BillF

Hangus the Monkey Brian Blade Cecil Sharp

The Brothers Grimm Grimalkin Fatih Akin

Captain Beefheart Richard Basehart Amelia Earhart

Mason Pearson Basil Brush Foxy Lady

Babs Gonzales Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard Bastard of Burgundy

Jacques Lipchitz Sheila Dikshit Iris Yamashita

The Thumper Max Attack Bill Hardman

Liz Taylor Newt Gingrich Snake Davis

Robert Graves The Dirty Digger Chuck Berry

Ronnie Ball David Nutt Mario Testino

Although I'm some 5,000 miles from Chicago, the situation described is sadly being replicated here, as cultural activities are in the forefront for public spending cuts. On a personal level, I'm very concerned about the threat to Manchester's Cornerhouse, an independent cinema and art galleries centre, of which I am a member.

Johnny Mars Sweets Edison Jelly Roll Morton

Bobby Lamb U Thant Ramsey Lewis

Marcel Berlins Paris Hilton Jack London

Oscar Peterson Oscar Pettiford Shorty Petterstein

Sicko Billy Us Vom Freeman

David Bedford Billy Cotton Bunk Johnson

Terry Towelling Nappy Lamare Kenny Napper

Not knowing any of these, I'd be tempted to see if any names recur in such diverse lists. On this test Jason Moran's Ten and Geri Allen's Flying Toward the Sound must have something.

The 1963 Penguin edition of The Sound of Surprise is still on my shelf, though I haven't looked at it for years. British readers of a certain age will be interested to know it was priced at 4/-. At the time I was very impressed by it and I still find the phrase "sound of surprise" useful when talking about jazz.

Bumsha Swing?

Drummond Bass Peter Ind Kirsty Allsopp

John Piper Pappa Piccolino Whistling Rufus

The Minotaur The Monster Raving Loony Party Screaming Lord Sutch