Have a look as you walk on by. Regulars – you may have missed a few of these popular stories – so if a completist it’s a chance to catch up.
I point you in particular to a recent piece looking ahead to a few new release recommendations for 2026 – this article has already shot up to become the 5th most popular piece of the year.
And mercifully it’s been a better year overall after last year’s psychodrama of a shaggy dog saga when the site had to do a Lazarus after an ill advised flirtation with all things SEO (a story best told over a bottle of claret and lots of blue cheese). Better because I have been and actively continue to be incredibly inspired by the emergence of Matt Benson. Let’s hope there’s loads more from him on the live scene in 2026 preferably in the company of big Dave Redmond and Darren Beckett, an all Ireland dream team. The new Mourneful as I dub the sound is a whole lot more than a bit of a mouthful.
The future of marlbank 13 years on however is still uncertain. Clinging to the wreckage more than ever I’d love to hear your thoughts as to whether you think it is at all worthwhile to continue with it all.
Never mind the balalaikas – a seriously scary thought intrudes – never mind the bollocks or other bloggers I remind myself at the risk of droning on or being all arch and listening to a very unintentionally dreadful piece of appalling balalaika bossa to distract myself again. Because – and how’s this for an AI joke – elbowed in during the edit – all comparisons are Nvidia.
Of course I’d so like the site to develop more, assemble a new team, and run on but you have to kill your darlings too if that is even more blindingly obvious and necessary to purge ourselves and go for some sort of deep pond plunge into a new however gelatinous gloop of psychedelic consciousness.
Maybe that invigorating time of renewal has come as escapism if nothing else. But I need your views especially those of anyone who is a jazz lover and has a background in journalism, digital marketing and creative design.
If there’s any crumb of comfort enough to make a difference from the feedback going forward I’ll continue, but otherwise the site will go dark without further notice and I will return to writing for other outlets instead. That’s more of a promise than a threat.
Thanks again for reading and your invaluable presence. Hopefully I’ll hear from you. These conversations with the unseen literally and metaphorically, even when radio silence ensues and tumbleweed descends, abidingly inspire.
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