Wallpaper

Durham Cathedral

With the dog days of summer I always seem to become nostalgic for England's green and pleasant land. Something to do with the change of seasons, I think. Summer to autumn is a very special time that evokes all kinds of memories, usually associated with positive change. So for no particular reason here's a nice picture of a particularly lovely edifice. Quintessential Britain, I think.

Happy Blog-iversary!

Amazingly, this blog is celebrating another anniversary. 447 somewhat erratic posts containing an annoying number of typos and grammatical errors in four years. I hope some of you have found it entertaining. Now on to year five: champagne anyone...?

Plain Sailing

MD with Henry in Ensign class dinghy, San Diego bay.

Here's another postcard from my trip to San Diego last week. Old friend Henry and his charming wife, Lupe, treated me to a splendid lunch and bit of sailing around SD bay. Perfect! The reality of coming back to a rainy Seattle was harsh. I'm still plotting how to get a small sailing yacht and an apartment in the Ionian Islands.

Happy Birthday!

MD offspring in Seoul, Korea, June 2008

I can't believe it's been 24 years since I cut that umbilical cord.

Happy Birthday, Olivia!

Bon voyage, too: we'll celebrate when you are back.

Irony

Sadly, the excellent saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, from the equally excellent Dave Matthews band has succumbed to injuries acquired earlier in the year following a vehicle accident. While Mr Moore was recuperating, his place in the group was taken by Jeff Coffin. Is somebody Up There taking the piss?  RIP, LeRoi.

The Cat's Meeow

I hope I'm not overdoing these video clips but while I was in California a new automotive project (or rather an old one that has been resurrected) was coming to fruition. This sound is quite the business don't you think? I've mostly missed the US rally season but next year will be a different matter...!

Without cheating, do any of you know what the car is? Gilly and Chuck are excluded from replies.

Thanks Mel, you've done a fantastic job. Now you'd better fit that exhaust pipe!

Jethro Tull Live: Bourée

Ahhah, got it at last! This YouTube upload process can be tricky, especially with a slow internet connection. Anyway now I'm back in Seattle things have moved a bit. So here for your viewing pleasure is a video clip taken by yours truly of Ian Anderson et al. playing their old warhorse, Bourée, at the San Diego concert last Thursday. It was not a bad 40th anniversary gig even though I wasn't invited backstage. I have to say that while Mr Anderson did a virtually note-perfect solo, David Goodier's bass playing wasn't a patch on Glenn Cornick's original. Oh, well...!

PS Sorry about the less than professional vid quality but you can't expect too much from a 5mp Canon Elph still camera. And considering the above, the sound quality is quite amazing as I was recording from a distance of around 100 ft.

Performing Arts

MD making shadow creatures on the wall of the Orange County Performing Arts Center yesterday evening.

Sunbury to San Diego

Programme from the 8th National Jazz and Blues Festival, Sunbury, August 1968

Exactly forty years today, on Sunday 11th August 1968 (don't nitpick, I started to write this post yesterday) I made my way with friend Nick Williams to the racecourse at Sunbury-on-Thames, near London and paid 15/- (that's 75p for those born in the decimal era) to attend my first ever rock concert. I only attended for one day (Sunday) but despite missing great acts such as Ten Years After, Deep Purple and Arthur Brown on the previous day the lineup was still tremendous. Traffic, Spencer Davis, John Mayall, Chicken Shack, Al Stewart and Fairport Convention were all in attendance and to my impressionable young mind were simply great and this probably explains why I have so many of their CDs in my collection today. In addition the late, great, John Peel was compere on a secondary stage, actually a tent, of unbilled smaller acts that included a young, dynamic, piano player by the name of Reg Dwight who went on to achieve fame as Sir Elton John.
While all of these bands were exceptionally good, to my mind one stood out above all the rest -the hitherto unknown Jethro Tull. In fact I would say they stole the show although I'm not sure why. Perhaps because on an afternoon/evening that was replete with guitar virtuosoity from the likes of Stan Webb, Stevie Winwood, John Mayall and Jeff Beck, Tull's use of the flute as a lead instrument was fresh and very different. To this day they are pretty much the only band to take this approach and while Ian Anderson's technique was somewhat limited (it has improved immeasurably over the years) the attack was amazing. Dharma for One is still one of the most aggressive instumentals I know. Perhaps also because I was learning to play the flute at the time and JT's sound, particularly the percussive overblowing technique, offered a more macho alternative than the drippy, saccharine styles frequently offered by other flautists.

Anyway I've been a fan of Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull ever since and on Thursday I'm going to see them again in San Diego, California. Back in the heady days of 1968, I'm absolutely positive that neither the band or I would have dreamed we'd be doing the same thing 40 year later. Let's hope we may be doing this again in 2048!

Hiroshima Mon Amour

Genbaku Dome, Hiroshima: Ground Zero.

Twenty five years ago to the day I was in Japan attending a conference. The date was also very close to the anniversary of the atomic bombing of that country. I took a side trip to the city of Hiroshima to view the site of the first nuclear attack. I've visited many battlefields in my life. All have a poignant vibe but this city seemed to physically resonate with the agonies of tortured souls*.


August 1983: MD rings the Bell of Peace.

At the time of writing this post (August 9th) it is the 63rd anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. I'm hoping that mankind remembers clearly the horrors of nuclear weaponry and that they will never be used again. But somehow I doubt it.

* Statistics. When the Enola Gay dropped Little Boy, a 13 kiloton firecracker compared with the superpowerful megaton devices now in the arsenals of perhaps eight countries or more, 80,000 people lost their lives instantly and another 60,000 died of burns and radiation injuries quite soon after. It is likely that a further 50-60,000 individuals died of radiation induced cancers in the post-war years.

Solzhenitsyn

Well it's do svidanija to Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn, novelist, nobel laureate, cancer survivor, Red Army veteran and crazy dissident who departed for a better place yesterday. The Gulag and the rest of us will miss you.

And While We're on the Subject

And while we're on the subject of things martial, this has to be the funniest advertisement I've seen in a long time.

Iaido

It appears we have been in the news (for the eagle eyed there are a couple of quick shots of Mad Dog in Technicolor) -hopefully not with poor technique enshrined in celluloid (or whatever digimedia is) for posterity.

Parking Lot Observations

I drive to work and park in a lot across the street. Yesterday as I walked the 200-300 yards or so my place of employment I noted the following items on the ground (i) a dead rat -squashed flat (ii) a used condom (iii) a used syringe (no needle). Previously I've come across a 9mm cartridge* case. Two years ago there was the brick incident and all this is just five blocks south of Seattle's famous Pioneer Square. I'm re-considering my parking options...

* As an explanatory note for gun-free Brits who may not be familiar with such descriptions, this is the expended case of a fired bullet.

Independence Day 2008

Happy 4th July everyone! (and don't mention tea)

I'm off to do something frivolous....

What Manner of Bollockery is This...?

The grand front entrance of the Middlesex Hospital, sadly boarded up a year ago (picture from DerelictLondon).

Today happens to be the 31st anniversary of the start of my career as a professional scientist when I nervously began as a very wet-behind-the-ears postdoc at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School in London. It's really hard to believe I'm that old. But complaining about my decrepitude is not the purpose of this post. What is more shocking is the fate of the hospital itself. The Middlesex merged with the mighty UCL in the 1980s and despite some rationalization of services, the new entity continued to operate on both sites until relatively recently. However following the opening of the new UCL hospital on Euston Road a couple of years ago, the old Middlesex building was closed and put up for sale. Yesterday I was shocked to receive from reader Gilly (a friend and fellow inmate at the medical school all those years ago) these photographs:


The Woolavington Wing has gone as well as the little bridge to the Courtauld Institute in Riding House Street.


Apparently only the chapel from the hospital remains.


What marketing genius thought up this rubbish name?

At first I couldn't work out what was happening and then I realised that the old hospital has been demolished. What a shock; I thought it was a listed building. Even more shocking was image found at the nohosquare.com URL emblazoned on the fencing. Heaven help us -how could this lovely old building be razed and replaced by such an abomination?


The new development: is that a golf course on top?

Generally I like modern architecture but this thing looks like an egg carton on steroids. And what's that horrid green Astroturf toupée on the roof? I suppose I shouldn't expect too much from developers who describe this monstrosity as "a new way of living and working in central London" (what could that be I wonder -sleeping vertically in a closet, perhaps?) and that the new complex contains a "destination restaurant". Any firm that resorts to such stupid, hackneyed, marketeer cliches shouldn't be allowed control of a bricklaying trowel let alone a bulldozer...(2000 word diatribe deleted). Must go now, it's time for my medication!

A Divine Wind: The Best Rock and Jazz Flute Pieces Ever

Mad Dog tries to impress gullible bystanders with his overblowing technique, London, c1996.
For more years than I care to remember I've owned a flute with the idea that one day I'll be a jazz musician. Currently it's rusting away in my study and the way things are going I probably won't get time to reintroduce myself to it until retirement. Anyway I've always loved this instrument so when Josephine in Brussels enquired if I knew any examples of the flute being used in rock music I thought this would make a great topic for a post. Specifically she asked: "...I'm looking for pop and rock where the flute gets nice solos as a part of the whole piece next to vocals and guitars etc...."

Well Josephine, your question is excellent and I don't know if have the answer. In the 70's there was quite a bit of progessive rock and jazz fusion music that featured the flute. In the 60's there was some great jazz. Jethro Tull (we're not worthy) is just about the only band to have featured the flute consistently as a lead instrument in a large portfolio of eclectic music for the past 40 years. So from the top of my head, here are ten artists that might meet your criteria (note that the flute part does not appear until quite far into these pieces -be patient).

Soft Machine: Facelift
This clip is Part II of this piece. It's circa 1970. You might want to find Part I also (there's no flute but it's great) -I always thought this band was very underrated.

John Coltrane: My Favourite Things
Fan-bloody-tastic 1961 classic by the tenor sax master. The most excellent Eric Dolphy takes the flute solo.

Barbara Thompson: The Adventures of Water
At Ronnie Scotts club in the mid-80's. Possibly not the most exciting song in BT's repertoire but her only performance on YouTube featuring her playing the flute.

Quintessence: Giants
Ah, Quintessence. Possibly the British equivalent of the Grateful Dead but with loads more talent and much more exciting (I've seen both bands live). Filmed at the second Glastonbury Festival, 1971, and a lot more interesting to watch than the wretched Amy Winehouse punching a fan (I wonder if she'll be Dame Amy in 40 years' time?).

John Mayall: Dream with Me
Offering from the bluesmeister from 1970. The brilliant Johnny Almond is on flute.

King Crimson: Court of the Crimson King
Super lead vocals and guitar by the peerless Greg Lake, c1969. Flute by Ian McDonald (I think).

Yusef Lateef : Love theme from The Robe
Perhaps my favourite jazz flute piece ever. Elegant simplicity.

Rahassan Roland Kirk: Serenade to a Cuckoo
All time classic from amazing multi-instrumentalist, the late RRK.

Jethro Tull: Bouree
I couldn't write a piece on the flute without mentioning Ian Anderson et al. The above solo is from a performance in 1976 but this one is contemporary.

Bullitt: Soundtrack
The flute pyrotechnics in this piece impressed me as much as Steve McQueen's driving when I first saw this movie (was it really 40 years ago?). In more recent years I've been told that the composer-jazz musician, Lalo Schifrin, actually played the flute part and that the female hottie in the scene was just "acting" (this story may be apocryphal as I'm not aware that Mr Schifrin is a flautist). I think the bass player is Charlie Mingus doing a cameo -can anybody confirm this?

Josephine, I hope that one or more of these pieces may fit your bill. As you mentioned the lyrical Moody Blues and the attacking Focus I haven't cited them again here. Besides I think I've written about them in other posts. Other bands featuring the flute you might explore include the eccentric Stackridge (now reformed), Audience, Blodwyn Pig, If and Ginger Baker's Airforce. And Herbie Mann should be in there too. All offerings from the 1960's and 70's I'm afraid but I'm not aware of any modern bands playing this instrument.

Dead Person Watch: Cyd Charisse

I must apologise on several fronts. First, the paucity of recent post has been due to several rather challenging events on the personal front (don't ask, I'm not going to bore you with the details) that have depleted my time and reduced my energy levels. Second, today's post is yet another YouTube clip (these things become shiny in the seat of the trousers very quickly) and third, today's topic is about another unfortunate demise -sometimes I think this site specialises in obituaries, but then I would be remiss to not remark on the passing of the totally wonderful Cyd Charisse who is now dancing in the clouds. And if you are not convinced of her talent by the above excerpt from On an Island with You take a look at this exquisite piece from Silk Stockings.

News Roundup

London
Surprisingly, newly elected Mayor and Tory buffoon, Boris Johnson’s first act in power was to do something of which I wholeheartedly approve, namely banning the consumption of alcohol on public transport. Back in the dark days of the mid 1990s I actually contacted the office of London Transport to suggest this after witnessing a late night encounter with an aggressive drunk on the Tube (my protestations didn’t have much effect). Surprisingly there was a lot of resistance to Boris’ legislation and on Saturday a large number of individuals decided to hold a party on the Circle Line to show that they could drink responsibly. And what did they do? They started fighting, abusing LT staff, vomiting and trashing the carriages. I rest my case.

Dunkin Donuts
So junk food purveyor, Dunkin Donuts, has pulled an advertisement featuring celebrity cook and pitchperson, Rachael Ray, because she was wearing a scarf that resembled an arab keffiyeh. The campaign against the scarf was largely orchestrated by strident right winger, Michelle Malkin (no, I won't provide a link) who referred to Ray's scarf as "a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos". If this McCarthyist nonsense from a vicious harpy wasn't enough, Dunkin Donuts actually caved in and dropped the ad, presumably because they didn't want to offend customers with racist tendencies. Well DD you've certainly offended me with your spineless stance and I will make every effort to never darken your doorways again.

Max Mosley
What ever happened to honour? Or shame? Max Mosley, president of motorsport's governing body, the FIA, and son of fascist leader, Sir Oswald Mosley, has survived a vote of confidence after being participating in a Nazi style orgy and frequenting prostitues. After being caught quite literally with his pants down what does he do? He hires a legal team and goes on the attack and sues News of the World (a scurillous rag but not always wrong). There was a time when individuals resigned in these situations. And aside from the revolting Max, who are these people who gave him a positive vote of confidence? I presume it's all about money. Well until the FIA elects a new president I'm going to suspend watching F1 races (ok, I don't suppose anyone is quaking in their [jack] boots by that threat but it's about the best I can do).

Bo Diddley: 1928-2008

RIP -you were the greatest and copied by just about everybody. How we loved that clave beat and that twangy Gretsch guitar, too.