The Musical Box
Music has been a key to my personal growth since I was a teenager and, although I don't play an instrument myself, I have been surrounded by musicians and music all my life. This section of the blog shares the contents of the discoveries, experiences and events in my personal musical box. I grew up with UK pop and rock music in the 1960s and 70s via records, radio, live concerts and TV. In 1981 I carried all this to France and mixed it with other musical styles – la chanson française, jazz, classical and world music. In the early 1990s my musical world was shaken yet again when I discovered traditional tango from Argentina. For the first time in my life I learned to dance and discovered a whole new way of perceiving music. I began working as a tango DJ, starting a webradio, organizing events and seeking out people I admired. Tango continues to be part of my daily musical soundscape.
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Songsmith Bruce Springsteen tells dark bedtime stories – and the world wants more
The album "Nebraska" by Bruce Springsteen was first released in 1982. We'd listen to a tape of it on the battery cassette player we took in our car on long trips. "Nebraska" was a twilight choice. With each song we carried an extra passenger who would briefly be there, tell their tale, then vanish, leaving space for the next one.
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Bye Bye Bassman Danny Thompson
Bass player Danny Thompson passed away on September 23rd 2025. He leaves behind a legacy of amazing diversity, having worked with Nick Drake, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Pentangle, John Martyn and many, many more. I saw him play live and will never forget it. Here's a short tribute to a big, big bassman.
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Songsmith And Beach Boy Brian Wilson Gone But In Good Company
For a long time I saw The Beach Boys as a formula, a brand name and verrrry American, I thought. Which indeed they were : toothpaste smiles, sunshine lyrics and good times almost too good to be true. That would change in late 1975 thanks to Robin, a friend at Keele University. I was a music enthusiast at the time, but Robin was a music fan who was also a musician and totally unafraid of liking music which others considered too pop to be of interest. He knew what he liked, and he could tell you why it was good. He took me into the world of "Surf's Up" and…
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Still blowin’ and still rollin’
The young guy in the picture with his girlfriend Suze is 84 years old today. Happy birthday, Mr Dylan. Still blowin' and still rollin'!
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The Dave Simmons Soul Show BBC Radio One 1972-74
Here's my tribute to the Dave Simmons Soul Show including links to recordings of the original broadcasts on the YouTube channel Getting Mighty Crowded. I'm reposting because the channel has released a special video connected to this article. So proud!
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Telling Bob Dylan’s Singular Story
Bob Dylan may be in his 80s now, "A Complete Unknown" has come along and changed the times, presenting Dylan as a young man again in the image of Timothéé Chalamet. I am no longer the 17 year-old who was bowled over by "Blood On The Tracks" in 1975 but this biopic made me want to share the story of how I went seriously Dylan. Here's the final episode.
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Is this the perfect time to discover Bob Dylan?
Have you seen "A Complete Unknown"? I recommend it. My door to Dylan was not a biopic but a biography which sent me in search of Dylan songs at a time when Dylan was no longer making music. Here's episode 2 of my story about searching for a complete unknown.
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My own search for Bob Dylan
The release of the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unkown" makes this a perfect time for a whole new generation to discover a great artist. How does this compare to my encounter with Bob Dylan's songs during a quiet period in his career in 1972? I was 16, he was 31, and things were pretty quiet on the media front. Here's episode 1 of my story looking for a complete unknown.
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Songsmith Van Morrison And The Power Of Musical Resonance
Van Morrison is a great explorer of the power of resonance and in "Listen to the Lion" he gives us a powerful example. It's basically a love song, but it explores territories which are older and deeper than most love songs. It still resonates with me years after first hearing it. Let me try and tell you why.
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The rocky road to becoming a guitarist 2
This is Part 2 of the Learner Tale told by Chester Kamen, a musician mainly known as a rock guitarist, in which he reflects on how he learnt his craft. He walks us through the experience of being a self-taught musician in a competitive field where he met and worked with Bryan Ferry, David Gilmour and Madonna among others. He also reflects on his new life as a rock musician in a jazz context. A whole new challenge.
