Music of 2021

That time of year again, when I look back over the past 12 months from a musical perspective - or what passes for music in my warped imagination!

 

It doesn't need to be said - but I'll say it anyway - that 2021 has been another difficult year for music and musicians, though I have managed to get to a few live events this year, including Hannah Moule & the Moulettes, and a female-fronted (ooh err...) covers band by the name of Led Zeppelina at my local pub, The Greystones, here in Sheffield, and some excellent jazz gigs by Fergus McReadie, George Crowley and Yazz Ahmed, organised by Sheffield Jazz at Crookes Club. The first of these, in July, was my first live music since November 2019. And there was also HRH Prog X, also here in Sheffield, with some excellent sets particularly from Franck Carducci, Arthur Brown, and Colosseum.

Fergus McReadie Trio

Chris Farlowe with Colosseum

I've managed to amass 93 albums released this year, a number boosted by having joined the broadcasting team at Progzilla Radio during the year, presenting a monthly show for 2 hours on the 3rd Sunday evening of the month, sharing some of my musical favourites and discoveries. The show tends to reflect my own preferences, so is dominated by jazz, Progressive rock and Classic Rock.

I've drifted more, over the past few years, towards the jazzier side of the musical spectrum, and this is reflected in the albums I've purchased and acquired during the past 12 months. When it comes to ranking them in any order, this proves, year on year, to be more and more difficult, but there have been some albums that I have returned to more often than others... but more on them to come.

Here's an alphabetic list of 45 albums that have resonated with me over the year:

Lee Abraham     Only Human
Accordo dei Contrari       UR-
Alco Frisbass      Le Mystere du Gue Pucelle
Argos    The Other Life
Big Big Train        Common Ground
Cosmograf          Rattrapante
Graham Costello              Second Lives
Miles Davis         The Lost Concert
Elephant9            Arrival of the New Elders
The Emerald Dawn          To Touch The Sky
Floating Points  Promises
Fractal Mirror    Beyond Borders
Hasse Froberg Musical Companion           We Are The Truth
Frost*   Day and Age
Garden of Live Flowers  Sticky, Sweet and Dirty
Glacier  Isalnd In The Sky
Steve Hackett    Surrender of Silence
Daniel Herskedal              Harbour
John Holden       Circles In Time
Dave Holland      Another Land
Iron Maiden       Senjutsu
Kalman Filter      Moons of Neptune
Gary Kemp          In Solo
Lazuli     Dénudé
Amanda Lehmann           Innocence and Illusion
Lifesigns               Altitude
John McLaughlian            Liberation Time
Fergus McReadie             Cairn
Pat Metheny     Side Eye NYC V1.IV
Mobius Strip       Time Lag
Monarch Trail     Wither Down
Nova Casade      Back From The Brink
Octarine Sky       Close to Nearby
Pasajero Luminoso          Pujol
Chris Potter        Sunrise Reprise
Ske         Insolubilia
Tom Slatter         Escape
Slowly Rolling Camera    Where The Streets Lead
Smalltape            The Hungry Heart
Gerard Smith     Lullabies in an Ancient Tongue
Snowpoet           Wait For Me
Soup      Visions
Three Colours Dark          Love's Lost Property
Trifecta    Fragments
Steven Wilson   The Future Bites

... and if there was to be a Top 5 for the year - in reverse alphabetical order:

Theo Travis - Songs From The Apricot Tree

An evocative and stunning work with Theo where he uses an Armenian Duduk, and ancient double-reed instrument made from a single piece of wood from the apricot tree. Mainly instrumental pieces, he includes a version of David Sylvian's 'Brilliant Trees', sung by the sadly late David Longdon.

Tillison Reingold Tiranti - Allium: Una Storia

A homage to a band whose day never came - a band that Andy Tillison heard in a camp in Italy in the 1970s and whose life was changed as a result - lovingly presented in RPI-style by Andy, Jonas Reingold & Roberto Tiranti.

James Francies - Purest Form

Francies is a young American keyboard playerwho has come to the fore in the jazz world over the past few years, working with Chris Potter and Pat Metheny (both of whose albums on which he appears featuring above). This is his second solo album, and shows a rich and rewarding diversity of style and dynamic throughout.

Rachel Flowers - Bigger on The Inside

Quite simply an outstanding piece of work from a young lady who does not let her blindness hold her back in terms of dexterity and virtuosity. A stunning collection from an amazing and talented multi-instrumentalist who I have no doubt will go from strength to strength in the coming years.

Nick Fletcher - Cycles of Behaviour

I have had the pleasure of seeing Nick play many times of the last few year, both as a member of the John Hackett Band and as a solo performer, chiefly on classical guitar. On this, his first rock solo offering, Nick demonstrates his obvious skill in rock, blues and jazz rock in songs and tunes self-penned and in colaboration with John Hackett. John's brother, Steve, says that "Nick... is probably the best jazz rock guitarist in the country. His fluency is astounding... I consider [him] to be an absolute star.", and I have to say that I agree.

So, that's my take on 2021 musically. But what do you think? What have I missed? Let me know, either here or on Facebook.

Here's to 2022!

Nova Cascade - Back From The Brink

I'm sure I've read somewhere - probably on some cheesy inspirational meme somewhere - that out of adversity comes strength. Cheesy though it may be, there is certainly some truth in those sentiments when it comes to this, the third album from the ambient progressive collective known as Nova Cascade.

 

Following on from their earlier albums - 2018's 'Above All Else' and 2019's 'A Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows' - comes 'Back From The Brink', a collection of songs, vocal and instrumental, forged in the white heat of the past 18 months or so of pandemic and lockdown: a task made all the more onerous as Dave Hilborne, the keyboardist and vocalist, was struck down by the virus and still endures the long-term effects of it. The title, 'Back From The Brink', is, therefore, apposite.

Dave, together with his usual associates Dave Fick on bass, and Charlie Bramald on flute, are joined by Eric Bouillette (who played with them on the last album) on violin & guitars, and Lorenzo Poliandri on drums & percussion. As with their previous recordings, the music is immersive, atmospheric and thoughtful; keyboard-driven, yet benefiting from the textures that the violin, flute and guitars bring. This is once more music from the ambient as well as progressive schools, and Dave Hilborne's vocals have an almost harsh yet ethereal quality to them. It is fascinating in that it is both music to soak yourself in, yet also music to engage the mind and spirit; that washes over you and carries you along to new places.

Musically, there are hints for me of the Moody Blues in 'The Minutes After', and of Peter Gabriel's 'Intruder' in 'The Hill', and the epic title track is a well-constructed, multi-sectional piece with reggae rhythms at times. There is a clear progression in all the band's work, with this being the most accomplished of the three albums to date, which I would highly commend to any and to all.

Big Big Train - Common Ground

 For around the last 12 years, Big Big Train have been at the forefront of the UK Progressive Rock 'scene', since the release of their 'breakthrough' album, The Underfall Yard (recently remastered and re-released). During that time the band has developed a line-up of musicians who have produced a steady stream of consistently well-crafted albums, and a trade-mark sound that has delighted and enthralled 'passengers' and others (and has been a bone of contention to others, too.)

The imminent release of a new album from any well-established band gives rise to much speculation and anticipation, none more so when that band has recently undergone substantial personnel changes. Since the warmly-received 'Grand Tour' in 2019, and partly as a consequence of the ensuing pandemic, three key members of the band - Dave Gregory, Danny Manners and Rachel Hall - have departed: all of whom contributed much to the overall sound of Big Big Train. How would their departure affected the feel of the music?

The release of 'Common Ground' answers some of those questions: and maybe the forthcoming tour in 2022 will provide further insights.

Common Ground has been for me a bit of an enigma. It is clearly Big Big Train, yet there are clear and obvious differences in the musical 'feel' of the album. For me, Danny's keyboards and Dave's guitars were an essential part of BBT's sound, as was Rachel's violin in recent years, and that just isn't there any more. Rikard Sjoblom brings his own touch to the keyboards, as do Dave Foster and Aidan O'Rourke to guitars and violin, but it's not the same to me.

Nick D'Virgilio is given more space to showcase his songwriting on the instrumental 'Apollo', and on 'All The Love We Can Give', but there is more than just a hint of Spock's Beard showing itself for me - maybe a direction of travel for the band as the composition duties are more widely shared in future? Big Big Beard, anyone?

David Longdon's voice continues to show great maturity and character, and on 'All The Love We Can Give' he finds a new register which put me in mind of Scott Walker (others mentioned Phil Oakey). His voice harmonises very well with Nick's and with Carly Bryant's, who brings a more forceful female voice to that of Rachel Hall. Greg Spawton's bass seems, to me, just a little more prominent on this album, which is never a bad thing.

The song-writing throughout is what you would expect, in that it is high-class, musically and lyrically. Opener 'The Strangest Times' is David Longdon's take on the past 18 months; similar in style to 'Alive' (from Grand Tour), and bringing in the BBT memes of fields, brooks and woods. 'Apollo' and 'Endnotes' both give space to the Brass ensemble to fill out the sound as only they can. 'Headwaters', the other instrumental track, gives Rikard some scope to explore the piano, though it doesn't quite have the jazz-tinged edge that previous piano pieces have had. 'Atlantic Cable' - a song about the laying of telecommunication links between the UK and US - also picks up the theme of Common Ground and our common humanity that echo through the collection: "we see the same stars/ walk the same ground/ lit by the same sun/ we could be one" [Black with Ink]; "we make new common ground/... we look up at the same stars/ see further as one." [Atlantic Cable]

And am I alone in spotting that the last line of the lyrics to 'Endnotes' - "down the river/ to the sea" almost echo the title of the band's first album, 30 years ago...?

Gerard Smith - Lullabies in an Ancient Tongue

 As a genre, Progressive Rock has been around now for over 50 years: many hold that King Crimson's 'In The Court of The Crimson King' was the first album of that genre - others go back a little further and cite The Beatles' 'Sergeant Pepper...' or The Moody Blues' 'Days of Future Passed' as the nascent release. Wherever it started, the genre has been growing and developing - progressing, perhaps - over the years, with each generation drawing from the past and influencing the future in their own particular way.

Into that great succession comes the new album from Gerard Smith, a Michigan native of Irish roots and a founder member of Bill Grogan's Goat, who gives us a wonderfully eclectic selection of songs that takes as its title a line from the aforementioned King Crimson album - "Lullabies in an Ancient Tongue."

Don't let the title fool you, though: this is not collection of sleep-inducing tunes - far from it! The opening track, 'Standing Stone', comes in with a bang, and carries on with a driving rhythm and almost growl-y vocals, and the album proceeds with shifts in tempo, time-signatures and texture within and between songs, which is uplifting and keeps you on your toes. The nearest any of the songs come to a lullaby is 'Sweet Dreams and Soft Mornings' (which appears in two versions on the album), but even this, with its multiple time-signatures, would make rocking a child to sleep difficult!

Drawing on the Progressive tradition, there are hints of Hawkwind, Genesis, and (of course) King Crimson in the music, but the 'ancient tongues' go further back too, with folky tinges in the guitars, mandolin, whistles, and even Uilleann pipes, and it's that mix of traditional and more contemporary musical themes that makes this a very alluring album of excellently written and constructed songs, and one that I would heartily recommend.

To listen to, or even to buy, the album go to Bandcamp.

Always There...

On Friday evening, 4th June, my Dad passed away. As I have reflected on his life, one phrase has struck me - 'always there...', and what follows is my further reflection and meditation on those words as they relate to Dad. I leave them with you as a testament to his impact on my life and those of others.

Always There

Always there: or so it seemed – at work,

extra shifts and overtime, to ensure that we had the life he wanted for us; a good education, a good holiday, a good home.

Always there: or so it seemed – in the chair,

in the corner; before work, after work, sleeping off the excesses in front of the TV – but don’t turn it off, ‘cos “I was watching that!”

Always there: or so it seemed – at Chapel,

care-taking, setting the heating; Property Committee and Trustees’ Meeting; making sure all was in hand for worship; preaching to hundreds, and to just two.

Always there: or so it seemed – a Father’s eye and a Father’s heart,

offering advice and proffering discipline, yet always with good intention and with that twinkle; always willing to help – as long as it didn’t cost him too much (he was a Yorkshireman, after all 😉).

Always there...

but the work clothes have been hung up; the pulpit vacated, the chapel closed;

and the chair, sitting in the corner, is empty now.

But he’s always there:

glimpsed in a mirror or a memory;

in hearts loved and loving;

in minds stretched and informed;

in lives enabled and transformed;

in love remembered and rejoiced over;

in stories told with laughter and tears.

In his Saviour’s presence, in the place prepared:

Always there…