August 13, 2015 – 8:40 PM
Polly Toynbee’s article ( The Guardian 11.08.15) on the National Gallery “outsourcing” a priceless asset of human capital to Securitas, serves to demonstrate the inadequacy of a board of trustees who in all probability have looked at the price of everything and neglected the value of an inestimable workforce that is passionate and dedicated to […]
August 13, 2015 – 8:22 PM
Martin Kettle’s article in The Guardian on 31st July 2015, “Why you won’t catch a British politician at the opera”, was woefully misinformed. The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group, whose purpose is to “To promote an appreciation of jazz music and to engage Parliament in an awareness of the issues facing jazz music, musicians and […]
The problem with the four candidates is the lack of broad workplace experience compounded by a lack of vision. Clem Attlee in his election broadcast on the 5th June 1945 said, “The men and women of this country….need good homes, sufficient food, clothing and the amenities of life, employment and leisure and social provision for […]
With regard to the article “Hundreds of jobs to go at a leaner and simpler BBC” (Jane Martinson).The BBC is bounded by the rationality of being a public sector organisation and needs to think beyond the license fee and the vendetta of MPs fuelled by a dotty ideology from the School of Murdoch. The BBC could devolve Radios 1, 2 […]
There was an article in The Guardian (24.04.15) on the BBC Proms. Martin Kettle looks for a critical angle for the proms each year and every year he fails . Perhaps Martin Kettle, Alan Davey and the BBC live in a different universe to me. The BBC publicity states “While the Proms celebrates its 120th year […]
In the Guardian on the 28th May 2015 “Arts Council boss promises more of a two way street”. The new CEO of the Arts Council Darren Henley was at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards at the House of Commons on the 10th March 2015 when I made an acceptance speech. I drew attention to the appallingly […]
Jazz UK in three consecutive issues; September/October 2004, November/December 2004 and January /February 2005 published an in depth survey of the jazz scene in Britain. The contributors were Brian Blain, Emma Kendon, Peter Vacher, Pete Martin,Godfrey Pratt and John Fordham. I have reproduced the reports here. The report was subtitled a “A Labour of Love” […]
The Arts Council published a policy for the support of jazz in 1996 and then 4 years later it was dropped in favour – as I recall – of “the bigger picture”. Needless to say no real resources had been allocated to the policy. In Paragraph 62 the Arts Council say clearly that they will […]
In 1993 the Arts Council conducted a national review of jazz. Jazz In, issue 29 for Oct/Dec 1993 wrote an editorial on the review and it makes interesting reading; in fact it could be published tomorrow. Please see: Jazz In Issue 29 Oct-Dec 1993 Arts Council Review of Jazz
I have just completed a paper on “Public investment of jazz – a coherent policy for jazz, changing demographics, live music and coping with the increasing supply of jazz musicians”. This paper examines: A level playing field for jazz The paucity of public funding for jazz The lack of a coherent policy for jazz in […]