Monday Long Song

Pianist Keith Tippett, who died last week at the age of 72, has been a hugely respected pillar of  British jazz, jazz-rock and prog since the early 1970s. Robert Fripp hired him to play on three early King Crimson albums 'In the Wake of Poseidon', 'Lizard' and 'Islands' and also produced two of Tippett's own long players, 'Blueprint' in 1972 and 'Ovary Lodge' the following year. The contemplative 'Song' opens proceedings on 'Blueprint'.

Keith Tippett - Song

Monday Long Song

Authentic instrumental acoustic Americana this week, from an unlikely source - The Netherlands. Joost Dijkema (pronounced Yowst Dykuh-ma) was born in 1989 and started his musical journey behind a drum kit before having his head turned by LPs such as Leo Kottke´s ´6 & 12 String Guitar’ and Michael Chapman’s ‘Time Past and Time Passing’ after which he spent several years developing his own fingerstyle acoustic guitar technique. Dijkema has thus far released two solo albums, 'Sacred Revelations' in 2016 and last year's 'Time Thief' (both available to check out here). 'Why in the World Evansville' is a new tune taken from the latest instalment of Tompkins Square's ongoing Imaginational Anthem series, 'Vol. X : Overseas Edition'.

Joost Dijkema - Why In the World Evansville

Monday Long Song

For all sorts of reasons buying records has slipped down my list of priorities just lately, but a new LP that I was very glad to bag was one of the 150 available copies of 'Dickfehler Studio Treffen I' by КОМВУИАТ ЯОВОТЯОИ. The German four piece have issued a steady stream of music through their Bandcamp page over the past couple of years (here), but frustratingly little of it on vinyl, thus far at least. Here's a 2020 tune, not featured on the new album.

КОМВУИАТ ЯОВОТЯОИ - KR IV.III

Farewell Steve Priest

On Friday December 21st 1973 I saw Sweet at The Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park. It was only my third ever concert, but the second time I'd seen the band at the iconic venue that year. Five years would elapse before I saw Sweet live again and a further three years before I caught them for a fourth and final time, albeit in a Brian Connolly-less trio configuration - a three piece Sweet if you will.

Bassist Steve Priest passed away yesterday at the age of 72, leaving Andy Scott as the sole survivor from the classic line-up. The December 1973 Rainbow show was recorded and seven of the thirteen songs played that night appeared two years later on the double compilation LP 'Strung Up'. 'Hellraiser', which had reached No.2 in the singles chart earlier that year, opened the set.

Sweet - Hellraiser (Live)