Level 42 Digest for Saturday, December 22, 2007

Now that the Digest only actually arrives in my inbox about one issue in five, occasionally it takes me a while flick through the archives to catch up. So it's only two weeks after the fact that I discover The Mysterious Case of the Digest Pornographer. I have no idea who this person might be, but my detective's instinct leads me to begin my enquiries with the man who takes pride in his name being an anagram of Real Fine Sex...

In other news, I discover on Richard Niles' myspace page the following:

“The Shulgin Songbook”: Alexander Shulgin has been one of the most successful pop/rock songwriters in Russia since the 1980s when he sold over 20 million records with his band Cruise. Since then he has written over 50 number 1s in Russia for many artists. He is also the producer and judge of Russian TV shows Pop Idol and Star Academy. Shulgin has commissioned Niles to produce & arrange two albums. For the first Niles has arranged jazz versions of Shulgin’s songs with a band including drummer Gary Husband (John McLaughlin, Level 42), bassist Janek Gwizdala (Mike Stern, Aierto, Jem), keyboardist Richard Cottle (Seal, Alan Parsons, David Bowie) Snake Davis (M People, Ray Charles, Tom Jones) and Niles on guitar. Niles has also arranged tacks on the album featuring special guests Bob James, Bill Cobham, John Patitucci, Bob Mintzer and harmonica player Gregoire Maret (Pat Metheny). The second “songbook” album features the solo piano of Gary Husband. Multi instrumentalist Husband is currently on tour as a pianist for John McLaughlin and has also played piano for Billy Cobham. He has also worked with McLaughlin as a drummer and was the drummer in the successful British ‘jazz-funk’ band Level 42. Gary’s piano arrangements of Shulgin’s songs will include one duet with guitar virtuoso Martin Taylor.

Putting aside the fact that my musical life feels like it is slowly imploding - Niles, fresh from arranging a David Newton album (the one for which I did the artwork - I trust I have mentioned this seven or eight times by now?), is now working with a member of Level 42 AND Martin Taylor? - this all sounds potentially fabulous to me. I can't find anything about it on Gary Husband's website, so does anybody here who's in touch with him know when it might see the light of day?

In other other news, Jason Rebello's new album is out and, against my expectation, it's fabulous. If you are a jazz piano fan looking to inculcate your children with a love for the only music really worth listening to (because surely I can't be the only one), then this collection of nursery rhymes and kids' TV themes is the perfect place to start. You may not have thought it possible for 'Wind The Bobbin Up' to swing, but you were wrong. Available now at www.jazzrainbow.net.

AG

PS Anybody know a decent, regularly updated Stevie Wonder site? Given that the official one has latest news dated March 15 2006.

1. An Ideal Husband
From:	Andrew Goodwin <thenightfly83 @ yahoo.co.uk>
Date:	Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:46:11 +0000 (GMT)	[top]
Now that the Digest only actually arrives in my inbox about one issue in five, occasionally it takes me a while flick through the archives to catch up. So it's only two weeks after the fact that I discover The Mysterious Case of the Digest Pornographer. I have no idea who this person might be, but my detective's instinct leads me to begin my enquiries with the man who takes pride in his name being an anagram of Real Fine Sex... In other news, I discover on Richard Niles' myspace page the following: “The Shulgin Songbook”: Alexander Shulgin has been one of the most successful pop/rock songwriters in Russia since the 1980s when he sold over 20 million records with his band Cruise. Since then he has written over 50 number 1s in Russia for many artists. He is also the producer and judge of Russian TV shows Pop Idol and Star Academy. Shulgin has commissioned Niles to produce & arrange two albums. For the first Niles has arranged jazz versions of Shulgin’s songs with a band including drummer Gary Husband (John McLaughlin, Level 42), bassist Janek Gwizdala (Mike Stern, Aierto, Jem), keyboardist Richard Cottle (Seal, Alan Parsons, David Bowie) Snake Davis (M People, Ray Charles, Tom Jones) and Niles on guitar. Niles has also arranged tacks on the album featuring special guests Bob James, Bill Cobham, John Patitucci, Bob Mintzer and harmonica player Gregoire Maret (Pat Metheny). The second “songbook” album features the solo piano of Gary Husband. Multi instrumentalist Husband is currently on tour as a pianist for John McLaughlin and has also played piano for Billy Cobham. He has also worked with McLaughlin as a drummer and was the drummer in the successful British ‘jazz-funk’ band Level 42. Gary’s piano arrangements of Shulgin’s songs will include one duet with guitar virtuoso Martin Taylor. Putting aside the fact that my musical life feels like it is slowly imploding - Niles, fresh from arranging a David Newton album (the one for which I did the artwork - I trust I have mentioned this seven or eight times by now?), is now working with a member of Level 42 AND Martin Taylor? - this all sounds potentially fabulous to me. I can't find anything about it on Gary Husband's website, so does anybody here who's in touch with him know when it might see the light of day? In other other news, Jason Rebello's new album is out and, against my expectation, it's fabulous. If you are a jazz piano fan looking to inculcate your children with a love for the only music really worth listening to (because surely I can't be the only one), then this collection of nursery rhymes and kids' TV themes is the perfect place to start. You may not have thought it possible for 'Wind The Bobbin Up' to swing, but you were wrong. Available now at www.jazzrainbow.net. AG PS Anybody know a decent, regularly updated Stevie Wonder site? Given that the official one has latest news dated March 15 2006. Yahoo! Answers - Get better answers from someone who knows. Try it now.

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