Day 1 in the Derbyshire Dales

 A group of friends and I are cycling in Derbyshire. There are some challenging hills, cycle paths that are gravel (tricky on a road bike) and we had a little rain. But a lovely day and more to follow tomorrow,

Every once in a while, the trail we were on for half of the ride passed under a bridge. Beautiful structures from the past.

We enjoyed a lunch break at Tissington, in a deserted railway station, where there were memorials for people who’ve enjoyed hiking and cycling along the abandoned railway tracks.

I have no idea what this indicated, but it meant something to train drivers or passengers until the line was closed 60 years ago.

At the end of he day, I gave Ella a good clean but I wish I had taken a ‘before’ shot to show how much mud covered her. Now she’s shiny and ready to go on a shorter ride tomorrow.

Freddie Bryant 'Upper West Side Love Story' and his tales of New York

Freddie Bryant's album 'Upper West Side Love Story' is an ambitious musical dedication to a specific area of New York, but it says a lot about how cities are gentrified.

I chatted with Freddie for episode 172 of my podcast Harmonious World and he tells the whole story about this complicated music that is a song cycle and so much more.

From the perspective of a child, of a man growing up in this part of town he loves so much and then as an adult looking back, this music sheds an intensely personal light. Musically, it is captivating.

Please do listen to the episode and then to the whole album. It's worth it for the music and for the poetry,

Sara Shiloh Rae and Bluebird Junction 'The Sondheim Project'

I promise you'll love the latest Harmonious World episode with singer Sara Shiloh Rae and The Sondheim Project - Sara wasn't dismayed when I said that she and the band Bluebird Junction had "taken Broadway and moved it into the middle of nowhere."

This really was a great discussion. Sara is a classically-trained singer with opera and concert hall credentials, but there's something joyous and blues-infused about this approach to some classic Sondheim tracks. We had a blast discussing it.

Sara's vocal approach to these Sondheim classics treads the delicate line between jazz, Broadway and bluegrass. Along the way, the arrangements and the performances - Max Hoetzel (banjo), Mike Robinson (acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar), Myles Sloniker (bass), Alex Hargreaves (fiddle), Jacob Jolli (mandolin) and Molly Aronson (cello) - bring a new perspective to some songs we all know so well.

Particularly outstanding is the arrangement of Ladies Who Lunch, which fits perfectly the lyrics with the music. As usual, there's a wit and a biting tone which seemingly permeates the song while the melody lilts along. Simply stunning!

Lonnie Liston Smith 'JID017'

There is nothing quite like getting lost in music, and that's exactly what happened when I cued up one of the latest releases from Jazz is Dead, featuring jazz-funk legend Lonnie Liston Smith.

I highly recommend listening to Lonnie Liston Smith JID017 straight through from Loves Brings Happiness featuring vocalist Loren Oden. That will take you through some stunning tracks , more of which feature Oden's vocals, until you reach the trance-like What May Come and finally A New Spring with more vocals.

One of the greatest things about the Jazz is Dead collaborations is the multi-instrumental talents of Adrian Younge alongside the bass of Ali Shaheed Muhammad. It's as if they set out to create music with some of their favourite artists - Roya Ayers, Gary Bartz and Brian Jackson, to name just a few of my favourites. Their own style permeates all of their releases, while they allow the musical soul of their collaborators to rise above it all.

The vocal talents of the Jazz is Dead stalwart Loren Oden permeate this album and seem to work perfectly alongside the jazz keyboards of Smith himself. The theme of the album is a celebration of love’s power to heal, but there is also a sense of the power of jazz to cross generations.

For those who know the name of Liston Smith, he's worked with the brightest stars of jazz in a long career, including Miles Davis, Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri and Leon Thomas. When he formed his own ensemble - Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes - and turned to the classic Fender Rhodes piano that he created a groove that is unmistakably jazz funk. His album Expansions, released in 1975 on Flying Dutchman Records, is one of the highlights of most DJs' stack labelled favourites.

This 17th issue from Jazz is Dead proves conclusively that jazz really is still very much alive and kicking. Oh, and numbers 18 and 19 are out already, if you were in any doubt.

Tania Giannouli 'Solo'

The latest episode of Harmonious World features a conversation with composer and pianist Tania Giannouli.

Tania's latest album - on Rattle Records from New Zealand - is called Solo and it's her first completely solo release. It's a beautiful collection of tracks composer and improvised by Tania. We spoke just a few weeks after I had visited her homeland of Greece and it brought back lots of memories for me, although the music itself is quintessentially international.

Thanks to Tania for allowing me to play extracts from Solo alongside our conversation. I chose  to open with Novelette, which perfectly sets the tone for the episode and is one of my favourite tracks on this delightful collection.

In the middle of the episode, I played a clip from Twin Star, with Same Dream at the end. Both of these evoke Tania' style and dexterity on the piano and with that perfect combination of composition and improvisation.

Just a few weeks ago, I spent time on Crete and then a day on Santorini and this album evokes those views and sounds, as well as the warmth of the Greek nation. There is something of Greek folk tunes about Tania's playing, although there is so much more. On these chilly August days in the UK, it's great to bring the sunshine in through this album.

Two books - three musicians and a lot of important life lessons

My summer reading this year has included two fascinating books: both of them ostensibly about bass players, but actually they narrate more about the determination and self-determination that transfers across all our lives.

The first book - Upright Bass: the musical life and legacy of Jamil Nasser - was introduced to me in March by Muneer Nasser, the author, when he joined me for an episode of my podcast, Harmonious World. Muneer and I discussed the book, as well as the music of his father, Jamil, and his own releases. Once I started reading Upright Bass, I couldn't put it down.

Nasser drops names about the extraordinary musicians his father worked with, and alongside that he tells the story of an incredible life behind many great jazz gigs and recordings.

As well as the musical legacy, Jamil Nasser, who died on 13 February 2010, will be remembered for speaking up against injustice and this book expands on the way he used his voice as a power for good. At his memorial, jazz pianist and composer Harold Mabern said: "Jamie was a giver, not a taker, a man of high integrity and an organiser who didn't waste time."

Upright Bass is about so much more than the life and times of a musician. It is well worth a read for anyone interested in the ways of bop and the trials of being a jazz musician. Buy the book here and find out more about the music and the works of Muneer Nasser here. 

The second book about a bass player is the autobiography of Bill Harrison - Making the Low Notes.

Bill tells his story of being a jazz bassist at the highest level, mainly in and around Chicago. But, again, this says much more about how you approach life as a human, alongside the nuts and bolts of learning and playing this music we call jazz.

Once again, the bass is an instrument (pun intended) for a journey through life and all that throws at us all. The subtitle of Bill's book is 'a life in music' and that really is what this is about. Just as Muneer Nasser tells his Dad's story, so Bill tells us about the people who encouraged him, the music which influenced him and the twists and turns that moulded him.

Buy Bill's book here.

Elvis Costello is one of those quoted as saying: "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" or something similar. In both of these books, the music is a part of the story, but what comes through in them both is the humanity of the players. For those of us who are driven by music, it is at our core and will remain so. Trying to put that into words isn't always easy but both Muneer Nasser and Bill Harrison do a great job - both of them with a double bass at the heart.

Elina Duni 'A Time To Remember'

I was delighted to interview Elina Duni for the latest episode of Harmonious World: below, you can read my album review of A Time To Remember.

A Time To Remember is Elina Duni’s 11th album and it’s a stunning combination of original and standard tracks that show off her voice beautifully,

Elina’s band reunites the winning combination of Rob Loft (guitar), Matthieu Michel (flugelhorn) and Fred Thomas (percussion and piano), with genuine collaboration. In our discussion for Harmonious World, Elina and I discussed the musical interplay between the instruments that is really extraordinary. At times, the lines intermesh and the players trade ideas and music motifs that is subliminal.

The whole album represents original tunes composed by Elina, sometimes in collaboration and sometimes inspired by the landscape around her and nature in all its glory - wherever she finds herself. There is a global heme that runs throughout, alongside the whole notion of time. Lockdown presented Elina with the challenges we all faced and some of those come through in the lyrics.

Jazz standards and folk tunes from different countries all feature, including Albanian and Kosovan traditional songs and the Sondheim classic Send In The Clowns.

the title suggests, the notion of ‘time’ – in a fleeting sense – pulls through the programme like a theme, connecting music from different parts of the world – traditionals, popular songs and original compositions – in performances of deep lyricism but also fleet-footed folklore. The repertory spans Albanian and Kosovan traditionals, American songs like the Broadway classic “I’ll Be Seeing You” and Stephen Sondheim’s musical ballad “Send In The Clowns” as well as originals by Rob and Elina. 

Guitarist and co-composer Rob Loft has featured on Harmonious World podcasts and his role is clear here. Elina says: “Rob has a sun-drenched, solar side to his playing and writing, while I tend to be drawn to darker musical colours. Combining these two contrasting elements can be a great challenge, but the result is equally rewarding. Finding the middle ground is a way for us to become sincere and authentic in our collective.

“I think this album is a reflection of our shared passion for musical storytelling, going beyond genre and language. After several years on the road touring together, the slightly unconventional lineup now sits comfortably, and inhabits its own, singular world of sound. It feels like the most cinematic album I’ve made to date, too, with every song suggesting a different film. It draws inspiration from our diverse, multilingual repertoire of traditional folksong.”

A Time To Remember  is available now on ECM Records and Elina Duni’s episode on Harmonious World is live.

Telling my story - with JazzFuel

 My friends at Jazz Fuel asked a few questions about motivation and music. It sheds a little more light on why I created Harmonious World back in May 2020.

Please do read the full interview for Jazz Fuel and let me know what you think.

Day ten - Zurich to Hitchin

 

Still having fun as we took our 12th, 13th and 14th journeys to eventually reach home.

Our return to the UK, via Switzerland and France, was definitely aided by the overcast and rainy weather. We had four days of hot sun in Italy and largely dry days throughout our journey. Now, it doesn't matter that the temperature has dropped and clouds are covering the sky.

Interrail is a truly magnificent way to travel around Europe and I really cannot recommend it highly enough. The slightly clunky need to show a pass alongside a separate seat reservation (only on some legs) is just a bit annoying. And, actually, we weren't asked to show both reservation and pass many times.

We found some great hotels and overall the whole experience was great.

But there's nothing quite like coming home. We're already planning our next trip ...