Test Match Special - View from the Boundary - Joe Stilgoe

Episode Date: June 4, 2022

Internationally acclaimed singer, pianist and songwriter Joe Stilgoe joins Aggers to discuss his love for cricket, his life in music and Joe also managed to fit his keyboard in the TMS commentary box ...at Lord's.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. You're listening to the TMS Podcasts. from BBC Radio 5 Live. It's appropriate, I think, that as a nation celebrates 70 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth,
Starting point is 00:00:37 we welcome as our view from the boundary, a guest who performed at the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's 70th wedding anniversary at Windsor. He's an international acclaimed singer, pianist, songwriter, famed for bringing a fresh sound to jazz. During the pandemic, he became a YouTube sensation with his In the Shed performances for the best-selling album following. He's composed of music and lyrics to very successful stage versions of the popular Zog children's books. The Jungle Book and the Midnight Gang has created award-winning shows for the London Jazz Festival. It's performed in High Society and Guys and Dolls and hosts of the BBC's Young Jazz Musician of the Year. His mother, Annabelle, a very well-renowned opera singer. His father, Richard Stilgo, the lyricist on musicals like Cats and Starlight Express is a previous view from the boundary.
Starting point is 00:01:23 It is great to welcome his son, Joe Stilgo, to view from the film. the boundary you've made it i've made it i know it's so disappointing last time i know but uh there was there were lots of disappointments but to be here aggers is a complete joy and to be in this box it's all very overwhelming but um a joy to be here well it's a good effort because i think were you in devon last night or something i was at the sidmouth jazz festival last night i hot tailed it up the m3 this morning and uh managed to bring in my 15 foot steinway which just about got in the lift to. Well, I wish you had. I mean, I don't know if that's going to be a suitable replacewood. If only people could see the beauty of the Cassio keyboard. Is it okay? Are you looking forward to having a go at that later?
Starting point is 00:02:08 I mean, it's my job. So, yeah, I'm always looking forward to sitting behind a piano. I mean, we'll talk about music more than a second. But, I mean, do you often turn up for things, having not touched those particular ivories before? I mean, are you playing on all sorts of banged out old piano? Yeah, that's kind of part for the course being a pianist. Jules Holland was saying the other day you know you've kind of got to fall in love quite quickly with every piano that turns up because they're all different you've never played it before
Starting point is 00:02:35 they're all different but that's just that's the nature of it I can't carry around my violin no no no no because they don't play it simply well we'll have some music shortly and all sorts of tricks that you get up to but first of all come on talk about cricket
Starting point is 00:02:49 because this is this is your game isn't it? This is my game yeah I've been a cricket tragic since I was probably five I think and my dad took me to the Oval and I used to go and see him play as well my dad was a part of the Lord's Taverners team the vintage of the 80s
Starting point is 00:03:09 they were great fun those games weren't they? They were amazing and people used to come in their thousands they were big news back then and it was a nice mixture of celebs but also old pros so I grew up knowing about Fred Rumsey and Butch White Farooke Engineer Do you remember those?
Starting point is 00:03:26 Of course. I'd like you have to play in some of those as well. I don't think I would play with your dad, but... Well, you wouldn't have got in. I mean, when dad was opening, he was quite famously the slowest bowler to ever have appeared for the Lord's Taverners. In fact, there was someone, I think it was Bill Tidy,
Starting point is 00:03:41 the cartoonist, who said, Richard, you bowl so slowly, the ball comes down with ice on it. So it was... It was just a lovely thing to go to those matches, to meet all these people who were a mixture of, you know, like well-known celebrities. I mean, I met Eric Morkham famously when I was, when I was four, and I was crying my eyes out, was a miserable, clearly having a meltdown.
Starting point is 00:04:06 Lots of parents out there were recognised the symptoms, just in a half in my push chair. And Eric Morkum came up to mum and dad and went, don't worry, I'll sort him out. And then proceeded to do 15 minutes of prime material. What? Everyone else rolling about, you know, laughing. And I was just sat there, stony-faced. I wouldn't budge.
Starting point is 00:04:29 And people couldn't believe it. It was like the best Eric Morkum show they'd ever seen. And still, I wouldn't relent. And I was crying and crying and crying. And my mum always loves to say that Eric came up to her afterwards and said, when he's older, tell him, I took it well. Isn't that great laugh? But they were really special those days.
Starting point is 00:04:53 you're right all the different celebrities playing and raising money and thousands go remember them going around the blanket they used to have a blanket the four of them would go around
Starting point is 00:05:02 so it'd be Mike Gatting and you know Gary Lineker and Linda Robson from TV and people chucked loads of coins in and they'd raise thousands every match
Starting point is 00:05:11 and I loved that you know that always have loved that mix of cricket and charity they go in hand in hand and I always thought cricket was the most
Starting point is 00:05:20 Barbara Windsor I remember being at one played I think she played. I think she just hovered around, you know, and it was just good company because it was all about attracting people to come. David Frost was determined to bat the entire innings.
Starting point is 00:05:33 I think someone in the end ran him out. Excellent. Because he was just simply not going to give his wicket away. But it was, yeah, a great fun. So that sowed the seed then, really. Yeah. And I was, I mean, I was deep into it. I was just talking to your colleague, Colliegallison,
Starting point is 00:05:47 about pouring over the papers, you know, reading the Times, county championship I knew all the averages you know in the 80s that was that was my thing and only a couple of friends at school
Starting point is 00:06:00 had that shared love of you know going deep into the figures but that's something that you know those of us who love that stuff about cricket is a huge part of it and playing
Starting point is 00:06:11 I mean did you play with your dad I played quite badly I inherited dad's skill I was a non-spinning leg spinner right I was I was I always saw myself as a kind of right-handed Brian Lara as a batsman. But it turns out I was more of a right-handed Stuart Broad
Starting point is 00:06:26 in that I just had a rush of blood to the head. I had all the technique in my head, and it never went well. I guess it was an unfortunate cricket career. I'm still kind of play when I can, but, you know, music and cricket don't go together well. Do I? In that either you're working, I mean, you always work you on a Saturday, but also for the fingers as a pianist it's not you know
Starting point is 00:06:51 it wouldn't be prescribed by your GP there was that story of was it lashings the team members Eric Clapton was playing and there was this famous slip cordon Eric Clapton Bill Wyman Mick Jagger I think they're all smoking
Starting point is 00:07:07 and Clapton yeah that was it he was about to do his run of shows at the Albert Hall 24 nights I think And he did this sort of regularly. And his manager said, you've got these gigs coming up, Eric.
Starting point is 00:07:22 Whatever you do, don't play cricket. And of course, he gets asked the next, you know, come on, Eric, come on play cricket with us. And he's standing in the slip cordon, goes for the catch. Oh. And his middle finger is bent right back. Broke his hand.
Starting point is 00:07:37 And then had to make a call to the manager. That wouldn't be good. You know how he said, don't play cricket? Yeah. I've done it. You're right. I have a Bill Wyman playing in a charity game. You're right. I mean, he did have a fag on. He was bowling.
Starting point is 00:07:49 And I think he bowled slower than your dad, actually. Really? Impossible. No, I don't believe it. He did. Because, dear old Charles Colville, who worked many years on Sky, of course, good friend of mine. Yeah. He walked out to bat. Sky was showing this live, this embarrassment. Because Bill was bowling. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:08:05 And he had a fag on, and Charles arrived, and Bill has put his fag down on the ground, lobbed up this thing, which poor old Charles missed, bowled him first ball. And just pursued by his Sky camera. Love it. Charles returned to the pavilion, Bill was picked his fag on and just carried on. So you can't kind of go together. So which team is your love then?
Starting point is 00:08:28 Well, I'm at, because of, because of dad, it's Surrey. But now I live in, I live in Brighton now. So Hove is just five minutes down the road. So he took my girls to one of the championship matches recently for the first time, and that was a joyous thing. They've got a very good young team down there. All a developing young team, too fair, haven't they? I mean, Sussex is, it's,
Starting point is 00:08:47 fantastic. I mean, we live quite close to Joffar Archer, but, you know, just hoping he will get back to playing again. Do you ever see him? Walking his dogs? Never seen him walking his dogs. I think he must have his own park, the Joffar Archer park. No, I mean, just to take children, like we can see here, the children playing quick cricket on the ground, to bring them to a place like this and to show them that cricket, you know, it's not just full of rules and averages and regulations. And old people. And old people. It's a sport that is the most, most for me it's got everything it's it's it's kind of a mirror of life it's the most exciting thing it's tragic it's it's well it's it's it's tense and talking about tense i was in this
Starting point is 00:09:29 horrible conflict yesterday hoping england would get wickets but also worried that there would be no play today agus well you're missing i mean it was looking dicey they were 36 for four it was when you when you're going to give me that you'd love cricket i'm i'm assuming testing test cricket. Yes. Particularly. Test cricket number one, definitely. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:09:51 I mean, given all those wickets fell on the first day. Yeah. Do you like that or do you think, hmm, actually test cricket is a, actually should be a bit deeper than this. They should be bouncing who actually can defend their wickets and not be rolled over quite so quickly. Yeah. People are paying a lot of money. You know, there's quite a debate about ticket prices at the moment here.
Starting point is 00:10:09 150, 160 pounds, the most expensive. I mean, there are obviously ones that aren't as expensive as that. But is it in test, test cricket interests? to have matches ending so quickly, do you think? I mean, it could end today. It could. I think it is a bit of a worry. I think naturally I was drawn to Batsman growing up.
Starting point is 00:10:27 I think my heroes, you know, I had Brian Lara on the wall. I even had Ather's, like Atherton on my wall. Don't tell him. Yeah. Yeah, he was a hero for me because I grew up in a time when he was, you know, the reliable. I trusted him because it was a team that was really struggling. And he was often the one who came out. the only one who fought to the end.
Starting point is 00:10:49 So I was naturally drawn to batting and I love watching batting. And I do like, I really admire, you know, a great test pitch when the bowlers can get on top. But that first day, 21 wickets, well, 17 wickets and then for the next morning. It's not test cricket in the sense that there's application and, you know, all the things that we love about. the game. It's a test of patience, it's a test of resilience and resolve and it is, I think because these cricketers are having
Starting point is 00:11:24 to, you know, flip between different formats, it's a problem and they're not drilled in the Red Bull game enough before the start of the season. It's like you flitting for different pianos. I know. Well, it's an odd thing, especially as a jazz musician, you do kind of have to
Starting point is 00:11:40 get used to maybe five minutes slot here and then a three-hour gig. But I don't have to play fast or, you know, hit the piano harder. No. But, well, I'm with you. I mean, I do think that. And while we all love drama and to sit here and describe drama,
Starting point is 00:12:00 it's brilliant, it's what the job's about. But at the same time, I can't help but be really sort of defensive when it comes to test cricket. And I want to stick up for test cricket because it's very easy to do test cricket now. And I thought it's quite depressing yesterday. You wouldn't have heard it, I don't think, but to hear the ICC boss more or less accepting that one day cricket is going to rule away and that more and more teams won't play test cricket
Starting point is 00:12:26 over the years to come. And I thought, I was really sad actually to hear the head man saying that. Even though you feel that he's probably right, but it's up to people like him to stop that from happening. Yeah, exactly. And not just accept it. Yeah, you've got to have someone standing in the river, haven't you? Yes.
Starting point is 00:12:42 I mean, it's kind of like going to see great options. or great plays or great shows they don't let the public into the dress rehearsal and there's a reason for that it's not ready the public are let in when it's ready and it's you get the sense sometimes that people aren't giving enough preparation and enough respect
Starting point is 00:13:04 for tests this is the first test of the summer and no one was quite ready everyone's still in dress rehearsal and I think for like you said to make people pay that much money to come and watch a slightly undercooked first innings. I mean, it's exciting and it's great.
Starting point is 00:13:18 And look, you know, 17 wickets is exciting. But for those of us who care about the future of the game and, you know, with two children. It's very good comparison to me. I might make a note of that. No, but it is true. It is like a dress rehearsal. And slowly the summer warm up and these, New Zealand will be ready. Yeah, I mean, in this innings, we'll, I mean, if we don't win, we'll get close to the total.
Starting point is 00:13:41 And we will be sort of ready in the second innings. but you're not, it's not fair to the people coming the first day of the season. I'm interesting you took your girls down to see it. Do you feel that there is, cricket is now more of a game for, I don't know how old are your girls? They're seven and three.
Starting point is 00:13:59 Right, okay, three obviously a bit young, but I mean, the seven-year-old, is she starting to get into cricket? At school, they don't have it until I think a couple of years later. But definitely there's, the school team is not, you know, it's girls and boys and it's, you know, if she shows an interest,
Starting point is 00:14:17 then I'll take her as much as she wants because I love it and I want to pass that on. And I want her to be better than me. Wouldn't that be good? Not hard, but that. Not hard. I mean, if only I could get out there. I still, you know, there's an odd,
Starting point is 00:14:38 when you're an innately terrible cricketer, but you know so much about the guy, We feel you know so much about the game. There's still a part of you that thinks you could have your moment. Well, I'm looking at some names here that you played with. Alan Lamb, Robin Smith. I mean, when you're playing with people like that, I mean,
Starting point is 00:14:54 why have I played with those people? Andy Caddick, I played with David Essex was keeping wacky. Right. How long ago was that? He must be getting on a bit. That was on the Channel Islands. That was my first time playing for the Lord's Taverners in Guernsey.
Starting point is 00:15:09 And then we first played the first match ever on Sart. which they had to get the sheep. I think they just chucked them in the sea. Move the sheep off the field and mow a strip. The first ever game on Sark. And I was batting with Phil Mitchell. What's this name? Steve McFadden.
Starting point is 00:15:29 Phil Mitchell from EastEnders. And Lorraine Chase was bowling. That's interesting. Yes. This is, I mean, commentate on that. Yes. I don't know who was. How was Lorraine?
Starting point is 00:15:39 What was she? She was very good. She bowled Steve McFadden first. ball and he led out some language that I cannot repeat on air but it was echoing across the fields of Sark gosh the crowd would have loved that I mean who was there
Starting point is 00:15:52 that day I mean if you were there was on Sark that day it's all Lorraine Chase taking that wicket I'd love to hear from it. Chop us a note famous days but yeah to be able to play that's the mad thing I mean I know they do charity football matches but you wouldn't be able to play you know
Starting point is 00:16:08 ever to play with heroes like that on a rugby field that The lovely thing about cricket is that I watch my dad playing with, you know, playing with Gordon Greenwich and people like that and meeting Clive Lloyd and Tandorka and then for me to be able to play with these heroes of mine. Pretty astonishing. So I love that about cricket. I really do. I'll talk about your music now. What's been your biggest live audience, live audience?
Starting point is 00:16:35 Well, in fact, Christmas Day last year, I was in Dubai playing to 8,000 people. Oh, is that all? Oh, he's playing for the millions now? I mean, millions now. Yes, today. In about two minutes? Yes. I mean, I've just did a big show at the Barbican as well
Starting point is 00:16:54 to launch this new album we'd done, which was the full orchestra, and it was especially lovely coming out of lockdown when I was literally in my shed, as you mentioned earlier. I was in my shed broadcasting online to YouTube. How do you make a shed acoustically? Acoustically, it was poor, Jonathan. There was, I mean, if there were any good shed builders out there,
Starting point is 00:17:16 you can come and acoustically treat, or in fact make a door that fits. I suppose it didn't matter, did it really? No, it didn't matter. I was just, I mean... You were in the shade and that's it. I had my phone on my laptop, and that's all I had. I was just me and the piano broadcasting, hoping there would be an audience, there was an audience,
Starting point is 00:17:38 and they started requesting songs, and that's how we started. Which is what you, this is moving on to what you do And the skill That you have in just, I've seen you in action Songs just being shouted out from an audience Oh of course, yeah, we were over there We were in the long room Yeah
Starting point is 00:17:56 And I thought this is, and you just somehow Put it all together I've seen your dad do it as words of course Which is his great party trick Yes dad had this had this brain Where he could write a song on the spot And it would be immaculent, perfect Words shouted out by
Starting point is 00:18:10 by random, totally random worlds, shouted out by an audience. Whereas my thing, I could always play by ear. And then my piano teacher said, use your hands, it's better. No, I could, so once I heard a tune, I could play it. But all of it. All of it. All of it. Not just the ding, ding, ding, the whole harmony and everything. Yeah, but I learnt how to do that because I would learn, I learnt harmony and how songs went.
Starting point is 00:18:34 But I remembered the first time I did it was a gig where I'd run out of material. I thought, what do I do now? So I just said, any requests? And I used to play in piano bars where people would come in and just request anything. Yeah. Yeah, slam a 50 on the piano. That never happened, by the way. Play it again, Sam.
Starting point is 00:18:49 Play it again, Sam. Well, play us something now. Let's get in a bouncing mood. And then we're going to challenge you, because I've been around the commentary boxes, and we're going to explain to people what it is that you do, which I must have been, it just took my breath away when I heard this as a wannabe musician. But what are you going to play for us? Oh, listen to that.
Starting point is 00:19:12 It does work. It actually works. We're here. I'm sounding quite echoy. How does that sound? Sounds echoing, reverby. Lovely. Well, let's pretend I'm in the barbican.
Starting point is 00:19:26 So this is on the new album. This album is a kind of love letter to theatre and my, you know, the family business. So this is cabaret. What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play. Life is a cavalry, old chum. Come to the cabaret. Put down the knitting, the book and the broom.
Starting point is 00:20:09 It's time for a heart. holiday Life is a Camry, old chum Come to the cabaret Come to the cabaret Come taste the wine Come hear the band
Starting point is 00:20:25 Come blow your horn Start celebrating Right this way your tea boo's waiting What goods permitting Some profit of doom To wipe every smile away Life is a cat
Starting point is 00:20:40 A cabaret, oh, chum, come to the cabaret. I used to have a girlfriend known as Elsie, with whom I shared four sordid rooms in Chelsea. She wasn't what you'd call a blushing flower. As a matter of fact, she rented by the hour. The day she died, the neighbors came to snicker. Ha! Well, that's what comes from too much pills and liquor.
Starting point is 00:21:19 But when I saw her laid out like a queen, she was the happiest corpse I'd ever seen. I think of Elsie to this very day. I remember how she turned to me and said, what good is sitting alone in your room come hear the music play life is a cabaret
Starting point is 00:22:01 old chum come to the cabaret and as for me and as for me I made my mind up back in Chelsea When I go, I'm going like Elsie Start by admitting from cradles in tune It isn't that long a stay
Starting point is 00:22:26 Agassiz doing his high kicks Life is a cabaret o'jump Come on, Jonathan Only a cabaret o' chum Life is a cabaret o' chum And I love, oh, I love, I love, I love, I love a cabaret that lost five days. Thank you so much. Wow.
Starting point is 00:23:11 What is to say about that? It's pretty. Come here. Joe Stilgo is our guest. I mean, just listen to that for talent. I mean, you have got some great musical genes. I mean, your mum and your dad. You know, it doesn't always hand down, does it?
Starting point is 00:23:27 But you've been dealt some really good cards. Yeah. And all they did was just instilling me a love of music. And they were just there as a support. And to watch them do it was important as well to see it as a kind of achievable, vaguely normal existence, you know, to see Dad in concert or on TV. And I was lucky enough to watch my mum,
Starting point is 00:23:49 who didn't sing, she stopped singing around about when I was seven or eight, I think. Glindborn before that was singing Glynebourne, all over the place as a fantastic operatic mezzo, soprano, and so musical, one of the most musical people I've ever met, and coupled with Dad's brain, and his music. I mean, you would think it would be inevitable,
Starting point is 00:24:14 but as ever with children, it isn't. And I wanted to be an estate agent. I also, you know, obviously I wanted to be a test opener, but the door for that was slam shut. And following such a famous musician as well, I mean, that's a quite a brave thing to do, isn't it? I mean, the contributions that your dad made to West End shows as well, on our television screens virtually every night in the 70s of nationwide.
Starting point is 00:24:37 Yeah, I often think about that with, with sports people as well, you know, it's, it's hard. It's hard because you've always got a reputation to live up to. But there's, what I find, it's only ever a beneficial thing in that people always come up and say, I love to working with your dad or nice to see you doing something similar. I mean, I suppose I moved into the jazz world when I started becoming a musician because I played the piano and sang and that's what dad was known for, whereas he was known for writing very witty, brilliant topical songs on TV
Starting point is 00:25:11 and for musicals. I sort of wanted to make my own way, carve my own niche, as they say. Which is, I suppose, is... I did there something similar, because I've got here. Yes. I've seen your dad in action obviously, charity dues,
Starting point is 00:25:27 where he'll come on and say, right, shout out some words and he gets all these random words thrown at him from the audience. And you'll say, okay, you'll drop them down, disappear for 20 minutes, half an hour or something. Come back between courses, and just perform the song that he's written with those random words in it. Now, I've got to say,
Starting point is 00:25:45 I think you've taken that a stage further because you shout out to the audience, shout out songs, as random as you like, and which people do. And you just sit there and put it all together as a medley. No one else will do it, that's why. No one else playing.
Starting point is 00:26:02 I don't know how you do it. So what I've done here, I'll be busy this morning. Okay. So I have got here Do you want to go back to Thank you, because you're going to play here the requests If you like These are one-off
Starting point is 00:26:13 This is one-off medleys So I've been around the various commentary boxes And I've been asking the commentators Because you've asked I think about five Five songs, isn't it? I just say shout out any songs You still sound like you're in an empty Albert hall But you're not
Starting point is 00:26:30 You're there, it's okay It sounds great Okay Either they're in the toilet Anyway, what we have got here then Are the requests And I'll reveal who requested Each particular song
Starting point is 00:26:46 After you've done it But this is an example of what you do, isn't it? So if I give you, I'm giving you Ring of Fire Okay Johnny Cash I'm giving you Beethoven's Patateek The Second Movement Oh, okay, stipulate
Starting point is 00:27:01 That's the nice one, that's the nice slow one Yeah Humpty Dumpty Right Got my mojo working Yeah And the test match special theme Right
Starting point is 00:27:15 Those are your five to start with Ring of Fire Patateeke Humpty Dumpty Got my mojo working And the TMS theme Okay And you have not seen these So
Starting point is 00:27:26 Well I also don't know any of those So what do I do now Well do you make it up Can they I think they're starting No, they're not starting. You've got... What's it?
Starting point is 00:27:47 Mojo working. Mojo working. Not it. Love is a burning ring And it makes Jonathan Agnews sing Humpty was a bit of a dumpty Oh, but he played that thing I went into a burning ring of fire
Starting point is 00:28:26 And I brum burn burn burn burn I only know the first line of every song Is this in? Is this in? Beautiful. Got my mojo working, just like my ring of fire. Got my mojo working, and my patateech's preaching to the choir. So when Humpty Dumpty is broken up, play the thing. Wow, well, you've ticked them all off.
Starting point is 00:29:31 How do you do it? Before I give you your next one... Why do I do it? Well, how do you do it? I mean, what key you're going to start in all? I don't know. It's blank. So I never think about the key. It's just...
Starting point is 00:29:45 If I started thinking about it, I'd go mad. So I just... I know, because you play the piano, so you're thinking, I need... Music. I need something to look at. Yeah. Yeah, I just have it in my head,
Starting point is 00:29:56 and I can move around. I never know any song in any... In a particular key, sort of see if it works. Give me some more. Sky Television. Oh, okay. Eight miles high.
Starting point is 00:30:10 Oh, I'll reveal. Ring of Fire was Alistair Cook. That's why Alistair is avoiding eye contact. Obviously mine. You've ruined myself. Humpty Dumpty was obviously toughers. I've got my mojo working with Andy Zaltzwin.
Starting point is 00:30:23 The TMS theme was, of course, the producer Adam Mountford. Now, Sky. Okay. Eight miles high, the birds. Don't know it. know it. We'll skip that one out then. Yeah. The theme from Blackadder. Got it.
Starting point is 00:30:38 Heaven knows I'm miserable now. You can have a guess who that was. That's by the Smiths. Okay. And Waltzing Matilda. Was that Mike Atherton? Yes, it was. Okay.
Starting point is 00:30:52 And Walting Matilda, Mark Taylor, a special guest. Oh, right. Oh, gosh. Eight miles high. Theme from Blackadder. Heaven knows I'm miserable now at Waltzing Matilda. Eight miles high. I don't know it. I can't play it. I imagine it.
Starting point is 00:31:03 We'll let you off, though. Okay. Right, for this is Sky. for a century. Heaven knows he's miserable now. Heaven knows he's miserable now. We love you, Alex. Stop leaving the ball in the channel. Oh,
Starting point is 00:32:01 so on. And then you're going to I'm going I'm the
Starting point is 00:32:10 I'm I'm Yeah I'm I'm I'm When did you first hear of jazz, when did you first hear jazz? Because not something that you necessarily encounter particularly young. is it? Or perhaps it is. I don't know. In your house
Starting point is 00:32:49 it might have been. No, not really actually. I remember hearing it. I think I was just looking through some dad's old records and there was a Sinatra record and one by Andre Previn who lots of people know as a conductor and a composer but it was a great jazz pianist
Starting point is 00:33:05 and I remember saying to my parents I want to know more about jazz so there was a Christmas and Dad went to Virgin Megastore other megastores were available at the time and said to the It went into the jazz department and said, you know, my son's interested. What should he have?
Starting point is 00:33:22 So I got a selection of five CDs and I just, I just love the sound and I love the way that they could take a tune and do something mad with it. That's, I suppose, what I love. You know, intrinsically, jazz means that, I mean, it's like improvising, you know, in 2020. There's the technique required to make sure that you hit the ball. but you can do anything you want with it after that. And it's the same as playing the piano. So think of us just one song, any song. Quite complex chord structures, are they?
Starting point is 00:33:58 They can be. I mean, often with jazz, there's just one chord. Something modern like that. Or you could be, you know, a lot of jazz is based on those great. old songs by, you know, Gershwin and Coldwater. So you would improvise over the changes. So can you think of a song that comes to mind? Well, I'm giving you another BBC television.
Starting point is 00:34:25 I'm going to give you one more of these. Right. I guess you want to improvise an entire song. I think maybe next time. Adam's put his hand up. Two minutes to go. Is that all we've got? A two-minute medley.
Starting point is 00:34:41 Supersonic Oasis. Right. It was that. that was that was isha you can call me al yes alison mitchell wind the bobbin up right tim peach our producer on tv rivers of baby right Craig mcmillan this old house michael vaughan this old house really shaking stevens yeah i was surprised by that yeah i was really up to date it's great yeah um right By the rivers of Babylon, I was born, I really don't know this.
Starting point is 00:35:32 Why is this your favorite song, Michael Vaughan? Man walks down the street And says, why am I soft in the middle now? Why am I soft in the middle now? The rest of my life so hard. Have we got one minute left? 20 seconds. Almost the third one.
Starting point is 00:36:06 I forgot the third one. Wind the bobbin up. Oh, yes. Bravo. Well on Joe, that's brilliant. Thank you. Brilliant. A perfect timing as well. I hope you've enjoyed
Starting point is 00:36:45 ourselves. We've really enjoyed having you come here today. Thank you, Joe. Thanks, I guess. Joe's still go. What an extraordinary talent. What a wonderful noise. And who thought that clapped out looking keyboard there?
Starting point is 00:36:56 Could produce a sound like that. This is the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Hello, I'm Stefan, the BBC's gaming reporter. I'm also the host of PressX to continue the BBC's gaming podcast. And I think you might like it. On the podcast, we talk gaming news and reviews. We had such a nice early start of this year with February, just having great game after great game after great game.
Starting point is 00:37:23 We discussed some of the biggest games of the moment. The characters all have their experiences that they bring to it, and you feel, you know, kind of part of that puzzle. And we get into some of the things the gamers are talking about right now. Eldon Ring is a game where it wants you to kind of talk about it with other people to kind of decipher different things and discover different things. Oh, I didn't know you could do that. That's Press X to continue the BBC's gaming podcast
Starting point is 00:37:47 Available only on BBC Sounds.

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