Infinity Music

I’m listening to ‘Boats’ by the Aliens. -*WOW*-

Recorded a live session here in Cardiff last week with Alan Thompson. His show, Evening Session, goes out on the BBC weeknights and is a mixture of old and new music, whatever takes his fancy. Him and the producer, Darren, were a pleasure to be with for the four or five hours we were there (it was live). I did a session for Alan about seven years ago, playing songs that I’d never played before and I don’t think I’ve ever played since. He is a very funny man and it’s worth listening to his show. I bust a string on ‘Dead of Winter’, of course I did, I hadn’t taken any spares but Darren drove back to his house to fetch me some, what a star. We also did ‘Bear Lake’, ‘Darwin’s Tree’ and Mary sang ‘Why You Gotta bring Me All This Rain?’.

Earlier we had practised at the house. Baby loves ‘Orpheus Lament’, he jumps around every time we play it. He’s due tomorrow, i don’t think he’s coming out though, everything feels too normal. I think he’s waiting until next thursday, Lennon’s birthday before he squeezes his fat head out. Mary and I went to the studio earlier to put a lock on the door. I had to finish up on my own because Mary was having her haircut. The sight of her waddling down the street in the early afternoon drizzle was incredibly moving, romantic and possibly one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

Thursday I hooked with my old pal Dickie Jim. Recently dumped he’s going through a rough patch, bless him, but Mary and I are doing all we can to make sure he’s ok. He received a grant to research old Welsh folk manuscripts and, as part of that research, he’s been visiting the house of Bob Evans. Bob is a musician of some renown, an independent scholar and an orator par excellence and is helping Rich out with some lectures on the origins of music, Pythagorean scales etc and explaining how music was revolutionised in the early part of the eighteenth century when equal temperament became widely used. Check the wiki

Anyway, Rich told me about his first visit and I was very keen to tag along for the next. The three hours I spent there were among the most bewilderingly enriching of my life. My head was stuffed when I left, full of chants, ballads, juju, hobby horses, Elizabethan poetry, music of the spheres, African spirits and teeming with tunes, tones and times. I could listen to him for hours (Well, I guess I did), if school had been half this interesting I might have done a bit better.

Bob’s partner in music, Mari Ann was also present. She offered her own points, some of which reflected her Trinidadian background and later they performed three songs, Mari ann singing and Bob playing the Cruith, a handmade medieval instrument which, because it’s played in Pythagorean tuning, six strings, three octaves, omits one hell of a racket, similar to the guitar when you tune it to a droney tuning such as Stephen Stills’ fave DDDDAD (or DADDAD). The real power though came from Mari Ann’s voice which scared the shite out of me when she stared singing. Because it’s based on different scales it sounds completely alien (although occasionally it reminded me of Tim Buckley at his most freeform).

I’ll go again next time Dickie Jim goes, I can’t wait.

My mate David Hall was a semi finalist on Masterchef a couple of years ago thus making him one of the coolest people I’ve ever met (actually I’ve never met him, we’re ‘virtual’ friends, isn’t modern life great?) I remember his Leek Puddings and I’ve been threatening to make them ever since. I followed his recipe

They turned out pretty good. I fucked up the pastry three times so Mary had to come and do it but I DID THE REST. I think they were a bit salty but Mary loved ‘em and that’s good enough for me.
Look, I put hearts on top. I’m ROMANTIC AS FUCK!