You know this cat right? I don’t even need to tell you? John Abercrombie was one helluva’ guitarist & band leader. during the 70’s, Abercrombie began to lead the exceptional Gateway trio with Dave Holland on double-bass & Jack Dejohnette shedding splinters. This culminated in two brilliant albums – 75’s Gateway & 78’s Gateway 2. They were both preceded by Timeless from 74, which encompassed Jan Hammer on keys rather than Holland. The overture track on Timeless, “Lungs”, has a ferocious tempo prompting Jack to expel some of the fastest Turbo Swing you will hear him dispense in his career (perhaps being rivaled only by his “Song X” LP with Ornette Coleman & Pat Metheny from 85). It also features a fantastic gracile exchange between John & Jan, all whilst belting through a cloud scape at terminal velocity. Continue reading John Abercrombie 1944-2017: →

Sometimes, a brisk jog results in a cross-bow bolt in the testicles! Last Thursday had them streaking like lightening quarrels with casualties a plenty. At the Flaxonptootch, a very fine venue with more personality & unorthodox cred than ya’ average, London based four-piece goon gang Starsha Lee disembogued a schema of Grunge, Rock, Punk & Metal melange bound together with a decent smattering of distortion clog. The icing on the road-kill is really the vocalist & front-woman – a tornado of chattering, utterly exasperated, rapid high-pitched shriek that are both hilarious & perturbing. Continue reading Starsha Lee – live at Flaxonptootch: →