BillF

Bill Sykes Thomas Gray Anita Wardell

(Slightly late) Happy Birthday!

Amazons Little Niles Old Father Thames

Happy Birthday, Niko!

Blue Lou W C Handy Thomas Crapper

Louis Pasteur Harvey Milk Cream

Donna Lee Lee Curtis Curtis Fuller

I used to consider myself a pretty dedicated Bellow fan and read most everything by him. However, recently, I tried to re-read "Humboldt's Gift," and ran into serious problems getting to the end, although I did. I then took on "Henderson the Rain King," which I read when I was 17 or 18 and thought mighty fine. This time around, I found it appallingly bad. I don't think I got past page 25 or so. Odd though, I still like "Augie," and I'm sure some other of his books would still resonate for me, but I wonder if his reputation is already falling below the horizon. Similar experience here. In the 1960s I avidly read the Bellows as they came out and thought them great, especially Herzog. In recent years, though, I've found them extraordinarily difficult to get into, with Seize the Day as a possible exception.

So sorry that Louis Stewart's gig at Wigan Jazz Club yesterday was cancelled. He's someone I'd love to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNo-lX4K9EQ

The Dionne Quintuplets The Five Pennies Hank Cinq

Stan Hasselgard The Garda The Keystone Cops

Sears and Roebuck The Dear Leader Ivor Barnet

I saw them in Newcastle a few weeks ago and wasn't impressed. A bit full of themselves, I thought.......and Joe Lovano wore his shirt outside his pants, never a good sign With his figure I wouldn't think he'd have an alternative.

The Solar Arkestra Maurice Flood Arthur Dove

Cecil Gee Cecil Taylor Matthew Gee

The Scarlet Pimple Lord Boyle Ian Carbuncle

Alan Duncan Drunken Duncan Henry Boozier

To put Bayley in perspective, try A N Wilson's Iris Murdoch As I Knew Her.

Hugh Dunnett Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Homes (Manchester letting agency)

Victoria Wood Tina May Emmanuel Kant

Jack Jackson Alan Freeman Emperor Rosko

Just to put you right, MG, this is Acker Bilk:

Irma La Douce Il Duce Billy Strayhorn

Faye Dunaway The Runaways The Vanishing Corporal