard Williams' writing brings each musician to life. If you've blood in your veins you'll immediately want to rush out and sample their music. It was published in 2000 and therefore should be viewed almost as a review of popular music of the 20th century. Rolling Stone magazine would call these 'think pieces'. But that barely does them justice.

I have read other books by this author and to my mind he is one of the best and most thoughtful writers out there. It is no wonder Miles Davis showed even a white Englishman such respect. But maybe I'm biased, as I happen to agree with every word of his portrait of Miles.

If you like this, definitely find yourself a copy of Nick Kent's The Dark Stuff. These two books make great companion pieces.

In Canterbury

I made sure I left early this morning to get to Canterbury whilst the weather was still clement. The afternoon has been a washout weatherwise.
I did one of these techy phone shop visits in the cathedral city.

I had breakfast at the Westgate Spoons as well.




Just the one book find today.

Schnittke #1

A postmodern piece this Russian composer.

Alfred Schnittke - Concerto Grosso No. 1

Composer: Alfred Schnittke (24 November 1934 -- 3 August 1998)
- Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe
- Conductor: Heinrich Schiff
- Soloists: Gidon Kremer (violin), Tatiana Grindenko (violin), Yuri Smirnov (harpsichord), Yuri Smirnov (prepared piano)
- Year of recording: 1988

Concerto Grosso No. 1, for 2 violins, harpsichord, prepared piano & 21 strings, written in 1977.

00:00 - I. Preludio. Andante
05:01 - II. Toccata. Allegro
09:27 - III. Recitativo. Lento
16:22 - IV. Cadenza. [without tempo indication]
18:54 - V. Rondo. Agitato
26:00 - VI. Postludio. Andante - Allegro - Andante


( About the music )

Enjoy

The Egg

One of my favourite Herbie albums of the sixties is Empyrean Isles as it not only contains Cantaloupe Island , made famous as a hit for US3, but this freeform slice of jazz -

Herbie Hancock - The Egg

Enjoy

More Podcast Recommendations

More podcast recommendations -

Classical Fix

Classical Fix is a podcast aimed at opening up the world of classical music to anyone who fancies giving it a go

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000lv98

The Town That Didn't Stare


7 episodes

A podcast documentary about Britain's Twin Peaks: East Grinstead, the home of alternative religions and spirituality in the UK.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-town-that-didnt-stare/id1518550835


DAVID TENNANT DOES A PODCAST WITH ...

David Tennant, star of Doctor Who, Good Omens and Broadchurch, gets talking with the biggest names from TV, movies, comedy and elsewhere. Featuring superstar names like Olivia Colman, James Cordon and Whoopi Goldberg. A Somethin’ Else and No Mystery production.

https://play.acast.com/s/davidtennant

Good Night

I know the ah! or aw! factor is high!!!!