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AUTOGRAPH HUNTING

I’ve been made aware that there’s some controversy about signatures on some of my recent artwork prints and on a limited edition of Philosophy Of Modern Song. I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the yearsand there’s never been a problem.

CHRISTINE McVIE was a Perfect presence

McVie benefitted from Buckingham’s help. Her songs on Fleetwood Mac had a snap and clarity they’d never had before.

BRIDGET BAZILE: star of gospel

Although the other trio member did not take a sole spot, she nevertheless gave a ´can´t take your eyes off her´ kind of performance, all a solo finger-clicking, hand-clapping, foot-stamping, tambourine shaking tour de force as she sang her heart out to The Lord.In fact tour de force is a phrase that was appropriate from the very first number, This Little Light Of Mine, in which Bridgit, with a beautiful voice that soared to opera levels and at times fell to  a prayerful whisper, played constantly with the tempo, creating all sorts of dynamics.

LOADS OF LOVE FOR LORETTA

“She was funny and fun. She was wise and a brilliant songwriter,” McBride said. “She was so real and always Loretta.”

´a defining hero of rock and roll:´ JERRY LEE LEWIS

Lewis embodied pinched obduracy, brooding, malevolent ignorance, violent unreliability and borderline madness. He abused women, played with guns and shot at men; he drove the highways of the south blind drunk with his loaded pistol on the dashboard. Yet in the vivid contrast between the meanness of the man and the grandeur of the artist, the common denominators were his phenomenal energy and admirable, all-conquering self-belief.

ARTS DRIVE THROUGH  DECEMBER

check out the huge listings and recommendations for jazz-related gifts

PORTSMOUTH CHORAL UNION & THE RENNAISANCE CHOIR

The recording of the Rachmaninov Vespers by Alexander Sveshnikov and the State Academic Russian Choir, from 1965, is described as ‘bone-chilling’ by one reviewer.

THE RENAISSANCE CHOIR IS SET TO TOUR

The Renaissance Choir members are already busy filling their diaries for 2023.  They have designed an exciting programme for the year ahead, including a tour to Wells Cathedral, Bridgwater and Glastonbury in May.
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DOING THE SPACEWALK as astronauts land on Lanzarote

Whether or not you view Man´s exploration of Space as Enterprise (a great name for star-ship !) or encroachment (which might be just as appropriate a name) the NASA trainees are acclimatising here on Lanzarote.  So we might here some strange sounds form our lunar-lookalike lava fields. Those sounds might be of a Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band member howling at the moon, or of an urban spaceman calling occupants of inter-planetary, most extraordinary craft.

2023 TEASERS

The Jazz Defenders put a modern soul spin on the classic hard bop style, brining that 20th century sophistication and excitement o the 21st century stage…