Category Archives: Music

Notebook

Posted on February 27, 2017 by

As it was, I had in 1939 decided to dedicate my life to Haydn, of whose music there was, in those days, no collected edition; indeed, only one-tenth had ever been published at all. Yet I always considered Mozart something … Continue reading →

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The voice

Posted on February 25, 2017 by

It goes without saying that the new release from Rhiannon Giddens is my record of the week in the Sunday Times: So much for that “difficult second album” challenge. If the roots singer/banjo player’s 2015 solo debut was a breathtaking … Continue reading →

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Good vibes, bad sound

Posted on February 12, 2017 by

A mixed bag at the Festival Hall. My review of the latest Transatlantic Sessions roadshow: In the end the joie de vivre pouring forth on the stage made up for the oddly harsh sound mix. Amplification isn’t usually a problem … Continue reading →

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The man, not the legend

Posted on December 18, 2016 by

Another biography of Elvis Presley, another opportunity to wonder what went wrong. And to imagine what might have happened if The King had said yes to La Streisand. From my review in The Times: Two years before his death, when … Continue reading →

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A singer in search of the right song

Posted on December 16, 2016 by

  If only she’d sung “Vámonos”, I told my companion after another frustrating show by Concha Buika. I fell in love with her voice the first time I heard her in a showcase in Lisbon a decade ago. She was one … Continue reading →

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Her funny Valentine

Posted on December 12, 2016 by

This classical diva has a sense of swing. My review of Renée Fleming at the Wigmore Hall: So, can she really sing jazz? I wasn’t entirely convinced beforehand, but long before the recital ended Renée Fleming had banished any doubts. While … Continue reading →

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The best world music & folk albums of 2016

Posted on December 4, 2016 by

  My Sunday Times choices. Full details here [£]. Once again, there are a couple of discs here that don’t fit neatly into the world/folk categories. But then again, good music is good music: in the age of shuffle mode … Continue reading →

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The best jazz albums of 2016

Posted on December 4, 2016 by

  My Sunday Times choices. Full details here [£]. 1 JOHN BEASLEY: Presents Monk’estra, Vol 1 (Mack Avenue) 2 CHARLIE HUNTER: Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth (GroundUp) 3 MADELEINE PEYROUX: Secular Hymns (Impulse!) 4 … Continue reading →

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In concert

Posted on November 28, 2016 by

Three recent reviews: Norah Jones at the Palladium; Charlie Hunter at Ronnie Scott’s; Madeleine Peyroux at the Festival Hall. All the gigs took place during the London Jazz Festival, although Jones’s date wasn’t actually part of it, for reasons that remain … Continue reading →

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Found in translation

Posted on November 25, 2016 by

“Hallelujah is essentially a Yiddish song Leonard Cohen wrote in English.” Daniel Kahn discusses his new version.

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