edited highlights

Notable musical events of the last ten days, briefly:

• The London Jazz Festival, particularly a mesmerising performance by the Tord Gustavsen Ensemble. So moved was I that I shelled out for the new CD which I then queued up like some kind of Scandinavian piano jazz groupie to get signed by the man himself.
• Finishing "Bringing It All Back Home", an enjoyable account of the musical loves of bolshie Yorkshire TV presenter and rugby league aficionado Ian Clayton. A good read and an unexpectedly harrowing last chapter...
  
• Music quiz ignominy for Billie Piper At The Gates of Dawn, who put massive effort into finishing bottom of the table at the Three Kings. I was particularly pleased though to dig out Augustus Pablo (so to speak) to up our score slightly in the Obscure Reggae round.
  
• Mozzer on Desert Island Discs: utterly compelling listening. Kirsty Young is good at her job, striking a nice balance between ex-teenage Smiths devotee and gently probing journo. Seems Steven Patrick is actually quite fond of his old mum and dad. Ah bless.
  
• This week's contribution to the "gratuitous oldie" slot comes courtesy of Liz Kershaw on 6 Music. It seems TT main man Mark Hollis went on to make some interesting music, which I admit I need to investigate further before pontificating about here. In the meantime, how's about this for some good-time eighties synth pop...
  

Talk Talk - Such a shame