“Women Of Ireland”, or “Mná na hÉireann” in the original Irish, is an old poem written in the 18th century by a guy called Peadar O…
Jazz
20/08/2018: “Interstellar Low Ways” by Sun Ra
I find that as far as avant garde Jazz goes, Sun Ra and his Arkestra are relatively accessible. Although there are often crazy moments, there…
30/06/2018: “Rhapsody In Blue” by George Gershwin
The idiosyncratically named “Rhapsody In Blue” is probably one of the most famous classical piano pieces. The piece could be classified as jazz as well,…
14/06/2018: “The Girl From Ipanema” by Stan Getz and Joao & Astrud Gilberto
Without a doubt, this is the most famous song to emerge from Brazil’s Bossa Nova scene. Bossa Nova is essentially a Brazilian take on Jazz,…
10/06/2018: “Modus Operandi” by Photek
When I pick the title track of an album, I feel a bit guilty for leaving the others out; I tell myself I’ll write about…
26/05/2018: “Last Nine Days” by Quasimode
The first time I remember hearing “Last Nine Days” by Quasimode, was actually when it played on shuffle on one of my own playlists. Quite…
12/05/2018: “In A Sentimental Mood” by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
The combination of Duke Ellington’s superb piano playing and John Coltrane’s saxophone makes for a very beautiful piece of music. The song was originally written…
08/05/2018: “Ifetayo” by Black Truth Rhythm Band
The Black Truth Rhythm Band are an interesting band because, despite the general African aesthetic, such the obvious influences from Afro-beats and the fact that…
29/04/2018: “Celestial Blues” by Andy Bey
Sometimes less is more. Andy Bey proves this with “Celestial Blues”, which saw the light of day in 1974, on Experience and Judgement. It’s a rather sparsely…
18/04/2018: “Journey In Satchidananda” by Alice Coltrane feat. Pharoah Sanders
A lot of Alice Coltrane’s music can probably best be described as being “cosmic”. She often viewed her music as a spiritual expression; she was…