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.