On the train

I am on the train heading down to York, to meet someone to tak about business.

It is a glorious day. I love this journey: I am sitting by the window on the east coast side, and the scenery is just stunning: cliffs until Berwick, castles and islands until Newcastle.

It is just glorious.

Even though I have made this trip many many times, it never fails to excite me.

We have just passed Alnmouth, where we spent a lovely week a year ago: this makes me very happy, and very sad.

(I must post my photos of that week sometime: spectacular dawns over the beach; and castles lit up by the setting sun. It was glorious.)

Edit: And I forgot to mention the music! I am listening to Bruckner 8 loudly on my iPod, and it is stirring and emotional and in tune with the landscape. It all just fits so well. And now you know!

On the train

I am on the train heading down to York, to meet someone to tak about business.

It is a glorious day. I love this journey: I am sitting by the window on the east coast side, and the scenery is just stunning: cliffs until Berwick, castles and islands until Newcastle.

It is just glorious.

Even though I have made this trip many many times, it never fails to excite me.

We have just passed Alnmouth, where we spent a lovely week a year ago: this makes me very happy, and very sad.

(I must post my photos of that week sometime: spectacular dawns over the beach; and castles lit up by the setting sun. It was glorious.)

Edit: And I forgot to mention the music! I am listening to Bruckner 8 loudly on my iPod, and it is stirring and emotional and in tune with the landscape. It all just fits so well. And now you know!

Islay Jazz

I have been to Islay three times now, each time for the jazz festival. Islay is famous for one thing really – whisky. And the combination of the island, the whisky and jazz makes for a very memorable weekend. Whisky flows: the jazz festival is sponsored by Black Bottle, and they give out (small) samples everywhere.

Islay is a small place: a population of 3,500 people spread over the island, and most of those are in Port Ellen and Bowmore. Much of the island is wild, and every time I go there, I think that I must spend more time exploring – I really must go for longer than just the jazz festival. Next year, perhaps.

The festival itself is a curious affair, because it largely consists of musicians from the central belt of Scotland who play regularly in Edinburgh and Glasgow playing to an audience which mostly consists of visitors from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Frankly, it shouldn’t work – because I can see these guys play any weekend.

But instead it is wonderful. Maybe it is the setting – many of the gigs take place in distilleries (the best being Bunnahabhain, where the concert takes place in the bottle room, surrounded by empty whisky casks and the air full of spirit); maybe it is the audience and the musicians – because you have to be really keen to make the 350 mile round trip from Edinburgh.

Either way, it is brilliant.
( Getting there... )

( Dave Milligan & Colin Steele... )

( Jakob Karlzon & Tommy Smith... )

( A bit of walking... )

( Colin Steele Quintet )

( Mario Caribe and the Islay Jazz 10th Birthday Party... )

( Karlzon-Greene-Quigley Quintet... )

( More walking... )

( Sunday Jam Session... )

( Jakob Karlzon Trio... )

( Kevin Mackenzie Quartet... )

( Getting back... )

Islay Jazz

I have been to Islay three times now, each time for the jazz festival. Islay is famous for one thing really – whisky. And the combination of the island, the whisky and jazz makes for a very memorable weekend. Whisky flows: the jazz festival is sponsored by Black Bottle, and they give out (small) samples everywhere.

Islay is a small place: a population of 3,500 people spread over the island, and most of those are in Port Ellen and Bowmore. Much of the island is wild, and every time I go there, I think that I must spend more time exploring – I really must go for longer than just the jazz festival. Next year, perhaps.

The festival itself is a curious affair, because it largely consists of musicians from the central belt of Scotland who play regularly in Edinburgh and Glasgow playing to an audience which mostly consists of visitors from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Frankly, it shouldn’t work – because I can see these guys play any weekend.

But instead it is wonderful. Maybe it is the setting – many of the gigs take place in distilleries (the best being Bunnahabhain, where the concert takes place in the bottle room, surrounded by empty whisky casks and the air full of spirit); maybe it is the audience and the musicians – because you have to be really keen to make the 350 mile round trip from Edinburgh.

Either way, it is brilliant.
( Getting there... )

( Dave Milligan & Colin Steele... )

( Jakob Karlzon & Tommy Smith... )

( A bit of walking... )

( Colin Steele Quintet )

( Mario Caribe and the Islay Jazz 10th Birthday Party... )

( Karlzon-Greene-Quigley Quintet... )

( More walking... )

( Sunday Jam Session... )

( Jakob Karlzon Trio... )

( Kevin Mackenzie Quartet... )

( Getting back... )