A “close but no cigar” kind of day typically apart from where Mingus is concerned. Now that’s our kind of prayer meeting. Photo: Wikipedia
Amphora coepit Institui, currente rota, cur urceus exit? – Horace
(“A stately vase was planned; why, then, does this misshapen pot come from the revolving wheel?”).
Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus – pride of place on the list. Plus Tori Amos, Curtis Harding, Simon and Garfunkel, The Undertones and more are in today’s multi-genre very eclectic “hump day” themed listening choice.
Nothing here to fear
I’m just sitting around
Being foolish when
There is work to be done
Just a hang-up call
And the quiet breathing
Of our Persian we call
Cajun on a Wednesday
– Tori Amos
The Lazarus thinking as the playlist returns
I thought I’d bring the playlist back today.
For a while, until not that long ago as regular readers may recall marlbank ran a daily playlist.
I’m not sure why it stopped. Ennui I suppose. Gawd, I start playing Serge Gainsbourg again. Maybe it will be daily again for a while. But let’s see.
Playlists are simply divine when every so often I get stuck as a listener.
I mean: I listen to album after album and nothing really appeals to me.
For instance just this week I couldn’t even bring myself to put pen to paper to write about two albums inspired by myth: the new Ndudzo Makhathini (disappointed by the vocals element of it) or the new Daniel Garcia (it’s far too light).
It’s not that I think either are terrible. Far from it. But they aren’t in that great phrase “my cup of tea”. I need to get excited about what I am listening to. It doesn’t have to be grandiose. But ever since listening to exciting newcomer Hannah Marks’ latest – see a review run yesterday – there’s nowt.
So, tackling the drought, I switch these off, because my own personal listening, boom boom, is listing badly, and continue to search. You can only be true to your inner jazz snob. Huh?!
Admit it, pal.
Usually, it takes a few days until I find something that appeals to me more.
You’ve got to kiss a frog or two before you find your prince…
… As The Waterboys had it. The way I listen, and I am sure I am not unusual in this, is to go on instinct.
Sometimes I fall back on the tried and tested rather than pose about waffling on about music theory.
Catchy that tune ‘Split Endz’ by The Fringe. Bit of boogaloo Babs always hits the spot. 4/4 – straight eights, innit
Post gig Analysis Waiting for the Night bus Home to Penge.
So for instance if I know an artist’s work from the past I will go there and see if the new work is as good as the things that I have enjoyed in the past.
But that doesn’t always work. And so for instance in recent years I have gone off the work of Charles Lloyd and haven’t enjoyed an album of the great one’s since Mirror. With Lloyd I just go back to his ECM days and even better long ago to his hippie jazz heyday rather than look to his newer work.
Tastes change
I try to be an open listener. Ideally not knowing anything about the musician or band first and then getting swept into it. That isn’t always possible. And certainly if you experience the act first live you are going to know something about the act to encourage you at the least to go along. Maybe it’s only a picture, or a brief track, or somebody has mentioned that so-so is great… or there is something funny from popular culture. Of course I defer yet again to the peerless Anchorman in this regard
Slowly, the bass line of the Neil Diamond song blends into a dynamic casio driven action news theme. Ron’s march down the street has turned into the opening of the six o’clock action news. And it is powerful ma friend, powerful!
– Will Ferrell and Adam McKay
Anyway
Enjoy today’s choice. Wednesday, eh, weird sort of day. Going all ‘murican again and “got the hump to be getting over” even. Not ‘alf. Whatevah. Every day’s a blues day.
