Soaring Top Line

No particular tie ins with anniversaries or radio schedules in this month's offering from BBC Music with the free cover disc.

Byrd and Tallis Sacred Choral Music.

Performers : The Cardinall's Musick directed by Andrew Carwood.

An Under Appreciated Genre

The English Song Series 15 : Finzi

Performers; Roderick Williams baritone. Accompanied by Iain Burnside piano on Earth and Air and Rain and To a Poet and by the Sacconi Quartet on By Footpath and Stile. Williams has a feel for the often under appreciated genre, Burnside always brings out fine detail in his accompanimemnts and the Sacconi's strings do all that is required of them expertly.

Soul Of A Nation

Lorcan MacMathuna : Rogaire Dubh

Song in the Irish sean nos tradition. The other side of traditional Irish music from the craic or the sentimental. The soul of the nation kept alive in contemporary times.

Dues Fully Paid Up

Blues of the Month Club : Joe Louis Walker.

Along with Robert Cray, Joe Louis Walker was the great hope for keeping the blues alive and relevant in the 80's and 90's. It's a little melancholy now to think that these two are elder statesmen themselves and there is not much sign of a further generation picking up the baton. But this album from 1995 shows him to be at the very top of his game.

You Can See What Miles Saw In Him

Ahmad Jamal Trio : Complete Live at the Pershing Lounge 1958. Despite initial superficial appearances, this is so much more than cocktail bar jazz played live in a fifties cocktail bar ! Piano jazz trio at the very top of its game with musical intelligence and experimentation placed ahead of flashy virtousity but all the technique you can shake a stick at.

So Let Us Not Talk Falsely Now

Filling in a conspicuous gap in the collection, Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding. Brother album to Blood On The Tracks maybe ?

Going Bump In The Night

Completing the mini J Geils Band splurge with the remaining essential album that wasn't in that 5 cd collection. Nightmares...and other tales from the vinyl jungle. Not vinyl any more of course, digitally remastered etc etc.

Get Him, Got Him ?, Good

Get Carter - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Roy Budd.

Great movie, fabulous theme which is the main selling point of the disc, irresistable bass riff, atmospheric harpsichord and sparkling electric piano underpinned by tablas. Otherwise a few dated throwaway pop songs and some Ramsey Lewis / Jimmy Smith inspired instrumentals but judiciously chosen dialogue extracts keep the plot moving.

Colossal

Saxophone Colossus : Sonny Rollins. Seeing Sonny Rollins birthday concert celebrations on tv, I was inspired to add another disc to my collection, particularly wanting a performance of his signature piece St Thomas. There may in fact be better recordings of that work than on Saxophone Colossus but this is a worthwhile two cd set compiling three late fifties vinyl albums. As well as Saxophone Colossus, the other two albums are Newk's Time and Tenor Madness which is boosted by the appearance on the title track of John Coltrane. Other sidemen are Tomy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly and Red Garland as the pianists, Doug Watkins and Paul Chambers as bassists and drummers Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones.

The Party Goes On

Original Album Series : J Geils Band. A bargain issue with the band's first five albums; The J Geils Band, The Morning After,"Live" Full House, Bloodshot and Ladies Invited. A shame that they are remembered in popular consciousness for one later novelty hit, for this was the greatest blues / rock good time party band in the world. Hugely charismatic front man Peter Wolf, one man horn section and harmonica pyrotechnic Magic Dick, keyboard and songwriting skills from Seth Justman and a powerhouse rhythm section, all held together by the underrated guitar of J Geils, an exponent of the "less is more" school of lead playing.