Category Archives: Music

What’s New for the 29th of December: New Riders of The Purple Sage, Beatrix Potter’s gardens, German chocolate bars, Anime, Northumbrian music, Garner’s The Owl Service, Welsh mythology and quite a bit more!

Posted on 29th December 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

That Blod-woman was pretty poor,” said Roger, “however you look at it.” “No,” said Huw. “She was made for her lord. Nobody is asking her if she wants him. It is bitter twisting to be shut up with a person … Continue reading →

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Nous’s Nous II

Posted on 15th December 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

What first attracted me to this recording was the presence of Shahzad Ismaily, the New York-based multi-instrumentalist whose playing, composing and arranging skills have made him a valued contributer to projects by so many musicians it’s impossible to list them … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 1st of December: An Irish Music guide, Gingerbread, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Frank Zappa live, de Lint’s Crow Girls, Asimov’s Foundation trilogy, two live music cuts, a guide to Irish music and much more

Posted on 1st December 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

  We keep our cats as happy as we can. — Anna Nimmhaus Remember I mentioned recently that we got snow? Well now it’s quite different, as it’s a steady, icy rain and a gusting wind which has kept every … Continue reading →

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Gary’s favorite recordings of the 2010s

Posted on 1st December 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

The 2010s have been a turbulent decade. At decade’s end I find my musical interests being dominated by jazz and related instrumental music with a component of improvisation. This includes a hefty dose of music from other cultures (what has … Continue reading →

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Various artists’ Down In Jamaica – 40 Years Of VP Records

Posted on 26th November 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

VP Records has released a definitive set chronicaling its 40 years of bringing Jamaican music to the world. Down In Jamaica is a 94-track box set with 24-page booklet and art cards detailing the hits, rarities, and history of the … Continue reading →

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Lumen Drones’ Umbra

Posted on 23rd November 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

Let’s see, how many of my musical buttons does this new release by Lumen Drones push? Hardanger fiddle? Check. Folk-based experimental music? Check. Nordic music? Check. And of course the big one, right there in the name: drones, drones, drones! … Continue reading →

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Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s Big Band Holidays II

Posted on 20th November 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

For more than a decade the Big Band Holidays concerts have been a New York City holiday tradition for jazz lovers and families. Every December the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and an all-star roster of guest … Continue reading →

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Blato Zlato’s In The Wake

Posted on 14th November 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

I went to a good number of musical events in 2019, and one of the most enjoyable was a performance and dance put on by the New Orleans-based Balkan band Blato Zlato. They’re a superb folk ensemble playing mostly Bulgarian-style … Continue reading →

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Various artists’ Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots

Posted on 5th November 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

I’ve been a fan of Bloodshot Records, the Chicago insurgent country label since not quite the beginning, but sometime in the late 1990s. They’re celebrating their 25th anniversary this month with some live music events as is their wont, but … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 20th of October: ‘Pierre De Grenoble’ by Malicorne, Black cat awareness month, Philip Glass’ “portraits”, the folklore and folkways of American Indians, Ursula le Guin on Coyote, and her Buffalo Gals fantasy.

Posted on 3rd October 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Coyote is an anarchist. She can confuse all civilised ideas simply by trotting through. And she always fools the pompous. Just when your ideas begin to get all nicely arranged and squared off, she messes them up. Things are never … Continue reading →

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