February 27, 2004
With three more songs and four ‘musical miniatures’ completed over the last week, it’s been a fairly productive time as regards the development of the prospective solo album, which now seems to be developing a strong and emotive identity of its own.
Lyrically, so far the work is combining the narrative touches of ‘California, Norfolk’ with the sense of personal expression that typified the songs on ‘Together We’re Stranger’. Perhaps the music also echoes this, being more robust and organic than ‘C, N’, but also being more concise than ‘TWS’.
With the reclusive Mr Picking, the Lord and Stephen Bennett already strongly involved, contributions also look likely from Pat Mastellotto, Markus Reuter and Roger Eno (who co-wrote one of the miniatures).
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On Wednesday, I attended the media party for the launch of the Norwich & Norfolk Festival, which despite laudable intentions, seemed to have more to do with consuming champagne and quiche than celebrating Art. Preferring quiche to Brahms as I do, the journalists might just have a point.
The May 7th Burning Shed event (featuring myself, The Lord, Hugh Hopper, Theo Travis and Roger Eno) was respectably featured in the Festival brochure and, overall, the organisers have put together an intriguing and adventurous programme that includes Bill Bruford, Billy Cobham, Joe Zawinul, Keith Tippett and Stan Tracey amongst many others (www.n-joy.org.uk).
Book that holiday to Norwich now!