Monday 4 February 2002

My diary entries have been a bit sporadic recently: I'm not sure why, but it's useful to blame it on the foul weather and sense of dark foreboding and inertia that habitually descends upon the West of Scotland at this time of year.

I'm still planning ahead to the later part of 2002, exploring possibilities for recording projects with various interested parties, and today I saw Tom Laurie about next season's concerts at St Andrew's in the Square.  On Friday I gave a shamefully incomprehensible lecture at the RSAMD, as my brain was operating on vastly reduced power after a tiring trip to Newcastle.  But I did get to stand on the Millennium Bridge across the Tyne while I was there, and it is a thing of great beauty.  

Mhairi and Adrian have got me a couple of gigs coming up (it's nice to work for them as well as having them work for me), one in Belfast for the BBC and one in the Perth Festival in which I have to play BBP: big black piano.  This is becoming a habit.  In March I've got a Brandenburg 5 to practise for as well, which definitely isn't on a BBP.  And it looks like I may be reprising my harmonium turn in one of Schoenberg's Mahler arrangements on tour with the SCO in the USA in August.  Oh yes, and I'm going to play the organ at our local parish church on Sunday morning - I haven't sat at an organ console for at least two years, so this could be an adventure.  Can't wait. 

I heard some music that caught my attention on the radio tonight,and what's more, it's from a record company in Ayrshire, Mouthmoth.  It was 'Caric Kills' by Frog Pocket, and it sounded like John Martyn playing dreamy electric guitar with frantic cut up beats underneath. Nice (as John Thomson used to say).  But my attention's really been grabbed over the last few days by that rare thing, a Frank Zappa album with hardly any crap on it: One Size Fits All.  George Duke and Ruth Underwood both play their socks off, and the tune for 'Sofa' really is a piece of genius, despite being allied to some stupendously stupid lyrics.  The Ensemble Ambrosius's baroque version shows that it has some real emotional depth, and with Zappa this is very rare.  I've been whistling it for days - I can't remember when I was last so keen to get to the piano and work something out so that I can play it for myself: I want to be George Duke!  Now!