For the first of this year’s collaborations with mjf, we present a genuine ‘supergroup’ which brings together two of the UK’s finest musicians with two great stars of the US jazz scene.

Gwilym Simcock has been name-checked as a ‘genius’ by Chick Corea and has worked extensively throughout Europe with top jazz artists, including Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz and Bill Bruford’s Earthworks. Mike Walker needs no introduction to Mancunian listeners and is regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting guitarists, having worked with George Russell, the Creative Jazz Orchestra, Vince Mendoza, Anthony Braxton and Bill Frisell. Steve Swallow’s illustrious career spans decades of playing with many of the jazz greats – John Scofield, Carla Bley, Chris Potter and many others. Steve and his long-time friend and rhythm section partner Adam Nussbaum have worked on many projects together. Adam’s work with Michael Brecker won a Grammy in 1988; he was last seen in Manchester at the RNCM in 2008 with Mike’s project Ropes.

 
This is a brand new project for which Gwilym, Mike and Steve have been writing new music feverishly over the past few months. Expect edge-of-your-seat virtuosity, high energy performances and the kind of chemistry that is generated when such world-class artists perform together.

Following an electrifying collaboration in June 2007, the RNCM Big Band is once again joined by one of the UK’s most in-demand keyboard players and Latin music producers, Alex Wilson.

One of the leading names on the UK jazz and Latin music scenes, Wilson has performed with everyone from Courtney Pine to Jazz Jamaica, Adalberto Santiago to Toumani Diabaté. Of his six solo albums, his latest, Salsa con Soul, has been a worldwide hit on the salsa scene, regularly charting DJ lists and a favourite of the salsa dance clubs. He has also enjoyed success in the commercial world, penning the theme tune of Channel 4’s How to Look Good Naked, as well featured tracks on the US drama series 24. One final thing – watch out for Alex again this Autumn, as he returns to the RNCM with his Mali-Latino project, co-led by Malian virtuosi Madou Sidiki Diabaté and Ahmed Fofana.

Mike Hall director
Alex Wilson piano ]]> http://www.golondongo.com/2010/05/rncm-big-band-with-alex-wilson-concert-tickets-royal-northern-college-of-music-manchester/feed/ 0 http://www.golondongo.com/2010/05/2012-solar-storms-solar-maximum/ http://www.golondongo.com/2010/05/2012-solar-storms-solar-maximum/#comments Sat, 15 May 2010 03:25:22 +0000 admin http://www.golondongo.com/index.php/2010/05/2012-solar-storms-solar-maximum/
www.fateswarning.com Awaken the Guardian – Giant’s Lore 2012 – Solar Storms – Solar Maximum umbra.nascom.nasa.gov Current solar images LOL Wondering how big these events are relative to the earth? umbra.nascom.nasa.gov en.wikipedia.org www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov www.jesuslives.co.za It is midnight on 22 September 2012 and the skies above Manhattan are filled with a flickering curtain of colourful light. Few New Yorkers have seen the aurora this far south but their fascination is short-lived. Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker, then become unusually bright for a fleeting moment. Then all the lights in the state go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power. A year later and millions of Americans are dead and the nations infrastructure lies in tatters. The World Bank declares America a developing nation. Europe, Scandinavia, China and Japan are also struggling to recover from the same fateful event – a violent storm, 150 million kilometres away on the surface of the sun. It sounds ridiculous. Surely the sun couldnt create so profound a disaster on Earth. Yet an extraordinary report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in January this year claims it could do just that.

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Tributes flow for fallen roller derby queen
KENDRA Morgan lived life to the full. Better known in roller derby circles as 2-Ton Teyla, a US citixen, died after being hit by a bus on Sunday morning at Newtown.

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Palestinians promised state by 2012, Arab paper reports
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has promised Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas a state by 2012, the Arabic daily al-Hayat reported yesterday, quoting an Egyptian official.

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‘Dark Knight’ returns: July 2012
Warner Bros. sets release date for still-untitled ”Batman 3,” which is still in very early planning stage

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The recent Olympic protests in London, Paris and San Francisco are juvenile if compared with the great history of Greece where people really knew how to disturb the games.

Today when we talk history we get reminded of the greatness that the athletes and states of Greece possessed, which rose above politics and rivalry in sports. The Greeks used to have a sacred truce in between the states to permit spectators and athletes to participate in the games. But such armistices were continuously torn by the armies and states.

The Olympia arena was stormed by soldiers in 364 BC and there was a battle on the field. It is still the history’s biggest clash in which sports became the frontrunner in politics. According to Xenophon, the traditional hosts of Olympics Elians were overthrown by the neighboring Pisans and their allies Arcadians. They invaded the games at the height when the Greeks were caught up in a great wrestling match. The Elians, Pisans and Arcadians had a hand to hand combat in the sacred sanctuary of Olympia.

The two armies didnt harm the spectators as they impartially applauded the clash between the forces from the sidelines. Despite being forced to withdraw, Elians managed to organize the next Olympics under their control. The Athenians refused to participate in 380 BC games when one of their athletes was wedged in a corruption scandal. In 420 BC, during the time of Peloponnesian War, the Spartans were not allowed to attend the Olympics.

Twenty years later, the great Spartans found themselves again in trouble when they broke the sacred truce and were fined a Mina per solider, which amounts to US$ 5 million of today. The Olympics found itself in the driving seat of politics not only in times of war, but also when there was relative peace between the states. In 388 BC, Lysias (an orator) degraded Dionysis of Syracuse. Fans that came to see the games went wild after the comments and sabotaged the kings tent.

Considering the present situations, the ancient games were far more peaceful and were held consistently for more than 10 centuries. The modern Olympics which started in April 1896 has been cancelled thrice (in 1916, 1940, and 1944) due to the world wars, and the arena also witnessed the bloodbath of Munich Massacre in 1972.

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New push to bring F1 back to US
US promoter attempts to get Indianapolis and Formula 1 back together by 2012.

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As with many sports, competition wasn’t international until the invent of the Olympics in the year 1896. Equestrian events did not appear in the Olympics until 1912 in Stockholm,Sweden. It was in 1906 that Count Clarence von Rosen, who was a well traveled and adept horseman and “Master of the Horse” in service to the King of Sweden, here he saw an Olympic equestrian competition as a well rounded way to share and promote horsemanship to a worldwide audience.

In a proper proposal sent to the International Olympic Committee or (IOC) in 1907. Rosen here explained his theories and formally requested that equestrian events be included in the Olympiads. He in fact wanted the equestrian events to begin in the next Olympics that would be taking place in London,England in the 1908 Olympics. Luckily for the sport and Rosen’s persistence, The IOC agreed these events would be very welcome indeed to the Olympics. Great news was a happening, Equestrian event were forth coming and announcements sent. To the dismay, enthusiasm was not correctly estimated from the Committees standpoint. The IOC only considered around 25 to 30 horses. The actual amount of entrants ended up being 88 horses from eight different global locations, This was a storm upon the IOC. Such an eager response was not anticipated, There was no place to stable and exercise that many horses.

Another problem would be found in the judging issues, Each nation had separate ideas on how the competition events should be judged. With to much for the IOC to handle, the committee had no choice but to cancel the equestrian competition.

Despite the fact that seemed to be useless for the horses that traveled the long trip, Count von Rosen saw his vision of spectators and competitors alike wanting these equestrian events. The Count immediately went to planning a equestrian competition to be included in the upcoming 1912 Olympics. It was in 1909 that Count von Rosen formed an International Committee to select equestrian events. Prince Carl of Sweden, an important member of the committee, also an avid horseman and host to be of the upcoming games. With Prince Carl’s help, Count von Rosen was successful with his committee and finally his equestrian events made there long awaited debut at the 1912 games in Stockholm,Sweden.

International competition in itself was still in baby stages, and the high cost of transport prohibited much of Europe from competition in the 1932 in Los Angeles. World War II again disrupted the games, For years this appeared to dismay Count von Rosen’s efforts as failing. However after WWII, Olympic games resumed with much renewed interest. Ever since the 1948 Olympic Games in London, the equestrian events have grown into today with great anticipation, participation and vigor with each Olympiad. Most entry’s in the beginning were military cavalry, of course today these have been replaced by highly talented civilian riders of all types. There was also a period of years, that only mean rode. This however changed in the 1952 Olympic games, Marjorie B. Haynes became the first female to ride and compete with the United States Equestrian Team. She represented the US at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. Today we see that men and women ride as teammates, They also compete against each other as equals.

Todays modern equestrian competition consists of three judging points:

Dressage

Three-Day Eventing

Show Jumping

In each of these, medals are given and awarded for both individual and team achievement. Though there have been changes in formats over the years, these are exactly the same disciplines first selected by Count von Rosen in 1912.

If its only to read and study about the history and love of things Equestrian.

It still holds a lot of information and learning potential for your mind to develop on something new.

See the potential and learn about things that are Equestrian today.