Coming Through Slaughter (1976) by Michael Ondaatje

Roland’s choices

Devil’s Dyke Tavern on Thursday 15th June 2023 @ 7:00 pm

Theme: *Jazz*

A car crash was not a great start to our annual cycle up to Devil’s Dyke however, that aside, it was another lovely evening of great weather, companionship and a great ride there and back.

Roland is renewing a lapsed teenage acquaintanceship with Jazz. Poets Corner delights in his sax playing. With all this in mind,  it was time to dig a bit deeper in the world of Jazz. Nice

READ:  Coming Through Slaughter (1976) by Michael Ondaatje

Michael Ondaatje was an established poet when he wrote this short experimental debut novel about Buddy Bolden 

The real Buddy Bolden was an early 20th century New Orleans jazz cornet player. No recordings exist of Bolden's playing, and very little is known of his life beyond the fact that he had a breakdown during a Mardi Gras parade and died years later in a Louisiana asylum.

Roland described it as hard work.

Nigel felt that the Buddy who emerges is an unsympathetic figure about whom we gain no real insights. Other character's like Bolden's wife Nora Bass, policeman friend Webb, and prostitute photographer Bellocq remain similarly opaque.

Hamish called it disjointed but a real jazz novel that he intends to immediately read again 

Nick found it sporadically compelling

Robin labelled it Dickensian

Keith asked, what was the point? No sense of jazz to be found here, before announcing he was not taken with it

Tristan declared it was probably more fun to write than to read before quoting some nonsensical sections. He then asked, what was fact and what was fiction? What indeed?

Nick 8 / Tristan 5.5 / Nigel 3 / Keith 4.5  / Roland 6.5 / Robin 7.5 / Hamish 10

LISTEN: Black To The Future (2021) by Sons of Kemet

Sons of Kemet were an interesting accompaniment to the book, especially as they represent a more modern incarnation of jazz

WATCH: Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019) dir by Stanley Nelson Jr. (Netflix)

To varying degrees we were all impressed. Robin didn’t watch it though and Keith, whilst pleased to have seen it, was actually not impressed. Ever the contrarian

HBG endorse it: 19 May 2023 -> 15 June 2023

Victorian Seance - Brighton Fringe 2023

Lex Fridman Podcast #275 – Rick Rubin: Legendary Music Producer 

Gap Finder - Mark Neale from Mountain Warehouse (BBC Sounds)

Empire of Light (Disney+)

Herculaneum (Italy)

Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland (BBC iPlayer)

Marianna in Conspiracyland (BBC Sounds)

Reel Stories: Pet Shop Boys (BBC iPlayer)

The Eight Mountains (2022) dir by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch

Michael Jackson on Fire Diorama by Bobby Fingers (YouTube)

Victoria Melody: Pigeon Fanciers (Brighton Festival) 

Epitaph For a Spy (1938) by Eric Ambler

 On Wednesday 22 June 2022, and following our customary “longest day” cycle ride to Devil’s Dyke, then followed by a hasty relocation to the Ancient Mariner because they stopped serving drinks, and were not serving food (I know right?), we met to discuss Keith's Refugee themed choices….

READ: Epitaph For a Spy (1938) by Eric Ambler 

Josef Vadassy is a guileless Hungarian language teacher who lives in France and is on a rare holiday on the French Riviera. After indulging his interest in photography he gets picked up by the police and questioned about a series of photos of coastal fortifications he appears to have taken. Josef Vadassy is wrongly accused of spying with the only way to prove his innocence appearing to be unmasking the real spy.

The novel is particularly good at evoking the precariousness of the stateless person who is thrown into desperation when the authorities become suspicious, and his status allows him to be cynically used. The book also brings to life the turbulent, paranoid and uncertain years prior to WW2 with the authorities understandably suspicious of foreigners who might be gathering intelligence for a hostile neighbour.

The reactions varied considerably to this novel. Nick, Tristan and Roland were particularly damning

Nick 1 / Tristan 3 / Nigel 6 / Keith 6 / Roland 3 / Robin 5 / Hamish 6

LISTEN: Living Like a Refugee (2006) by Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

We all really liked their loose limbed, semi-acoustic take on reggae and African music, and which is embodied in the pared down title track. Sunshine music despite being borne out of tragedy, displacement and suffering

WATCH: Limbo (2020) dir by Ben Sharrock

A beautifully shot tale of migrants stuck on a remote Scottish island while their claims are being processed. An interminable process with an uncertain outcome. The island is both bleak and beautiful. The contact with the state is via a bizarre and blackly humorous series of cultural and vocational lessons from instructors Helga and Boris. It's slow and powerful, a bit too slow for some of our tastes, but it undeniably makes its point. 

ENDORSE IT

12 May 2022 -> 22 June 2022

Love Life (iPlayer)

Oumou Sangare (Music)

Sherwood (iPlayer)

Big Boys (All4)

The Fifth Season by MK Jemson

Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir

Good Pop, Bad Pop by Jarvis Cocker (Book)

Small World (2022) by Metronomy (Music)

The Laidlaw Trilogy by William McIlvanney (Books)

The Morning Show (Season One) (Apple TV)

The Schizophonics (Live music)

Severance (Apple TV)

George Monbiot talk at Charleston

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout (Book)

Knepp Safari (Knepp Estate)

Joker (Prime)

Russian Doll (Netflix)

Old Enough (Netflix)

The Last Word (column in The Week magazine)

“Fever Dream” (2017) by Samanta Schweblin

On Thursday 15th June 2017 we cycled to Devil’s Dyke to discuss Roland's selections. 

BOOK: “Fever Dream” (2017) by Samanta Schweblin

Roland didn't want to play safe. No Sir. Risky risky risky business, is the only business he knows. Words that were bandied around included confusing, obtuse, a bit weird, WTF, Fever Tree - yes, Fever Dream - no. 

What does it all mean? 

Keith 4/10
Roland 6/10
Nigel 5/10
Hamish 7/10
Tristan 5/10
Robin 3/10
Nick 4/10

Scores on the doors from Hove's finest

MUSIC: “Back to Land” (2013) by Wooden Shjips

Psych-drone. Not sure where they go from here though. Seems like ever decreasing circles - but yeah, we dig, kinda

FILM: “Strange Signals from Outer Space!” 2017

Must have looked good as a proposal but ultimately not much there

Interesting to see how scientists and researchers try to make contact with alien life but…er..they haven’t yet so, for all the Lorimer bursts, there wasn’t much to say

The visual trickery, X files style music and cinematography, and the folksy depiction of the married couple, all suggest the programme makers had pretty thin gruel when they came to edit their footage

 ENDORSE IT

Currently we are endorsing…

MUSIC: Kraftwerk 3-D live

FILM: Sing Street (on Netflix)

MUSIC: Cigarettes after Sex (long player 2017)

BOOK: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

FESTIVAL: Brighton Festival 

MUSIC: Mykki Blanco

POLITICIAN/SPEAKER: Bernie Sanders

MUSIC: Brahms

BOOK: Letters from a Stoic

MUSIC: Algiers live