BillF

Meatloaf Stakeholders Bob Mintzer

Lance Percival William Shakespeare Dave Pike

British jazz giants corner Going to see Len Skeat and Don Weller at February gigs. Sorry to have missed Brian Dee last month.

Ethel Merman Michael Fish Mr Chips

Buster Gonad Margherita del Balzo Ozric Tentacles

Maria Bello Bellini Chicollini

The Strawbs Cream Pim Fortuyn

In my personal pantheon of jazz pianists Bill Evans is up at the top, just after Bud Powell in his prime. That said, the Vanguard sessions have never been the ultimate for me; of the early albums I always prefer Portrait in Jazz and Reflections. Perhaps my very favorite Evans is on some of the solo albums.

Chapman Pincher Bum Phillips Arsene Wenger

Lon Chaney/Cheney Dick

Spanky DeBrest Captain Purvey The Kinks

My wife's recommendation for Rebecca West is The Fountain Overflows. (Regret to say I've never read any.) Thank you, I'll make a note of that. My reading of West, and indeed of H.G. Wells (her lover), has been sparse; it's a literary era I have not delved into much, so will try to do so. Over the years I've read quite a few of Wells's books.. As a science fiction fan I love The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine and, to a lesser extent, The Invisible Man - as well as the short stories. Of the non-science fiction novels, I'd recommend The History of Mr Polly and Kipps.

Twinkle Toes Rip Van Winkle Tinky Winky

My wife's recommendation for Rebecca West is The Fountain Overflows. (Regret to say I've never read any.)

Miles Davis Nonet Nanette Newman Alfred E Neuman

Greg Abate with the Brownfield Byrne Quintet at Wilmslow last night.

Robert Northern Harry South Squire Weston

John Locke The Doors The Corrs

Screaming Lord Sutch Lord Rockingham's XI Little Lord Fauntleroy

Bonus tracks are "the Stranger" and "If You Could See Me Now". Wonderful album!

Article clearly introductory for a non-specialist audience. But I clearly remember the "conversation" between my pianist friend Paul and the Polish Modern Jazz quartet's pianist. Neither knew the other's language and the "conversation" consisted of chords struck out on the piano and an esoteric lexis of "McCoy Tyner", "Wynton Kelly", etc.

Capability Brown Frankie Capp Hattie Jacques "Ooh, Matron!"

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/nov/07/how-jazz-became-voice-of-freedom-in-poland Watching the recent movie Ida, I was strongly reminded of the Polish Modern Jazz Quartet, which I saw and met in 1964.

Drill Sergeant Dill Jones Eric Pickles