Leonard Smalls

I take great delight in making a great show of putting on a record for guests, saying this is some kickin' jazz. Their faces usually fall a bit as they're expecting something smooth'n'after-dinnery, but at least they'll be able to ignore it and have a chat. Then Brotzmann's "Machine Gun starts up and they're usually shrieking and running for the door in seconds, unless they've had many hours hardening themselves with some Gateway Jazz, like Ornette or Steve Lacy.

This was my first proper introduction to jazz...

Bootsy!

Formerly Girlband. But a right angry noisy racket!

Here's Bob's latest:

Currently residing in the "Where Are They Now?" file! 😁

Lots of bass players...

Never! 😁 But 90s "punk" was most certainly not. Though there was a thriving hardcore scene, and bands like the Subs were still playing then... In fact, I remember seeing a Jello-less DKs, and The Damned!

Punk goes 90s vol. 2? I think it should be renamed "90s band completely misunderstands punk"!

That was one of the [positions I remember friends having when I was a kid.. My Raleigh Olympus had it (only 5 speed!) on the frame.

Here's the Helix... https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/line-6-helix-lt Not cheap, but it's incredibly versatile; there's about 5 different Ampeg amp sims, plus GK, Aguilar, Mesa etc. Then there's lots of cabs - you can add guitar amps as well, then there's loads of distortions, overdrives, modulation fx, octavers, synths, compressors, wah and eqs which you can put in any order to create almost any sound. I bought mine 2nd hand off ebay for £750 - as new and in a flightcase. I haven't used my old pedalboard since - this is so much easier and better. And no annoying hums! And the tuner is about the best I've used.

I use a Line 6 Helix LT. It does just about everything - and if you can't work out how to get the sound you want, hook it up to a computer and you can download millions of patches. I've now got a very passable Bootsy distorted mutron sound, and a bi-amped Royal Blood noise as well. It also gives me the excuse of asking a sound man at a gig for 2 channels - one for the bass sound and one for the octaved up guitar autowah screaming thing...

Some young Japanese rockers...

Old? We're in our prime!!! Though it is about 33 years of slappin' poppin' strummin' and bangin'.

Here's my fingerworn Wal... And if you look carefully there's fluorescent paint in all sorts of nooks and crannies.

Garden Centre playlist first threw this up: Followed by a serious slice o'funk! Now we're groovin'!

If you're in Brighton the chalk at Saltdean is close by - perfect ice axe practice for winter mixed climbing. And you know that next time you come back to the route it will be new, as most of it will have fallen off! Still, I prefer a nice long multi pitch, whether that's partially bolted in the Dolomites or Mallorca (check Sa Gubia!) or fully trad in North Wales matters not...

I was being nice! (ish) But I fail to understand all the love they get. Though to be fair, there's thousands of other bands that loads of folks like that are immho somewhere behind the line going from trite to sh1te! That's the beauty of taste...

I've changed my mind! I no longer find them to be like a beige painting in a beige frame on a beige wall in a room with a beige carpet with a beige turd in the middle of it... They're vibrant and pushing the boundaries of music!

Is this the right place to say I really can't be doing with Khruangbin? I find their music to be incredibly tedious, mediocre and wet?

Another climber - excellent! Roaches? Here's me doing a bit of hi-ball bouldering at Nesscliffe, though I won't usually go more than 5 feet off the ground without some bomber pro!

I never realised they were an actual band! Despite having 2 of their albums I always thought they were some sort of producer-led studio project...

As soon as I saw the photo I thought, it could be tragic! Hence, we have a jazzy musing on Chopin's piano cover of Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic"... Bass is the trusty Wal.... Drums programmed through EZ and Addictive with some brush sounds off Loopcloud - horns cut up from there as well. Guitar is a Strat through Bias FX and keys are electric grand by Addictive keys. I hadn't played the Chopin bit for probably 40 years when I was learning it for grade 7!

Kim Baker of Defunkt is up with the very best!

I did like the Bizkit's version of "Faith" though!