One of my delivery stops was this place, where they specialise in olive trees. A guy working here told me this tree is 8-900 years old, weighs about 8 tons, and would cost a buyer £25K!
Beautiful.
I’d like to visit this place for a proper look around some time. They also had lots of very large/mature palm trees.
Bonkers!
Another very tall olive tree. I didn’t ask the price of this one. Eye-watering, no doubt. And behind, enormous olive oil jars.
There are big. Really BIG!
I’d love to see how these jars are made. They are pretty amazing.
Still doesn’t convey the scale…
I tried to get a selfie beside the larger of the two. But I failed. So I opted for a snap of me by the aperture. I could’ve climbed in!
I’ve heard Ahmad Jamal a little on and off over the years. But I guess I’ve never really paid attention, until today.
With a long and prolific career, there’s a lot to catch up on. But I just started with something that I liked the look (and price!) of, The Awakening.
Recorded Feb’ 2-3, 1970, in NY, with Emil Nasser on bass and Frank Gant on drums, it’s a very interesting and ultimately, I think, rather beautiful album.
One very interesting thing is the material, and how it’s handled. The first three pieces are not familiar standards. Whereas three of the last four are. Or are they?
Ahmad and co, but particularly Jamal, take all the material way out, from its origins. Not ‘out’ as in appalling free jazz. But out as in the version of Jobim’s Wave is barely recognisable as such. But in a good way.
If some of the core qualities of jazz are freedom, expression, improvisation, change, surprise, and so on, then Jamal and his sideman deliver all of that, and more, right here.
I got that eloquent expression – ‘bugger balls’ – from an episode of Sharpe. He’s saying he’d rather not go to a dance. But I like it as an earthier more testicular ejaculation.
And why that title under ‘health & wellbeing’? Because I had a boozy blip, yestereve. Several times of late I’ve had a single beer, or a small glass o’ vino. All the while trying to maintain control.
Last night I had a bottle of Shipyard IPA, a tipple I really love. I feel compelled to confess that the alcoholic version is sooo much nicer than the sans alcohol one. On its own that’d’ve been fine.
But I followed it up with a little 20cl bottle of neat rum. And that was, I believe, a mistake.
There is, or was, a part of me that’d like to be able to be a Tom Waits or Charles Bukowski type, all fags n’ booze. But I’m more like Woody Allen in Play It Again, Sam. And the truth is that those vices are – as everyone ought to know – pretty shitty.
They’ll do a Kerouac on you, and speed you towards a fat, grumpy oblivion. The ‘bad liver and broken heart’ that once sounded tragically romantic is now purely tragic.
There’s only one saving grace, as far as last night’s mini-debauch goes. And that’s that I didn’t go further, and compound my sins with even worse behaviour.
A very large part of why I’ve been on the wagon has been the further consequences of boozing. Fortunately the only such issues today are a bit of bloating and a slight headache. Could’ve been far worse!
When I first posted this, I started at the end. So I’ve gone back, revised it, and I’m now – kind of? – starting at the beginning.
Well, the real beginning of all things Mainstream, for me, was my dad’s acquisition of this:
… on vinyl.
I fell in love with that album as a child. And I still love it to this day. Indeed, it’s only now, sooo many years later, that I’m really starting to explore both the Mainstream legacy, and other related stuff.
So, for example, I’ve been collecting Kynard’s recordings on other labels, and albums he’s on as sideman.
The next stop was the ‘blogosphere’, perhaps around a decade or longer ago? A blogger was attempting to catalogue the entire Mainstream 300 series. I followed his progress, and subsequently learned a lot more about some of the fabulous music the label produced and/or released.
And then some time soon after that, the BGP label started putting out stuff by Mainstream:
I got the Complete Alice Clark and Loud Minority CDs (have I got The Message? Guess I need to check!). And that drew me further in to the web of Bob Shad and his musical emporium.
Running alongside a lot of this, my work writing Recycled, a monthly classic album column, for Drummer magazine, lead to a very specific and intriguing personal epiphany.
I was writing a piece on Funkadelic’s 1972 album America Eats It’s Young. Reproduced in the liner notes was an R&B chart for a month or week in 1972. It blew my mind! It was more or less wall to wall fabulousness. What a year ‘72 was, I thought.
And so an obsession was born.
The above gallery – not a complete list or catalogue – is just for Mainstream albums either recorded or released (or both) in 1972. Below are some other non-‘72 albums on the label that I either have, want, or would like to explore further.
In addition to now having all three Kynard Mainstream albums, all of which are terrific, I’ve been finding out that some other artists on the label produced recordings that totally blow my gaskets.
Two in particular that I’m really diggin’ are Blue Mitchell’s Soul Village, and Curtis Fuller’s Smokin’.
Didn’t have time to really explore. The painted patterns in the arches are unusual. There’s a carved ‘gargoyle’ that’s a bit gonzo. And a couple of nice windows.
A nice solid old church. Most likely worth another longer visit.
ALSO SPOTTED TODAY…
Doing it the Dex’ Way.
I had a package for The Orangery at Burghley House, but was unable to gain access/deliver.
Seen in Stamford.
Outside The Danish Invader Pub, which I know if thanks to Colin Furze’s tunnel videos. Duke of Early on Tour!?
We had a delish’ brunch round at mum’s today. Not been over there in a good while. ‘Twas very nice. Also gratifying to see a number of my ancient artworks about the place!
This one’s by Ben Carter.
These aulde artworks are a reminder to me that I ought to start with the art again.
Cottage, Abbots Ripton.
After a lovely lunch, we went for a country walk in Abbots Ripton. Mum’s doing really well with her two new hips! It’s great to see her regaining full mobility.
This whole area – pictured in these galleries – is just part of the De Ramsey estates. Incredibly lovely. But a bit odd. A reminder of the ongoing feudal nature/legacy of England, right down to the present.
I used ‘google lens’ on the unusual large round leaf, pictured in the gallery a note. Whitebeam, apparently.
My quest to dig deeper into the Mainstream catalogue continues. I’m especially into the circa’72 stuff. Such as this date by Shelly Manne. This arrived this morning. And I’m part way through a second listen already. Loving it!
