The golden age

I can't tell you how thrilled I was this week to discover that Bob Stanley (St. Etienne) has curated yet another brilliant compilation album; this time it's a homage to car travel and the British motorway - comprising library music culled from 1966-1982; I guess in car years that's roughly the lifespan of the Ford Escort Mark1 to Mark 3. And as if that wasn't Thrills Thrillington enough, imagine my delight when I found out that Frank Ricotti (The Beiderbecke Tapes) appears on Motorway City, a smorgasbord of furry dice and travel sweets.

Frank Ricotti - Clearway (1981)

   

Frank Ricotti · Clearway

Bix, cool

Frankie Trumbauer keeping his head down

In 1927, when jazz legends Frankie Trumbauer (sax) and Bix Beiderbecke (cornet) pooled their immense talents on Crying All Day they created a little bit of magic. The sound they made together still has jazz critics (and jazzers) in raptures nearly a century later. I can't get enough of this; it's no good, I'm gonna have to watch the Beiderbecke Affair. Again. (Yes, this is the theme tune.)

Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra - Crying All Day (1927)

Frankie Trumbauer (1901-1956)

Leon Bismark 'Bix' Beiderbecke (1903-1931)

What I Don't Understand is This

Mrs. Swinburne (English) & Mr. Chaplin (Woodwork)

'I'm not in a good place at the moment; I don't mean mentally, I'm in the UK.' So said a wag on my Twitter feed yesterday. I know how he feels. I'd probably go one step further: I'm not in a good time; I detest 2020 with every fibre of my being. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't that jazzed about 2019, either. Or 2018. Or even 2017. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

I started re-watching The Beiderbecke Affair last night (I've watched it countless times - it's what I do when I want to retreat from the world; I suppose it's my equivalent of going into stasis).

I'm now immersed in a parallel world comprising woodwork teachers and jazz cornet players. Of cubs football matches played on desolate parks watched by characters called Big Al and Little Norm. A world occupied by platinum blondes. And when I've finished the Beiderbecke Affair, I shall move on to the Beiderbecke Tapes and the Beiderbecke connection. Alan Plater's writing is nothing short of perfect and with James Bolam (the laconic Trevor Chaplin) and Barbara Flynn (English teacher cum conservation activist) heading up the cast, you can see why I shall have to be dragged back into 2020 kicking and screaming.

The Beiderbecke Affair (Intro) - ITV, 1985