Friday, August 31, 2007

The Great Digital Download Con

Thanks to Martin Cowan:

“Like many other Music For Grown-Ups subscribers, I have been reading for some months now about the demise of the CD and how digital downloads are replacing the shiny discs as the music format of choice.

“CD sales are down, digital downloads are up - so it must be the case that the CD is on the way out. Mind you, if you look at the actual figures, CD sales are still are in excess of downloads, and my own personal view has always been that downloads are replacing CD singles - very much the market place of "the kids". I certainly don't know anyone who is downloading whole albums and at 79p per track, you're better off picking up the album from Amazon or Play.com.

“Anyway, I recently decided to dip my toe into the legal download market, mainly because my ten year old daughter had requested some particular songs to go onto a home-made CD. I dutifully logged onto HMV's digital download service and after a couple of false starts managed to download the 5 tracks I wanted. I also downloaded one track from Tesco, a track I couldn't get from HMV (Lily Allen's smash hit "Smile" which HMV only had available to "subscibers" - strange!). Anyway, so far so good.

“It was shortly after reaching this point that I discovered "The Great Digital Download Con", also known as Digital Rights Management or DRM for short. In a nutshell, while I could quite happily listen to my downloaded tracks on my computer, I discovered that the tracks which I had purchased and which I thought now belonged to me could only be listened to on my computer. I was not able to transfer the tracks onto a CDR, or for that matter to my MP3 player.

“Now I don't know about other Music For Grown-Ups readers, but personally I don't like listening to music on my computer. I want to listen to CDs (either purchased or home-made) on my stereo system or in the car, or tracks downloaded onto my MP3 player (not an iPod, I should add). So you can imagine my annoyance when I discovered that DRM had me backed into a corner.

“Luckily, after a bit of digging around on the internet, I discovered that if I transferred the tracks into my Real Player library and then used Real Player to create the disc, I could after all create the mix CD that my daughter had requested. And once on the disc I could then rip the tracks back onto my computer and download them on to my MP3 player. However, all this seems to be hugely time consuming, especially when considering that I had paid for the downloads in the first place.

“An interesting lesson, and not one that I have the time or the inclination to repeat through choice. But it did make me wonder how much of a place digital downloads will have in the future for music listeners. I rather suspect that the humble CD, recently celebrating its 25th birthday, has plenty of life in it yet.”

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Fopp reopens – well, sort of…

Regular readers will recall that the Fopp chain, ground-breaking UK record retailers often praised on Music for Grown-Ups, got into financial difficulty a couple of months ago and closed down.

And that HMV, a bigger chain not often praised here, bought the Fopp name and announced plans to reopen a few of the stores.

Thanks to Rob Port for the latest news on the ground:

“You may well already know, but six FOPP stores have re-opened.
Cambridge and Covent Garden being the two based in the South East.
HMV has bought them.

“I went to Cambridge this weekend and was very surprised and excited to see the shop back open. It looks like it never closed and the prices and stock range is as good as ever!

“More gossip can be found on wikipedia here towards the bottom of the page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fopp_(retailer)

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Free Springsteen track

Thanks to Lawrence Kirsch for news that the forthcoming Springsteen album is being promoted by a new online track, and to Mike Ollier for a link:

"The Graunidad is offering a free download of a track from the new Springsteen album, for one week only:

http://music.guardian.co.uk/

Friday, August 24, 2007

The best of the Elvis 30th anniversary product

Most of the Elvis product launched to exploit the 30th anniversary left me unmoved. I admire Elvis’s best music, but much of his work – and the surrounding three ring circus – bores me silly.

A couple of products impressed:

* Elvis – The King, a chart-topping new supermarket-friendly compilation album. If I didn’t already have all the music, this 2CD 50-odd track release would have been a must-buy.

* Elvis – The Official Collector’s Edition is a beautifully conceived and well executed part work series. The bargain launch issue (99p!) was everywhere in the High St and on TV last week. You can buy the 26 issues with or without 13 optional DVDs.

As most Elvis movies are unwatchable, I’d forego the DVD option. And think carefully about effectively shelling out about £75 for an Elvis book, delivered in parts. Nice looking artefact, though.


Gerry Smith

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Leonard Cohen - live: looking a bit more likely

Earlier speculation about possible Leonard Cohen London shows (see below) looks a bit more accurate with the news that Lenny is appearing in a free pre-show “conversation” with Philip Glass at The Barbican at 6pm on Sat 20 0ctober.

The show itself is a performance of Glass’s treatment of Book Of Longing, Cohen’s new volume of poetry, set for voices and instruments (but not, note, Leonard himself).

Leonard Cohen? Free? What?

Well, there’s a snag – you need a ticket for the main gig to get in to the pre-show talk. And the main gig is, er, sold out. It was already sold out in the new Barbican programme - which arrived today. I wonder where it was first advertised?

And, call me a cynic, but I can't believe that Leonard would travel all that way just to be one half of a joint free talk. Lenny in London gigs about to be announced? Here's hoping.


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PREVIOUS ARTICLE:

Leonard Cohen set to tour?

Leonard Cohen’s portrait on the cover of new issue of The Word, following loads and loads of recent UK press, makes me think that we’re about to see Leonard touring England - after such a long break.

He can’t surely be doing the press rounds in support of the slightly expanded reissues of the first three albums, or Anjani, his companion’s, new album of Leonard material. There simply has to be a bigger picture.

I’ve never seen Lenny live, but, then, who has? He hasn’t toured – anywhere - in 14 years…

If, like many grown-ups, you’re excited by the interface where pop culture (rock) meets high culture (literature), Lenny is certainly your man.

Watch this space…



Gerry Smith

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

New Neil Young album - Chrome Dreams II - due in October

Neil Young’s web site has news of a new album, Chrome Dreams II, scheduled for 16 October. Seven of the ten songs are newly written; two of the tracks promise to be ambitious works, running to 18 and 13 minutes. Young is set to tour to support the release.

Chrome Dreams was the title of an album aborted in 1977, though the project supplied several Young classics, notably Like a Hurricane, Powderfinger, and Pocahontas for later album releases. A widely circulating 12-track bootleg has been a fan favourite since the early 1990s.

If Chrome Dreams II is as impressive as the bootleg, it will banish the memory of the disappointing Greendale and Living With War, and continue the strong recent run started with the must-have Live At the Fillmore East (1971>2006) and Live At Massey Hall (1971>2007) CD/DVD.

http://www.neilyoung.com


Gerry Smith

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Four new releases mark Ella Fitzgerald anniversary

Seizing on the 90th anniversary of her birth, the record biz is busily pumping out “new” Ella product:

* Love Letters From Ella is the pick. It has 10 previously unreleased late-career tracks, some with new orchestral backings added post facto. It’s hardly peak period Ella, but the disc is well worth investigating.

* Ella Fitzgerald: The Collection (The Capitol Recordings) is a selection from the albums Ella recorded for Sinatra’s label in the 1960s - Misty Blue, Brighten The Corner, 30 By Ella, and Ella Fitzgerald`s Christmas. While none of these match the great Verve songbooks, this compilation is worth seeking out, especially as it has a discount price of £7.

* Love, Ella is a short career-spanning sampler, mainly of Verve material. It’s difficult to get too excited about this one – there are many better Ella comps available.

* Universal are also promoting a new tribute album, We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song. Glancing at the performers on track list - Natalie Cole, Chaka Kahn, Gladys Knight et al - I’d much rather spend the time/money on the unutterably wonderful real thing…


Gerry Smith

Friday, August 17, 2007

Remixing Dylan, Elvis, Bob Marley, Ella, Miles, Billie Holiday et al

Thanks to Martin Cowan:

“Sunday's Observer Music Monthly carried Paul Morley's barbed critique of the new Dylan remix. Having heard the track myself, I find myself agreeing with him”:

http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/comment/story/0,,2144403,00.html



There’s another view:

The Dylan remix is part of a trend of record labels attempting to reach a new audience for their heritage recordings by throwing in the odd electronica remix in otherwise faithful compilation albums.

The new track on the Dylan 3CD follows recent compilations of timeless recordings by top musicians - including Elvis, Bob Marley Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Billie Holiday – which have been treated either to a full album of remixes or a bonus track or two.

I can take them or leave them: any reinterpretation of great music is potentially interesting; some work, some don’t, but failure is no reason not to try. But I’d much prefer to listen to an electronica version of a Dylan song than yet another cover by yet another tedious, check-shirted grizzled Olde Farte brandishing an acoustic guitar.

The new remix of Most Likely You Go Your Way will have no bearing on whether I buy the new product, but I’ll give the remix at least a few hearings. As for Sony’s PR, attempting to make the remix into a big talking point – it obviously worked here, but I can’t help feeling it’s misguided – a trivial distraction from a great body of art.


Gerry Smith

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Joni Mitchell's new album - lyrics and cover art

Thanks to Steven Pearce:

“For those interested (and, surely, who wouldn't be?) here's a link to the new lyrics and cover art of Joni Mitchell's upcoming album, Shine:

http://jonimitchell.com/musician/album.cfm?id=28

“Plus, we have the knowledge there's at least one more album on the way... “

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

English rockers dominating the newsstands

It doesn’t happen often, but the current issue of all three London poprock monthly mags has an Anglo musician on the cover: Keith Richards on the front of MOJO, Paul Weller on UNCUT and Johnny Marr fronting the new issue of The Word.

The only other Anglo clean sweep in the last 20 months consisted of The Beatles, The Smiths and Amy Winehouse, in February this year.

The three mags regularly cover home-grown talent alongside N American peers, but it’s rare for English musos to dominate the newsstands in this fashion.

The best-loved popular music of the last century was predominantly American, and US musicians have dominated rock ever since Bill Haley signaled the end of the road for the post-WW2 crooner generation. Since The Beatles, however, English musicians have punched above their weight in most world markets – if you doubt it, visit any record shop anywhere in Europe and count the Anglos.



Gerry Smith

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Scorsese on his new Rolling Stones film and Dylan in No Direction Home

Thanks to Martin Cowan for the link to a revealing interview with ace director Martin Scorsese in Sunday’s Observer Music Monthly. In the course of promoting Shine A Light, his forthcoming Rolling Stones concert film, Scorsese also discusses Bob Dylan in No Direction Home:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,2144026,00.html

Monday, August 13, 2007

This Week’s Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide… thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


RADIO For Grown-Ups

Tuesday BBCR2 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Elvis: The 68 Comeback Special
In case you hadn't noticed, it's the 30th anniversary since El went to the toilet and didn't come back, so there's a lot of him about this week. This is a reminiscence of the iconic TV show ~ I don't see the point here, surely the great thing about that show, apart from the music ~ of course, is how great The Pelvis looked. And, lets also be honest, the show had some sphincter-tightening sequences also.

Wednesday BBCR3 23.45 ~ 01.00
* Late Junction
A few bits worth listening to tonight: Johnny Cash, Philip Glass and Scottish fiddler Laura McColl

Thursday BBCR2 22.00 ~ 23.00
* Don't Start Me Talking About ~ Elvis
Where were you when he died? is the question posed here.

Thursday BBCR2 23.00 ~ 23.30
* Pat Metheny ~ Bright Size Life (3 of 3)
Last programme focusing on the jazz guitarist.

Friday BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Tears
More eclectic themed picks from everybody's fave spinner; Solomon Burke, Hank William, Mose Allison and the superb 'Cry Me A River' from Julie London.

Friday BBCR3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library
A request show as listeners suggests tracks to play. I've never understood request shows; why phone/email a radio show asking for a track you already have? Just play your own CD, man.

Friday BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On Three
Trio Beyond (with Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield and Larry Goldings) live from the Barbican 2006 gig.


TV

OMG, we've got a worser-than-last-week's-worst situation going on here… BBC2 are showing two inessential Elvis movies on Thursday afternoon (Flaming Star and Viva Las Vegas) and the Abba-inspired Rom Com, Muriel's Wedding, is on BBC1 on Friday (and all have been on numerous times before). Apart from that…

Thurs ITV1 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Elvis In Colour
I would have thought that Mr Costello's early years were well documented in colour anyway… sorry, a rock-doc focusing on the early years of Mr Presley which are surely the only years we should remember him by. But, don't we know all this already?

I'd actually rather remember Elvis from the superb comedy-horror 'Bubba Ho-Tep' which, quite frankly, gives us a warmer, more humane version of Presley than a million docus with his 'friends' and the-people-who-truly-knew-him talking heads.

Apparently in this one Marty Wilde and Cliff Richard 'reveal' that they copied their whole look and sound on him. No? Next week, students 'reveal' they eat cold baked beans out of the tin, go to the pub and turn up late for lectures.

Thurs ITV1 23.00 ~ 23.35
* Amy Winehouse: Summer Series
The recent Somerset House gig which was, by all accounts, a cracker.

And that, as Oliver got told, is your lot matey, and thin gruel it is for music lovers.

Friday, August 10, 2007

The Biggest Bang – new Stones 4DVD box

It’s a well-kept secret, but The Biggest Bang, a new Stones 4DVD box set, featuring footage from the current world tour, has just been released. Best price I’ve seen is £30 at Asda, the UK Wal-Mart subsidiary. My local HMV hadn’t heard of it, and suggested In The Park as the “new Stones DVD”.

Far more tempting than Forty Flicks, the massively overpriced last Stones DVD box (£40-£50 – at that sort of price, they’d have to throw in a week at Sir Michael’s Loire Valley chateau to interest me.)

Along with the Martin Scorsese-directed Stones concert film, set for release (US) on 21 September, these are exciting times for Glimmer film collectors.


Gerry Smith

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Top 50 Elvis songs

Elvis Presley recorded over 700 tracks. Writing in The Times last Friday, critic Bob Stanley ranked his top 50.

It’s an invaluable guide for anyone starting to explore Elvis’s catalogue or compiling a basic set of tunes. Here’s a taster of the listing:

1. HOUND DOG - The intro explodes into your ears, and into the public consciousness, as only A Hard Day's Night and Anarchy In The UK have since. So intense, two minutes of sustained viciousness and sheer malicious glee.
2. SUSPICIOUS MINDS
3. MYSTERY TRAIN
4. HEARTBREAK HOTEL
5. I JUST CAN'T HELP BELIEVING…

The highly recommended full article is here:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2186173.ece




Gerry Smith

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Don’t Look Back - De Luxe 2DVD box surpasses the hype

Having documented the difficulties of buying the De Luxe version of Don’t Look Back 2DVD, and whining that, after several weeks of non-availability, it had become available in London, but was too pricey, I finally took possession.

What a marvellous product – surpassing the hype! Before release, The Dylan Daily predicted that “it looks like the product of the year”; in fact, it’s more than that – it’s one of the finest Dylan products of all, for five reasons:

* new second DVD, the Pennebaker documentary, with loads of new footage shot on the 1965 English tour, including a whole album’s worth of newly available live performances.

* audio extras – five songs - on the main disc.

* re-published 1968 paperback, incorporating full transcript and photos.

* revealing commentaries by Pennebaker and Neuwirth embedded on both discs.

* beautiful packaging – it’s the handsomest Dylan artefact yet.

I bought my copy of this cherished product via amazon.co.uk Marketplace dealer Record Village, for a mere £15.41, delivered. New, shrink-wrapped, plus fast delivery, from stock: after earlier disappointments with bigger online dealers, I’ll be putting more business their way.



Gerry Smith

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Earlier article on The Dylan Daily:


Don’t Look Back on DVD - biggest Dylan event of 2007 to date

The DVD re-release of Don’t Look Back, the classic fly-on-the-wall documentary, looks like being the biggest Dylan event of 2007 to date. Pre-orders on amazon.com have already put it inside the online retailer’s top 10,000 DVD titles.

The film tracks Dylan at his iconic, sneering, imperious peak (as well as his court of jesters) on the 1965 English tour. It has long been a must-have for aficionados.

There’ll be two new DVD versions of Don’t Look Back – a single disc release of the original film, remastered, plus a new 2DVD package:

Disc 1:
* Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back
* Commentary by director D.A. Pennebaker and tour road manager Bob Neuwirth
* Five additional uncut audio tracks
* Alternate version of the Subterranean Homesick Blues cue-card sequence
* Original theatrical trailer
* Pennebaker filmography
* Bob Dylan discography
* Cast and crew biographies

Disc 2:
* Bob Dylan 65 Revisited – new documentary compiled by Pennebaker from over 20 hours of unseen footage
* Commentary by Pennebaker and road manager Bob Neuwirth
* book (168pp) including a complete transcript, over 200 photos, and a new foreword by Pennebaker
* Collectible Subterranean Homesick Blues flipbook

Don’t Look Back on DVD is due for release in N America on 27 February, so presumably in the UK on Mon 26 February or Mon 5 March.

It’s a must-buy, even for those like me who’ve had the VHS and original DVD versions for years – a well-conceived new product, with loads of added value in the new two-disc package.



Gerry Smith

Monday, August 06, 2007

This Week’s Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide… thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:

RADIO For Grown-Ups

Monday BBCR6 21.30 ~
* My Aim Is True: The Elvis Costello Story
A look back at the alternative Buddy Holly with Alan Bleasdale, Macca-Thumbs-A-Loft and, of course, El and The Attractions. Unfortunately, it's presented by "comedian" Phill Jupitus.

Wednesday BBCR2 19.00 ~ 20.00
* Folk On Two
Mike Harding looks back at the career of enduring folkies Fairport Convention ~ my advice is, switch off after about half and hour (when Richard Thompson leaves) to miss the turgid last 30 years. One assumes the programme is to celebrate the current re-release expanded 2CD set of 'Liege & Lief,' arguably the best British folk rock album to be recorded.

Wednesday BBCR3 19.30 ~ 22.00
* Prom 35: From Bards To Blues.
Johnny Dankworth, sorry, Sir John Dankworth, "teases out the jazz in Shakespeare's poetry." Ermm, riiight.

Thursday BBCR2 23.00 ~ 00.00
* Pat Metheny ~ Bright Size Life (2 of 3)
More from the career of one of music's most accomplished and innovative guitarists (well, sometimes).

Friday BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Musical Instruments
"Big Long Slidin' Thing" by Dinah Washington ~ whatever can she mean? - and tracks from Bessie Smith and Tom Waits

Friday BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On Three
Wayne Shorter Trio recorded at the Barbican in 2006



TV For Grown-Ups

Cheesh, we've got a worse-than-last-week situation going on here, with only two repeats worth looking at:

Friday BBC4 21.00 ~ 21.50
* BBC4 Sessions ~ Bryan Ferry
Everybody's favourite menswear model goes through his Dylan songbook at LSO St Luke's. A repeat from earlier in the year.

Friday BBC4 21.50 ~ 22.50
* BBC4 Sessions - Hawkwind
A profile of the one-hit wonders, again from earlier in the year. Despite the band on show, this is quite an entertaining look at the space-rockers who had the Amazonian Stacia as a focal point, probably to help take people's minds off the music.

Time to get out that Dave Alvin live at Austin City Limits that I haven't watched yet.

Paul Weller for beginners

As main man in The Jam and Style Council and as a solo artist, Paul Weller has been a prolific songwriter, with over 300 songs already to his credit - and the flow shows little sign of abating.

Like many creatives, Weller’s early stuff is the most highly regarded. In a lengthy feature in the new (Sept) issue of UNCUT, the music and movies monthly, celeb muso votes for his best songs produce a top 30 which is two thirds Jam songs. And a top ten with 9 Jam songs.

The top three, fairly predictably, are:

1. Going Underground
2. Town Called Malice
3. That's Entertainment

If you need to catch up on Paul Weller (as I did), the new issue of UNCUT offers you an expert dissection of his work.

www.uncut.co.uk



Gerry Smith

Friday, August 03, 2007

New jazz radio: encore

Responding to my criticism of new digiradio station theJazz, reader Bill Owen takes me to task – “Look again, theJazz has a truly electic playlist. Just look at the top 500 tracks voted by listeners…”

So I did. Looking at the top 100 tracks, I find that Miles leads with 14 tracks. Impressive. And Coltrane has seven in the 100. So far, so good. But Louis Armstrong only has three. Ella just one.

Jamie Cullum, meanwhile, has seven tracks in the top 100. And the focus on tracks is a bit of a giveaway - anyone who favours tracks to albums – in jazz as in classical repertoire - must have a short attention span.

As expected, theJazz is finding a populist market, just like its station owners did so successfully with Classic FM. But neither rings my bell - I much prefer BBC Radio 3, for both classical and jazz programming. It’s aimed at grown-ups.


Gerry Smith

Thursday, August 02, 2007

New jazz radio: must try harder

After extending a cautious welcome to new jazz radio station, theJazz, and then failing to access it online, I promptly dismissed it, with the thought “they’re not trying hard enough”.

Until this morning, when I received an email inviting me to sample the new website. Nice web site. But what about the station?

I approached the improved online interface with some trepidation – would it really be jazz or the dreaded jazz-inflected lounge? The real deal or Nina Simone, Jamie Cullum et al?

The morning playlist looked promising – dozens of real jazz tracks had been played, from Louis Armstrong to Stan Getz, Artie Shaw to Billie Holiday. As my connection kicked in, Thelonious Monk’s Straight, No Chaser was half way through: no worries, they really are playing jazz!

But then: Nina Simone, followed by Jamie Cullum. Exit one ex-listener.

Why would I listen to theJazz when my PC has wall-to-wall Miles, Coltrane or Ella in iTunes?


Gerry Smith





Earlier story:

New jazz radio station – theJazz – launching later this morning

New jazz radio station theJazz starts the second phase of its launch today at 0900 BST, when Helen Mayhew launches a countdown of theJazz 500, compiled from votes cast over the past three month on www.thejazz.com

From 0600 on Tuesday 10 April, the normal programme schedule kicks in. Presenters include Mike Chadwick, David Jensen, Jamie Cullum, Ramsey Lewis, Jacqui Dankworth, Digby Fairweather, Courtney Pine and Campbell Burnap. Hmmm…

Here’s hoping the new station – available online, on DAB Digital and via satellite TV and cable – finds an audience without having to resort to 24 hour jazzpap.

The main worry is that it’s run by the people who bring you Classic FM. Now I love classical music, but wouldn’t listen to Classic-Lite FM’s brand of soothing snippets to save my life. It just ain’t music for grown-ups.


www.thejazz.com



Gerry Smith

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

This Week’s Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide… thanks to compiler Mike Ollier

Remember – most BBC radio shows are broadcast live (and can be heard for the following seven days) on the web. BBC and Channel 4 TV output will also soon be available on the interwebnet: watch this space… .

* RADIO For Grown-Ups

Wednesday BBCR2 00.30 ~ 03.00
* Janice Long - A live session from The Waterboys

Wednesday BBCR2 19.00 ~ 20.00
* Folk On Two - Mike Harding introduces coverage from The Cambridge Folk Festival

Thursday BBCR2 23.00 ~ 23.30
* Pat Metheny ~ Bright Size Life (1 of 3)
Whilst in for Jazz Library on R3 a couple of weeks back, the Beeb must have kept Pat locked up there to make this 3 part profile of his career. Funny one this, Metheny can be very, very good but he can also be very, very bad.

Friday BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Hair
Hank Ballard, Sonny Burgess and Louis Jordan feature this week ~ a joy to listen to.

Friday BBCR3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library - Billie Holiday

Friday BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On Three – Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood recorded at the Barbican last month, a set by the jazz-funk fusion supergroup.

Saturday BBCR4 10.30 ~ 11.00
* The Elvis Effect - David Stafford considers the way Elvis still lives on in our consciousness.

Saturday BBCR2 20.00 ~ 21.00
* Ray Manzarek's Summer Of Love - The Doors keysman looks at the 60s. Someone must have jogged his memory, I thought if you were there, you couldn't remember it?


* TV

A dearth of TV music this week:

Friday BBC4 21.30 ~ 22.30
* Bruce Springsteen In Dublin
Broooce leads the Seeger Sessions band with some illuminating cover versions of his own material, and songs inspired (rather than written by) Pete Seeger. Ones to watch are a sterling re-write of "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?" and re-vamped classics like "Growin Up". However, if you bought the recent album you've already got this.

Friday BBC4 22.30 ~ 23.30
* BBC4 Sessions
Another in this excellent, enjoyable series of shows, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals live at LSO St Luke’s.

Both shows are repeated Saturday.