The Magnificent Goldberg

Oh, and Fred Wesley - Swing and be funky - Minor Music (Fred, Hugh Ragin, Karl Denson - arr Wesley) one of my favourite live albums. MG

Yes, I should have remembered Sonny Criss - Sonny's dream - Prestige (Criss, Teddy Edwards, Conte Candoli) Teddy Edwards - Back to Avalon - Contemporary (Edwards, Nat Meeks, Lester Robinson, Jimmy Woods) MG

Some three tenor albums I rather like Melvin Rhyne & the Tenor Triangle - Tell it like it is - Criss Cross Jazz (Tad Schull, Ralph Lalama,Eric Alexander) Rein de Graaff - Tenor conclave - Timeless (Teddy Edwards, Buck Hill, Von Freeman) There's also Les McCann in New York - PJ (Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine & Frank Haynes) All of those are blowing sessions, not much in the way of arrangements. For (loose) arrangements: Bennie Green - Juggin' around - Vee Jay (Nat Adderley, Gene Ammons, Frank Foster, Frank Wess & Bennie) David Newman - Fathead - Atlantic (Newman, Hank Crawford, Marcus Belgrave) Tighter arrangements - by Slide Hampton Philly Joe Jones - Drum song - Galaxy (Blue, Slide, Harold Land, Charles Bowen) Slide Hampton - Sister Salvation - Atlantic (Slide, Freddie Hubbard, Bernard McKinney, George Coleman, Jay Cameron) I'll probably think of a few more later. MG

Finding the Fela Kuti thread last night prompted me to have a Fela afternoon Fela Anikulapo Kuti - Coffin for head of state - Kalakuta (French pressing) Fela Anikulapo Kuti & Roy Ayers - Music of many colours - Phonodisk Nigeria orig Fela Ransome Kuti - Gentleman - EMI Nigeria (Creole UK) Fela Anikulapo Kuti - Perambulator - Lagos International orig Fela Anikulapo Kuti - Authority stealing - Kalakuta orig (includes original skips, for which there is an apology n the sleeve note - and also Fela's broadsheet, YAP News - the pride of my Fela collection) MG

MG

Zsa Zsa Gabor Donald H Gabor Mrs Donald H Gabor (co-proprietors of Continental Records) MG

Always loved this cover. MG

PM sent. MG

Good point! Grant Green recorded with them in May and June 1964 and DIDN'T make them sound different. (But maybe that was intentional - they did record "My favourite things" on "Matador" which was an incredibly brave thing to do, when you think about it.) MG

I sure do hope that, in the not too distant future, he makes the decision to re-issue Yes indeed! It's a pain in the arse turning the LP over halfway through a track. Reading Shawn's comments, which match precisely my thoughts of the Reuben Wilson LP from back in the day I bought it, I don't think I'll bother with it again. MG

It reminded me of it, too, but I couldn't place it! I was scanning the shelves saying, "I know I've got another of those"! MG

I was really surprised to find that very interesting blog about Jessie Hill. Surprised you didn't get the Julia Lee & the local heroes. Tought that would be a shoo-in for you. MG

It's not raining at this precise moment, so I just nipped out to measure the water in the water butt we bought three weeks ago. We intend to connect it to the downpipe from the garage, but haven't got round to it. So it's out there in the open, just getting what rain falls directly onto it. In three weeks it's got seven inches. But the butt is bigger at the bottom than the hole in the top, so I guess we've had about nine or ten inches of rain in three weeks! Pissed off with this. MG

My fave Stanley leader or co-leader albums are (alphabetical order) Don't mess with Mr T - CTI Hip soul - Prestige Hustlin' - BN Ruff n tumble - BN Sugar - CTI That's where it's at - BN ZT's blues - BN (which I think is my all time favourite) Fave sideman dates would be Gene Harris trio plus one - Concord Jazz Les McCann in New York - PJ (with FRANK HAYNES & Blue Mitchell - I mean, really) Horace Parlan - On the spur of the moment - BN Horace Silver - Serenade to a soul sister - BN Jimmy Smith - Midnight special/Back at the Chicken Shack - BN Jimmy Smith - The fourmost/The fourmost return - Milestone Favourite individual track is "Think", from "Soul song" - Atlantic (nominally led by Shirley). MG

Just to note that I haven't bought anything since the Roy Eldridge Mosaic, which came on 3 July (though I have received "Groovadelphia" which I'd ordered a while before). My savings bank balance has gone up quite a bit. Shows you how expensive Organissimo is MG

Title's a bit obscured by reflections Houston Person - The nearness of you MG

That's Jimmy's missus' eyes. MG

10 Lotus blossom – Julia Lee. From “Snatch & grab it: The essential Julia Lee” Indigo IGOCD2514. Originally recorded by Premier. Julia Lee (voc, p), Clarence Davis (tp), Tommy Douglas (cl, as), Freddie Gulliver &Harry Ferguson (ts), Efferge Ware (g), Ben curtis (b), Sam “Baby” Lovett (d). Kansas City, Summer 1945. Loads of people (most recently Irene Reid) have recorded this song, before and after Julia. But to me this version captures the whole scene and the way it felt. And Clarence Davis’ obbligato and Tommy Douglas’ alto solo are no small points in creating the feeling. Douglas was Charlie Parker’s mentor in the Jay McShann band. Did Bird pick up some stuff from Douglas? Quite likely, I’d say. On to the groove section. 11 Ooh poo pah doo, pt 2 – Jessie Hill. 45 Minit 607. New Orleans, 1960. Looking for an image of the 45, I stumbled on this blog entry about it. http://redkelly.blogspot.com/2005/11/jessi...-doo-pt-ii.html It gives the personnel as Jessie Hill (voc), David Lastie (ts), Alan Toussaint (p), Alvin Robinson (g), Richard Payne (b), John Boudreaux (d). So I was wrong about the sax being Lee Allen. Here’s a different New Orleans groove, just to prove the Meters didn’t start the funk thing down there. This is the instrumental B side. The A side became a classic R&B/Soul number, performed by everyone in the early sixties – Ike & Tina, Rufus Thomas – the list goes on a long way (The Rolling Stones wouldn’t do it, no matter how many times we asked – Jagger was afraid of hurting his throat.). Strangely, it was the instrumental B side that became the hit, making #3 on the R&B chart. All Jesse has to do on this side is shout a lot – and he does that rather well, I think. 12 Demembalou – Les Amazones de Guinee. From “Wamato” Sterns STCD1106. Aminata Kamissoko (lead voc) with Les Amazones de Guinee: Commandant Salematou Diallo (b, leader), Commandant Djenabou Bah (ts), Capitaine Elisabeth Camara (cga), Capitaine Mato Camara (timbales), Lieutenants M’Mah Sylla & Fatoumata N’Gady Keita (voc), Daloba Keita (voc), Yaya Kouyate (lead g), N’Sira Tounkara (rh g), Mariama camara (as), Mamade Cisse (d). Additional participants (male) – Karin Coulibaly (perc), Adama Diarra (djembe), Fode Kouyate (d), Franmady Conde (g), Sekou Kante “Georges” (g, arr). Bamako, Mali, 2007. Les Amazones was an all-woman army band, formed in the early sixties, in Guinea. As with the other leading big bands from that period, all (except the leader, who appears to be Peul) are Mandinke. Like the other Mandinke big bands, they play a traditional music, updated by influences from Jazz, R&B & Latin American music. And it swings! The lead vocal is taken by a guest, the great Aminata Kamissoko (aka “La Princesse”), and this is her first appearance on CD. This was only their second album in 47 years of existence. I thought it nice to put the personnel in as given in the sleeve – in order of military rank. The song is about women’s emancipation, particularly in Africa, to help bring about a more humane world. 13 Menkasen – Tic Tac (real name Nana Kwaku Okyere Duah). From “Wope” TN no number. Ghana (somewhere) 2004. Personnel not listed. All arrangements by Tic Tac, who may have played all the instruments. There may be a sample of a Busta Rhymes string synthesiser passage, but it’s not credited. This is HipLife music, a combination of US Hip hop and Ghanaian Highlife music. Listening to the few HipLife albums I’ve got so far, it’s amazing how Highlife has been able to borrow from a dozen or more western styles over the past 80 odd years and yet retain its own identity. Tic Tac travelled to Britain to give evidence at the trial of one of his friends, who was eventually found not guilty. This song is about that incident. The groove is incredible! Finally a more passionate section. 14 If you could see me now – Gene Russell. From “Talk to my lady” Black Jazz BJQD10. Gene Russell (narration, p).Los Angeles 1973. Gene Russell was the founder of Black Jazz records. What I always find interesting about this is that Gene saw a need for a forward-looking record company although he himself was not a forward-looking pianist in any way – most of his albums are pretty conventional Soul Jazz, rather in the Les McCann vein. This track is very different though. Some might think the idea of speaking the words over one’s own piano accompaniment is extraordinarily naff. In a way, it is. But I find the way he does this is extremely touching – and further, insists on the real meaning of the song. (No image of this LP on the web) 15 Poor pilgrim of sorrow – Donald Vails Choraleers. From “In deep water” Savoy 14421. Donald Vails (p, dir), Delores Taylor (solo voc). Other personnel not listed. Detroit, 1976. There’s a long tradition of coloratura sopranos in Gospel music, but they don’t seem to be recorded much; I sometimes wonder if this is because they don’t sing in an overtly “black” manner or if it’s just not popular in the South, where most o the best choirs are. Still, Vails’ choir, among others in the North, tends to bring them forward and Delores is an expert at melding the coloratura role with the soul preaching role. The result, to me anyway, is emotionally overwhelming! Oh, and the groove here is the James Brown groove, but gospel musicians did not, I think, borrow it from Brown – rather the other way round. 16 Senanapo – Linda Kekana. From “I am an African” Gallo Jazz CDGURB035. Linda Kekana (lead & backing voc), Sello Manyaka (as), Andile Yenyana (p), Fana Zulu (b), Isaac “Mnca” Mtshali (d), Peter Masilela (perc). Johannesburg, South Africa, c 2002. This is a new song, based on a traditional legend about a king’s daughter who had wealth, beauty and brains. Jealous friends took her out into the veld and caused her to jump into a fire, where she burned and died. They took her bones and tried to feed them to the dog, which refused and ratted on them, by singing this song. The way Linda’s voice and Sello’s alto meld on this is just spine tingling. Sello has since joined the African Jazz Pioneers. I think he is a bit of a discovery and bears watching. 17 Born again human – B B King. From “There must be a better world somewhere” MCA 5162 (reissued on BGO (UK) BGOCD124 – with the sides reversed). B B King (voc, lead g), Waymon Reed, Charlie Miller (tp), Tom Malone (tb), Hank Crawford (as, arr), David Newman (ts), Ronnie Cuber (bars), Dr John (kbds), Hugh McCracken (rh g), Wilbur Bascomb (b), Bernard Purdie (d). NYC, c1981. I just think this is an incredible piece of music – that’s why it’s in here. I don’t think it’s my imagination, or my very real enthusiasm for Hank and Fathead, that inclines me to believe that it was their solos that inspired B B King to such an impassioned vocal. 18 Jodida pero contenta – Buika. From “Mi Nina Lola” DRO Atlantic 0825646327454. Concha Buika (voc), Jerry Gonzalez (tp), Jose Reinoso (p), Nino Josele (g flamenco), Alain Perez (bajo), Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez (d), Ramon Porrina (perc), Pere Bardagi & Manuel Martinez (cuerdas). Madrid, 2006. I hardly know what to say about Concha Buika. But, if you think this whole disc had been thought up to give me an excuse to put one of her tracks at the end, you’d be wrong, though not entirely. MG

SING ALONG WITH THE MAGNIFICENT GOLDBERG Back in the early seventies, I had a little exchange of correspondence with Charlie Gillette, then a DJ on Radio London., in which he said that he was more interested in the way vocals interacted with music, than with instrumental music. I didn’t get it. But as I got more interested in a wider variety of music, I began to see what he was on about. And that’s the theme of this disc. Well, we start out with a few things that are really for fun. 1 Gal with a whole lotta loot (alt) – Joe Liggins & his Honeydrippers. From “The honeydripper” – Night Train International 7031. Original take issued on Exclusive 1458. Joe Liggins (p, voc), with probably, Little Willie Jackson (as, bars), James Jackson (ts), Gene Phillips (g), Red Callender (b), “Peppy” Prince (d). LA 1948. Liggins worked in Territory bands in Oklahoma, San Diego and LA in the thirties and formed his own band in 1944. The Honeydrippers became one of the most important R&B bands of the forties/early fifties. So it was pretty surprising to me to hear this adaptation of “Ornithology”. I reckon Bird was a lot more popular in the black community than he’s given credit for. Intriguing, I call it. 2 Whiskey soda – Bembeya Jazz National. Syliphone 45 SYL566. Taken from “Authenticite ’73: Parade Africaine” – Syliphone SLP CD 39 (also available on recent Sterns 2 CD set). Aboubacar Demba Camara (voc), with probably, Mohamed Kaba (tp, tbn), Sekou Camara (tpt), ? Traore (ts), Sekou Bembeya Diabate (g), “Vieux” (rhy g), Siaka (tumbas), Hamidou Diaoune (b, leader), Mory Conde (d) plus others too difficult to identify. Conakry, Rep of Guinea, before March 1973. You don’t need to speak Mandinke to understand everything you need to about this recording! Just goes to show that not all of Bembeya Jazz National’s recordings were made to further the agenda of Sekou Toure’s government. This was one of the last recordings the band made before Aboubacar Demba Camara was killed in a traffic accident in Dakar, Senegal, in March 1973. 3 47th Street jive - Andy Kirk & his 12 Clouds of Joy. Andy Kirk and his (Twelve) Clouds of Joy : Clarence Trice, Harold Baker, Harry Lawson (tp) Ted Donnelly (tb) Henry Wells (tb,vcl) John Harrington (cl,as,bar) Earl Miller (cl,as) Dick Wilson, Edward Inge (cl, ts) Mary Lou Williams (p,arr) Floyd Smith (g,el-g) Booker Collins (b) Ben Thigpen (d) June Richmond (vcl) Andy Kirk (dir). New York, 17 July 1941. Another real fun recording. Sounds to me like the jive between June Richmond and Henry Wells is loaded with Bebop rhythms, though the song itself is straight forties swing. And now a few that feel like ballads, though none of them are. 4 Basin Street blues – Cab Calloway. From “The scat song”, Quadromania 222415-444. Cab Calloway (voc, dir), Edwin Swayzee, Lammar Wright, Reuben Reeves (tp), DePriest Wheeler, Harry White (tb), Arville Harris (cl, as), Andrew Brown (bcl, ts), Walter “Foots” Thomas (fl, as, ts, bars), Bennie Payne (p), Morris White (bjo), Jimmy Smith (bb, sb), Leroy Maxey (d). NYC 9 July 1931. Cab doesn’t do an awful lot of singing in this one, but it’s a long way from what he’s best known for – proto R&B numbers like “Minnie the Moocher”. I love the sound and feel of this number. I reckon this band is severely under-rated. 5 Without you baby – Una Mae Carlisle. From “1944”, Harlequin HQ CD 19. Originally recorded by Beacon. Una Mae Carlisle (voc, p), Ray Nance (tp), Budd Johnson (ts), Snags Allen (g), Basie Robinson (b), Shadow Wilson (d), NYC, 23 May 1944. Una Mae has possibly the most bedroom-y voice ever! But she can sing and play. She was Fats Waller’s girl friend (lucky man!) and there’s more than a bit of Waller influence there. Every so often, I remember that there are superb solos from Ray and Budd on this, too. 6 Night and day (I miss you so) – Roy Milton. From “Roy Milton” Specialty SPCD7004. Originally issued on Specialty 438. Personnel not documented but probably – Roy Milton (voc, d), Charles Gillum (tp), Jackie Kelso (as), Eddie Taylor (ts), Camille Howard (p), Johnny Rogers (g), Bill Hadnott (b). Chicago, June or July 1952. Like Joe Liggins, Roy’s band was one of the top R&B units on the West Coast in the forties; another band made up mostly of people who’d worked in the black Territory Bands. Much of Roy’s material was in the jump vein, similar to Liggins’ but this is a blues ballad that made #5 on the R&B charts in 1952. I adore that tenor solo! And some stuff that might be the blues. And some that IS. 7 I’ve got the blues – Milt Jackson. From “Soul believer – Pablo 2310 832 (OJCCD 686). Milt Jackson (vib, voc), Plas Johnson (ts), Cedar Walton (p), Denis Budimir (g), Ray Brown (b), Billy Higgins (d). LA, 20 January, 18 & 19 September 1978. I love Milt Jackson’s singing. That’s why this is in there. Nuff sed. Well, I also love Plas Johnson’s playing. 8 Tawhid- Thierno Koite. From “Ubbite”, JFC CD013 (France). Madior Diouf (voc), Thierno Koite (sops), Ibou Konate (tp), Zale Thiandoum (kbds), Vieux Koita (balafon), Cheikhna N’Diaye (g), Baboulaye Cissokho (kora), Lamine Faye (b, engineer), Mountaga Koite, Moussa Cissokho (perc). Dakar, Senegal, 2005. Thierno is the top sax player in Senegal; records with just about everyone. This was his second album as a leader and the personnel is largely made up of session musicians, like him. “Tawhid” is Peul for “peace” and this is very much an anti-war song. Diouf sings in a pretty clear Peul style. And Thierno’s obbligato really fits so well. The drum machine bits are, obviously, intended to simulate machine gun fire. (I see you can get this from CD Baby.) 9 Layin’ my rules in blues – Cousin Joe. From “Complete recordings 1945-1955”, Night Train International CD3001. Originally recorded for King Jazz but eventually issued on Storyville LP141. Cousin Joe (listed as “Pleasant Joe”) (voc) with the Mezzrow-Bechet Septet: Hot Lips Page (tp), Mezz Mezzrow (cl), Sdney Bechet (sops), Sammy Price (p), Danny Barker (g), Pops foster (b), Sid Catlett (d). NYC 30 or 31 July 1945. Cousin Joe is a kind of legendary figure in New Orleans music. His songs keep on turning up here and there in Nawlins R&B and that stimulated my curiosity about him. He was born in 1907 in rural Louisiana but his childhood was spent moving between the country and New Orleans. By the age of 12, he’d had it with the country – the work was too hard - and managed to get back to New Orleans. He learned ukulele, graduating to guitar by 1931. Worked in New Orleans jazz scene with many well known jazz bands, as well as a number of his own, but didn’t record until 1945, when he started a career as a blues singer. I really like the contrast between Joe’s very country blues singing style and the sophisticated city jazz of the musicians working with him, most of whom were, of course, old mates of his. Despite the rural nature of his singing, Joe was an urban adventurer at heart; a snappy dresser, he even dyed his shoes the precise colour of his outfits! More follows MG

KEEP THAT GROOVE GOIN’ This is inspired by “Keep that groove goin’” – none of the tracks on that album went on long enough, in my view. But the theme isn’t just long tracks, it’s keeping the groove going; I tried to get a variety of different grooves in here. 1 African elation – Dean Fraser. From “Big up” – Island Jamaica Jazz IJCD4003. Dean Fraser (sops), Jon Williams (p), Maurice Gordon (g), Wayne Batchelor (b), Idris Muhammad (d, right channel), Sly Dunbar (d, left), Larry MacDonald (perc). Jamaica and/or New York (it’s not clear to me whether some of this is overdubs), c1996. Dean Fraser is (or was at the time) the foremost sax player in Reggae. He usually plays alto, but also tenor sax. I found it interesting that Thom thought this might have been Abdullah Ibrahim. Ubu also picked up an African influence. I think these musicians, and Abdullah, all understand that much of the music of Africa is very serene. That serenity is captured well here, I think. 2 The masquerade is over – Paul Bryant. From “Something’s happening” – Fantasy 3357. Paul Bryant (org), Jules Broussard (as), Plas Johnson (ts), Junius Simmons (g), Johnny Kirkwood (d). San Francisco, 1963. This is from one of Paul Bryant’s two LPs for Fantasy that were never reissued on CD. I’ve taken this from my UK issued mono LP on Vocalion. Broussard and Kirkwood were the regular members of Bryant’s trio at the time; Johnson and Simmons (and on two other cuts, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown) were added for the album. I really love everything about this track, which seems to me to exemplify everything that is best in Soul Jazz. 3 Ca’ purange – Gene Ammons. From “Bad Bossa Nova”, Prestige PR7257 (OJC351). Gene Ammons (ts), Hank Jones (p), Bucky Pizzarelli (sp g), Kenny Burrell (g), Norman Edge (b), Oliver Jackson (d), Al Hayes (bongo), RVG 9 September 1962. I suspect that Dexter Gordon’s version of this number is quite a lot better known to Org readers than this original version. “Bad Bossa Nova” was the last LP Jug made before he went inside for seven years, ending a most productive period between two prison sentences. Almost everything he did in this period is the best Jug there is, and this album is my favourite. 4 Creole love call – Junior Mance & Joe Temperley. From “The music of Duke Ellington” – Chiaroscuro 352. Joe Temperley (bass cl), Junior Mance (p), Keter Betts (b), Jackie Williams (d). SS Norway, Floating Jazz Festival, 26-29 October 1996. I couldn’t have a “keep that groove goin’” theme without a slow, funky, blues and this just seemed to be the one. Duke was a hell of a funky player, of course, and numbers like this have a core of dirty, out in the alley, bluesiness that seems to me a little at odds with the prevailing view of Duke as an urbane, sophisticated musician. The way the guys play this, though, seems to combine both of these Ellington elements seamlessly. 5 Soul of a black man – Maceo Parker. From the album “Us” – People 6601. Personnel not given but it’s Maceo Parker (as, rap), James Brown (rap) and the usual James Brown band of the day. 1974. I didn’t expect anyone to be fooled by this, but I thought that not many people would have come across this cut, because it doesn’t form part of the usual James Brown canon. To me, this is Maceo’s finest hour. What he does isn’t even slightly complex but he plays with such absolute conviction! And the build-up is most cleverly achieved. And what can you say about the groove! 6 Slippin’ into darkness – Rhoda Scott. From “Live at the Club Saint Germain” –Barclay 80535 & 80536 (double – this is from 80536). Rhoda Scott (org), Leo Johnson (ts), Kees Kranenburg (d). Paris 16 & 17 May 1974. It’s always been evident that there was a LOT more to Rhoda than just another Soul Jazz organist. But, even within that context, this is a kind of outrageous version of War’s hit song from a couple of years earlier. I didn’t expect anyone to guess this was Leo on tenor. He didn’t usually play like that and, when I first heard it, I had a hard time believing it was him. His other recorded appearances don’t prepare you for the way he plays on this album. But there ain’t no other Leo Johnsons playing tenor. He was with Jack McDuff in 1966 and appeared on three of his albums, one of them with Spoon, another with David Newman, returning to McDuff in 1972. In the meantime, he appeared on one track of Johnny “Hammond” Smith’s album “Black feeling”. After the Rhoda Scott gig, he joined Jimmy McGriff’s band and appeared on “Stump juice” and “City lights”. His most recent appearance was on one track of Irene Reid’s “Thanks to you”, recorded in 1991. This performance isn’t perfect; Leo seems to run out of ideas. But this was very risky stuff for him. There’s a kind of heroism about it. Leo was trying to expand his range of expression, but struggling. That he didn’t give up when his ideas ran low and slide into the comfortable area of Soul Jazz, which Rhoda could have supported equally well, is terrific. It’s the journey that counts, not necessarily where you end up. This appears to be the final number from the first night’s recording. I had to cut the end of this track to omit the announcement of the band’s names, I’m afraid. 7 Zodiac song – Jimmy Smith. From “In a plain brown wrapper”, Verve 68800. Jimmy Smith (org, voc) with orchestra arranged by Larry Williams. Los Angeles, 24 February 1971. Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? Witty words, half sung, half rapped by Jimmy and, in the middle, that blinder of a solo! This is another I didn’t expect to fool anyone, but it’s in there because I think few people will have heard it. Jimmy’s albums from this period are seriously underrated. He was sacrificing his jazz “artistry”, trying to continue the commercial success he’d been having for a decade, but he wasn’t getting the hits any more. Worst of all possible worlds; shunned by jazz, pop & R&B fans alike. But there is still real stuff in there – and that solo is actually classic JOS! MG

Oh, bad week. I liked Hiram Bullock. I have a splendid album by a quartet he co-led with the Japanese B3 man Kankawa - "Jam Jam the heavy cats recorded live at STB139". Hiram does some great soul singing on it, too. For listening tomorrow morning. Bed soon. MG

There are times when I could wish I were the other participant in the latest Paris Hilton sex video, and times when I couldn't. This is one of those times. See other thread for expl. MG

Hi folks, I’m back again! Thank goodness! Oh boy! The explanation is interesting, so I’m giving it. My wife was in touch with one of her more or less long lost cousins a few months ago and became interested in her family tree. There is a mystery in her family. Her grandfather is said, in the family, to have got away with a murder in a town 100 miles away from his home sometime between 1903 and 1906 by leaving wife and two kids and scooting off to America. Hs is also said to have stolen the workers’ wages from his family’s firm. He was in San Francisco when the earthquake happened. He later returned with a new ID and married, bigamously, my wife’s grandmother. But he continued to draw some kind of allowance from his parents’ family, as did his sisters. He confessed on his deathbed that he wasn’t who he said he was; his sisters were sent for and identified him as their brother. So my wife has been researching all this and spending hours on end looking at census and other records. And she’s turned up another guy, with an almost identical name and the same age as her grandfather, who lived in the town where the murder was done in 1901! So, was it this guy who did the murder, or her grandfather? But if it was the other guy, why scoot, change his name and age etc come back and marry bigamously? This is all so fascinating to her – well and me, too – that I didn’t have the heart to turf her off the PC. So I suddenly had no significant computer time at all! We eventually decided that we needed a second computer. Two weeks later, and a frustrating saga I won’t bore you with, and we’ve now got everything up and running; two PCs connected to the web at one time! Zapppppp! Mind you, my old one's a lot slower than her new one. I’ll post the answers to the BFT tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll just read myself back in on what’s been going on. MG

Only rained briefly yesterday morning, then was fine the whole afternoon and evening. Best day we've had for a long time. Raining again now, of course. MG