Mike Manieri - Wanderlust

Steps Ahead is one of my favourite bands. The combination of Manieri's compositions and Breckers solos is blinding. Just downloaded Wanderlust from eMusic. (Albums are so much cheaper than buying on hard copy means it is affordable to buy and try). Solo album of Manieri's from 1981. This album has Brecker on it. Sarah's Touch is recorded on one of the Steps albums. Bullet Train is pretty good and has a latin groove. Arrangements are interesting and some of the effects.

Pip Pyle's BASH @ Brighton Jazz Club

Saw Alex McGuire (one of the UKs great jazz pianists) with Pip Pyle's BASH at Brighton Jazz Club last night (http://www.brightonjazzclub.co.uk/ ). Had not read the write up so was not expecting straight ahead jazz rock. Not what Alex has done on the many previous times I've seen him. So 70s and so bloody good. Really rocked with some great solos. Looked up Pip Pyle on http://www.allmusicguide.com/. Had not heard of him before despite being into the Cantabury scene. His compositions were really interesting and enjoyable and the band was tight with strong communication between them. There were some complex time sigs which really rocked. Have gone to my http://www.emusic.com/ account and downloaded an album by Pip - Equipe Out (2000). Really good. Emusic is great for listening to short snatches before buying. I have had to buy so many albums without listening to them in the past and ended up with lots of stuff I don't like.

Alex told me that "just before we left Groningen, I realised I had too much luggage. Pip had travelled relatively light, so I asked him to take a very heavy pair of brogue shoes of mine with him to Paris where I would pick them up at a later date (we were due to go to Montreal via Paris in a few weeks time) Cut to Paris - Apparently, whilst they were taking Pip's body to the morgue, they realised that he needed to be wearing shoes. Somebody was dispatched back to the hotel where he had died and shoes were obtained. These turned out to be my brown brogues!! So Pip was buried in my shoes!!!! Well, he did say he'd look after them for me...........and I guess he kept his side of the bargain!." Alex has been playing with Hatfield and the North for a while now. Can't find any of their stuff to download. Anyone else have any of their albums?