... DISC DATA Thomas and the King (That's Entertainment TERB 1009) This musical, seen for only a few performances at Her Majesty's in 1975, lays some claim to being the biggest disaster since Wild Grows the Heather. But unlike that show it has moments of magnificence. Though our chief memory of it is probably Tim Good-child's superb settings and costumes this album confirms that it had a con ...

... Celtic Roots--Stocktons Wing (Raglan RGLP 6) One of the new generation Irish electric folk groups, Stocktons Wing is rich in writers, to judge from this album Paul Roche, Kieran Hanrahan and Maurice Lennon wrote the music for the impressive Feasta no Feinne, which refers to the third centrury Irish army commanded by Finn Mac Cool Hanrahan also wrote the haunting in strumental, 'Se Mo Croi. ...

... PRIMA EXAMPLE Recording equipment may have been primitive before the First World War, but it was precise enough to capture the unique tim bre of Luisa Tetrazzini, commemo rated in Nimbus' admirable Prima Voce series (Nl 7891). This is Volume 2 of the great Italian diva's recorded legacy, and great stuff it is, demonstrating the sheer fearlessness of her technique. These are superb examples of ...

... Romance from the Caribbean COMPILED BY PETER HEPPLE Music from the Caribbean has figured strongly in recent releases. Those who like their music lilting and romantic will be enchanted by the Nimbus disc Cuba the Trova (Nl 5565) by Trio Yagua, who come from Mayari Arraba. They specialises in the Trova, a century-old song form interpreted by trovadores, a name that is taken from the troubadour ...

... So you don't like jazz? It is hardly surprising that Martin Taylor's Spirit of Django album Gypsy (Linn AKD 090) won the best small group CD prize at this year's British Jazz Awards, for it is a delight and strongly recommended to all those who think they don't like jazz. Taylor is not attempting to copy the Reinhardt and Grappelli sound in fact the other frontline instruments, besides the ...

... Americans are singin' it all BY PETER HEPPLE Singin' in the Rain was one of the first stage musicals to be manufactured from other media, and its success prompted many other producers to follow the same path. The American version heard on TER's disc (CDTER 1240) is not the same as the British version, which had difficulties in obtaining ail the rights to the film music. This one, staged at ...

... Musicians lose out in line dance craze Compiled By Peter Hepple The country music world is being rocked by the new dance craze that is currently sweeping the nation, line dancing. Live country music nights are disappearing by the dozen, as venues that used to host country music are switching to line dancing, which is often organised by disc jockeys and other non-musicians who play CDs through ...

... Impromptu is a classic jazz duo specialising in witty and refreshing cabaret performances. The line-up is unusual, using live instruments-- Neal Richardson on grand piano and vocals, while wife Sue plays trumpet cussion and vocals. They have been performing in five- star hotels and on ships for the past three years. During that time they have seen the trend in music start to change. At ...

... They did it their way Formed in retaliation to local performing restrictions, Totnes Jazz Collective enjoys a large fan base, writes Allen Saddler The Totnes Jazz Collective is in its fourth year. It was created through frustration and disgust at the way musicians were treated in the local pubs. The crunch came when one pub told a six-piece band plus a singer to form a duo. Another cause of ...

... Not any old gene genie There have been two generations of media Dimblebys, but singer Kate is making an impact in the jazz industry. Peter Hepple speaks to a blossoming talent There are advantages and disadvantages to bearing a famous name. But no one can accuse Kate Dimbleby of breaking into the media on the strength of her family's achievements in that field grandfather Richard, father ...

... Beat goes on A drummer himself, Neil Simpson is thrilled to have two of Britain's greatest percussion attractions under the umbrella of his Blackpool-based Worldwide Management Organisation. Both have been at the top of their profession for many years. Eric Delaney, a sprightly and youthful 74, has been in the business for near ly 70 years, making his debut as a child of six and earning his ...

... Unai thought it was fascinating music COMPILED BY PETER HEPPLE Akemodoro Unai introduces us to the fascinating music of Okinawa, a Pacific Island which throughout the century has been under both Japanese and American influences. This is not folk music as such, but is utterly distinctive, the artists here being the four-strong female vocal group Nenes, who have visited this country more than ...