Music We all have soundtracks don't we? Sometimes we all have that feeling we're in a movie of our own lives, and the back ground music changes from early childhood through the teens into adulthood. For me that soundtrack encompasses the great rock bands of the late sixties - The Who, Small Faces, Manfred Mann, but pretty early on jazz makes an appearance. I was always a fan of those bands who brought elements of jazz into their music - John Heisman's Colosseum, Keith Emerson in both The Nice and early ELP and so on. For a while, through the whole punk thing actually, I was totally absorbed into the folk scene. For me this encompassed the 'pure' folk of The Watersons, all the folk rock band combinations to come out of Steeleye Span/Fairport Convention/The Albion Band.and a huge range of Early Music. When I emerged from this I found Punk had completely passed me by and I'd become a proper grown-up. So I needed some grown-up music. I messed around with World Music and avant-garde modern classical stuff, but it all led inexorably to jazz, or to be more specific, Miles Davis. Now I know Miles was a difficult, sometimes brutal guy and often hostile to his audiences. Technically he was really no better than a lot of other horn players, and if you listen to his playing over the decades, it didn't change all that much. After all, how many sounds can a trumpet actually produce? What he did do though, was create an environment in which great innovative music could be played by the constantly changing personnel of his different bands. From Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie and Paul Chambers through Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul to Keith Jarrett, Jan Gabarak and Pat Metheney, Miles spanned half a century of great music and great musicians. This spider's web of influences and combinations and genres is one I enjoy exploring. Bits of my writing have also emerged from my love of this music. I don't find it easy to write about jazz, but have a look at The Man from the North (see below). More jazz-influenced pieces can be found in my book A Ship of Fools. Favourite albums? Well I'd have to say Kind of Blue by Miles with Julian Adderley, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb (whom I once met in New York!) John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly. Is this the greatest ever jazz lineup? Maybe, but what about In a Silent Way, recorded ten years later? Here Davis used Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland and Tony Williams! There are many other great albums featuring Miles and his former collaborators, but you can find them for yourself. Just make sure that somewhere along the line you acquire the sets I've mentioned above.   The Man from the North Whence comes this wail? From the North, from the North, For the North is the start of it all. Follow a creek creeping from an iron lake, South Through eternal forests Until the screaming pines of a frozen land Grow mellow, Warmed by the kiss of tabla and gong. Thawed now by tales of Tamberlaine Traced in a thousand whispers from the East. Return to a hilltop above a brave hamlet And look on the teasing and play. Today is fiesta and tomorrow it's fasting So hang out your favours today Hear the dull chimes of churches, The pleading of plainsong, The soaring, The echo of souls. Whence comes this wail? From the North, from the North For the North is the ending of all. © Ian Gray     Back to Who?