I want this world to be better as we come out of lockdown

I am sure it's no accident that the UK government is beginning the slow journey out of lockdown just a few days before the 11 March anniversary of the United Nations declaration of a pandemic. That day in 2020 was a momentous one and it was significant that it took the UK two weeks to really understand the immensity of the global situation and take action.

Post-pandemic instead of new normal, let's have something different and exciting. Heaven alone knows how difficult the various lockdowns have been. We all need to learn from these experiences.

Today, I had a new back door fitted and it feels right that I'm improving my home environment as I prepare to leave it more frequently.

What does it mean for us to be in a 'sound condition'?

The latest episode of Harmonious World features a conversation with producer, composer, flautist and pianist Nicholas Gunn.

    Nicholas has just released his latest album - Sound Condition. In our conversation, Nicholas talks about the transformational power of music and explains to me what he means by the term 'sound condition'.

    To find out more about Nicholas, click here.

An interview with Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov

 Renowned Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov joins me for this episode of Harmonious World.

    His latest album - Silver Age - is a brilliant collection of works by Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Scriabin. In our conversation, Daniil gave a real insight into why these pieces form the basis of Russia's Silver Age and the importance of Sergei Diaghilev, as founder of the Ballets Russes.

    To find out more about Daniil, click here.

Doug Carn - JID005

There's something very reminiscent of the 70s in Doug Carn's latest album, released on the ground-breaking Jazz is Dead label.

    I enjoyed reviewing this for KindofJazz.com.

My first podcast with music clips!

My latest podcast includes extracts from the composer's music. With grateful thanks to composer William Susman, I hope you enjoy our conversation.

    The new album - 'A Quiet Madness' is available now, featuring three piano pieces, a piano and violin duet, a series of seven scenes for four flutes and a solo accordion piece that was composed as a response to Hurricane Katrina.

    To find out more about William, click here.

Set yourself up in Bandcamp

 If you haven't heard of Bandcamp, you ought to check it out.

    Lots of the artists I review for KindofJazz and interview for Harmonious World sell their music direct to fans via the site.

    It's a much better way of buying new music than some of the more commercial sites.

    What is even better is if you wait until the first Friday of every month and join in Bandcamp Friday, where all the site's fees are waived and more profit goes to the musicians themselves. It's something that started in March and is a great way of supporting the music industry while we can't go out to gigs.