About the author
Since the late 1960s I’ve written about music for the Melody Maker, The (London) Times, the Independent on Sunday, the Guardian, Down Beat, Jazz Journal, Mojo, the TLS, Granta, Uncut and other publications. A list of the people I’ve most enjoyed interviewing during that time would include Marvin Gaye, Laura Nyro, Booker T. Jones, Miles Davis, Curtis Mayfield, Charles Mingus, Brian and Dennis Wilson, Smokey Robinson, Terry Riley, Max Roach, Mable John, Ornette Coleman, Steve Cropper, Chet Baker, Isaac Hayes, Mac Rebennack, Phil Spector, Ry Cooder, Gladys Knight, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Ellie Greenwich, John Lennon, Allen Toussaint, Elvin Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Stan Getz, Boz Scaggs, Nico and Martha Reeves. My books on music include Out of His Head: The Sound of Phil Spector (1972), Bob Dylan: A Man Called Alias (1990), Long Distance Call: Writings on Music (2000) and The Blue Moment: Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue and the Remaking of Modern Music (2009). I served a very happy three-year term as artistic director of the Berlin jazz festival from 2015-2017.
thebluemoment.com 
Hello Richard…I’ve just heard that Neil Brockbank has passed away. Very sad indeed. Must be sudden, I guess. A great producer and sound man and no doubt this will hit Nick Lowe particularly hard. Goldtop Studios made some lovely sounds. Here’s a podcast from The Word where he featured…fascinating
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/word-podcast/id137323360?mt=2&i=1000372200647
Luv
Hi Richard
I wondered if you have any memories of Geri Allen to share?
By the way, I really enjoy reading everyone of your pieces. Thank you.
Thanks, Graham, but I’m afraid I don’t. Wish I had. Others, however, have said wonderful things.
Just play the wonderful album Segments recorded in 1989 with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian.
Hi Richard,
I won’t say I’m sorry to hear you got a book deal, but … like many others, I’m going to miss your blog. Such erudition, worn so lightly! Your colorful, concise posts were like rare stamps pasted in a cherished album. And so unashamedly esoteric: your line about what it must be like living a life dedicated to free improvisation had me musing for days.
All the Best,
Paul
Dear Paul
Thanks for the kind words. All well with you, I hope?
Best, as ever
Richard
Hello Richard,
As far as I know, none of the major mewspapers (The Guardian, New York Times) mentioned the passing of Max Bennett back in September. Might you consider an obituary for this remarkable musician? Thank you and best wishes.
hi Richard, I’ve enjoyed your writings, and followed your progress, since Melody Maker onwards and share your tastes in many respects. Was delighted to see Todd Rundgren is coming to London in April and have bagged tickets for myself and son Danny, Are you a fan, and have you a view? Regards. Barry (Middlsbrough)
Barry — That’s a difficult one. I love some of his songs, particularly “Hello It’s Me” and the one that begins “Leroy, boy, is that you?” and I respect his fondness for harmony soul groups (Impressions, Delfonics), but I haven’t really paid enough attention to him over the decades to form a worthwhile opinion. Never seen him live, either. My loss, I’m sure. I should rectify it. Best, Richard.
Richard, if you liked David Mrakpor, make sure you listen to The Banger Factory album. (Confession – it’s my son on the drums)
Hi Richard, a bit of an odd request from your days as A&R at Island Records. I’m trying to source a poster from a Vinegar Joe concert back in the 1970s. It’s my father’s 70th this year and he was the frontman for a band, Wonder Warthog, who supported Elkie, Robert Palmer & all in Milton Keynes, UK in the 70s. We are trying to source some memorabilia from the show as a gift for him and wondered if you know of anyone from that time we can contact who may still have a poster, photo, etc.?
Thank you for your time in advance and apologies for the odd request in this manner.
Regards,
J
Sorry — haven’t a clue. At a recent Island get-together some of us were lamenting the fact that nothing was archived in those days. Good luck, anyway.
Thanks so much for your reply, seems to be a common consensus about the archiving. Maybe it will turn up in a bread bin somewhere like Dad’s Army! Thanks again for getting back and I’ve just been going through this blog and really enjoying all the recent posts so look forward to discovering more going forward.
Regards,
J
Richard,
Good to meet you last night.
I mentioned the documentary series about Wayfaring Stranger. You can find it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08lnkqn
Worth watching for RG’s performance alone.
Celtic hymns be with you.
Thank you, Frank. I enjoyed our conversation.
Would you be up for your excellent Dylan piece being posted on The Arts Desk, which I write for. The music coordinator would love it. I am afroad none of us are paid (we are mad but love writing) I had thought I could write about the trck, but there is no way I could come anywhere near the quality that you have brought to it.
Good morning. Just thought I’d share a quirky lockdown initiative with you – Jay Leonhart’s regular live streams from his Upper West Side apartment. Leonhart’s 80 now, and boasts an impressive cv as one of New York’s go-to bass player, having supported Mel Torme and Sarah Vaughan inter alia. He play, he sings, he uses youtube to discuss historic performances. It goes out live on Facebook, and there’s plenty of interaction with a bunch of regular viewers. This one focuses on “Perdido”, it covers Paul Gonsalves’s unfortunate tendency to nod off on the bandstand, and it features a duet performance with Leonhart’s daughter Carolyn, who will be familiar to many as one of Steely Dan’s back up singers. And there’s some lovely Gerry Mulligan in there too. It’s all rather charming.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uf-jsiXFag
Thanks for the piece on Mr. CURTIS MAYFIELD. Wish I could receive a printed copy.
I wish you could’ve interviewed me. You see I was there and an employee at Kings County Hospital, where he was taken afterwards. Monday night had been designated a community event. I was part of that. The sponsor who put it together was a senator and community leader. I was outside before the program began and noticed the bad weather approaching. Standing near the senator, watching them installing the lights on the stage, I suggested to him that it might be a good idea to cancel the show. He said, it’ll be alright. As the wind picked up equipment began to swing violently. Because of the wind and the rain I sought shelter in my office at KCHC. Then it happened. I was the manager of telecommunications so I was one of the first people to hear about the accident. I ran to the ER to be sure it was true. Right there I started to sob. In the hallway I saw the senator. We made eye contact, then he turned and walked away. His stare indicated that he wished he had heeded my warning. Here I am 69 years old and can remember the incident like it was yesterday. May not remember names, but I don’t forget events. Call me or text me if you care.
Richard,
Would you be interested in continuing to a book I am currently researchin on the Musicians’ Cooperative?
I have just published a book on the London Musicians’ Collective, and have previously written about the First and Seconomic Generation of British free improvisers.
Hi Richard,
I’ve told you this before but your “Death of Ayrton Senna” book was spectacular! Written in a way to give anyone goosebumps at various times. Insights I have never read anywhere else and I’ve bought this book many times for friends and family.
The description of Donnington 1993 is the best I’ve ever read anywhere…..I could see him going round and round alone! Awesome!
Where would I find your articles on Chet Baker and Boz Scaggs? Love them both!…..and you!
Thanks!
Tom
Hello Richard- and thanks again for so many wonderful and thoughtful posts over the past difficult year. You and I are both lovers of the song Goodbye. You have mentioned some of your favourite renditions in various posts… One delightful version which I have only just discovered is by Stan Getz and the Boston Pops with John Williams. On the off-chance that it’s not known to you, here it is. Best wishes as ever
David
Hello Richard
Here is another unusual (but rather lovely) rendition of Goodbye to add to the list! I just came across it, but you may already know it.
Best, David
Hello, Richard, I’ve just realised that it’s pretty much the fiftieth anniversary of my first ever buying a record based on a journalist’s review. The record was In A Silent Way by Miles Davis, the reviewer was you.
Fifty years later, you alerted me to the reissued Band album Stagefright, along with the live Royal Albert Hall gig. That arrived a few days ago, and again, ta. Not sold a pup again. Nor many other Duff Mutts along the road either. I think it was in your review of Cahoots, when it came out, that you put The Band’s first four studio albums in order of preference..These days, I’m a Two – Three – One – Four kinda guy, but correct me if I’m wrong, weren’t you advocating Two – Four – One – Three man? Anyway…
Anyway, thanks for some great introductions and resulting journeys to see off beam stuff – The Necks stands out. Other than being on the wrong side of the Scott Walker Culture Canyon, I have had huge respect for your views over the decades, from schoolboy to pensioner. Long may it continue.
Came across your piece about Laura Nyro from years ago. There are more YouTube vids of her music & some live film. Great because I can’t find most of my albums yet.
However, I do have some EYE magazines from 1968-69. One has article about her that I scanned & put on flickr. Hope you like it.
Thanks for your words
Dave Ferro
Thanks, David.
Hi Richard, it is off topic, i know, but i would love to read your thoughts about european football cup and in particolare about the final match. Have you covered the tournment and the Wembley final ?
You never mention your AWESOME book that you wrote on Ayrton Senna….the most well written and insightful book on anything that I have ever read and I read a ton!
Must be nice to be that prolific that you can overlook that one….if I had the skills to wrote something like that in the way you told that story I would shout from the rooftops for the rest of my life LOL!
Tom
Thank you for your Laura Nyro piece in The Guardian. Erudite as ever and much appreciated.
Hi Richard
I’m writing to say that I really enjoy the blue moment
Am just reading The Blue Moment
One of the best if not the best books I’ve read on jazz- beautifully written , and it covers all the bases
many thanks
Daniel Silverstone
Thanks, Daniel. Much appreciated. RW
Have fine album by Barney Wilen from 90s great on baritone sax also. I’m John Greenland. friend of Charlie Gillett from 1963 !
Hi Richard, I’m writing from Italy.
I’ve read your pieces on music since the beginning of the seventies on Melody Maker and I’ve been following you ever since. You made me discover lots of great music and I owe you so much for that.
I enjoyed very much all of your books and specially Long Distance Call. Don’t you think it’s time to put out a second volume of collected writings? I remember great articles on Melody Maker which got lost.
Thank you again for everything
Franco
Dear Franco — Molte grazie per le tue parole gentili e generose. They mean a lot. A second volume of Long Distance Call is a very nice idea, but I don’t think it would have much appeal to a publisher. But you never know. All best, Richard.
Hello Richard, I’d just like to say how much I enjoy your writing. We first met about 50 years ago in Nottingham. You were at the Nottingham Evening Post and me a young jazz drummer (now and old one ! ). I hope you are keeping very well.
Fond regards,
Les
Hi Richard sorry I couldn’t find a direct email for you but I thought I’d send you my Scottish version of Dylans unfinished song ‘She’s your lover now’ since the great man is playing two nights in Glasgow just now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE_e5eJQYnE
Hi Richard, I loved your article about the Beatles photography exhibit. I inherited a big collection of Beatles memorabilia from my sister Sue, who at 12 years old in 1964, was obsessed with the band, especially George. My mother took her to the concert in Toronto in 1964 and they got a wonderful photo of the group as an elevator door opened. I would love to send you a picture of the photo if you would like. Neil Aspinall, Derek Taylor, Jay Ashmore, and singer Jackie DeShannon are also in the picture.
Hi Richard… I’ve been roped in by the British Library to edit / organise commissions for a book on “British Black Music” (working title). It will accompany an exhibition at the library in spring 2024. I need someone to pen a piece that illuminates the black roots of the British R&B boom of the late 50’s / early Sixties. I wondered if you might be interested. Looking forward… Paul Bradshaw (Straight No Chaser – pb.chaser@gmail.com / 07932 168 308)
Hi Richard,
In an NME interview with Nick Kent published in the NME on the 28th July 1973, Brian Eno mentions that he had been given some free studio time at Island by Muff Winwood and that he intended to record ‘people who have stuff to record who would never really get the chance otherwise’ He cites one of these groups as being the ‘Pan-Am International Steel Band, who attempt to make a steel band sound like an orchestra and are quite amazing at it’. Michael Gross who met Eno around that time recalls his ‘two-room flat on Alba Terrace stood just off Portobello Road in London, around the corner from Island Studios, where he was recording a steel band’. Phill Brown recalls recording several tracks with the band but only remembers there were about twenty of them including a drummer.
Having contacted several groups associated with the steel band world at that time in London no one seems to have heard of them. Do you know anything more about this group or how they ended up recording with Eno ? Many thanks.
Rory
Rory — I’m afraid I have no knowledge of that. Sorry. RW
Hello Richard, Hope this finds you well. Is there an email address I can contact you on? I’m working on a documentary about Guy Stevens, and wanted to ask you a couple of things. My email is chris.hall@startproductions,net
Best wishes,
Chris
Hello Richard
Do you remember in about 1973 when you were at Island Records you signed a young Scottish songwriter called Michael Owler? His album, produced and with various bits of backing by his good friend Joe Szatkowski, was complete and ready for release when it was cancelled at the last minute. There was an oil crisis, miner’s strikes and a recession which meant a shortage of vinyl apparently.
Michael sadly died in 2022 (and Joe died around the same time), and Michael’s wife approached the record company to find out if the recording still existed. It was found and they decided it should be released, which it was in March this year, so “Ring of the Wintry Moon” is now available on all the usual online sources.
I was living in Edinburgh at the time, a friend of Michael’s, and he asked me to add some backing to two of the tracks on the album. You and I did actually meet briefly in the Island recording studio while I was there to play. Michael’s songs are poetic, unusual, moving, poignant, his guitar playing accomplished and inventive. It’s a remarkable piece of work written when he was only in his early 20s and really doesn’t sound as if it comes from 50 years ago.
I wonder if you knew it had been released?
Good wishes, Rod Howell
Dear Rod — Thanks for getting in touch. I’ve often wondered about Michael and occasionally (but not for a few years) tried an internet search, to no avail. I’m so sorry to hear that he’s died. I can still hear the chorus of “Four-Wheel Drive”, so I’ll buy the album now. All best, Richard.
I think my favourite is Cape St Mary’s, images of the remote coastline in the lyrics, and the guitar part…Rod
I’ve just listened to “Four-Wheel Drive” for the first time in 50 years — just as delicately beautiful as I remembered. May I have your email address, Rod?
Hi Richard,
An interesting programme on BBC2 Wales just aired celebrating Karl Jenkins 80th birthday. The Composer behind the moustache. Touches on his early days in the Jazz scene and a Soft Machine member. Worth checking out if you have not already seen. Gives a fascinating insight to his remarkable talents. Available on IPlayer
Hi Richard,
I follow your work with passion and interest and I am a fan of Basil Kirchin and Brian Eno. I noticed that in your writings you have dated the meeting between Kirchin and Eno in two different years: “When Brian Eno met Basil Kirchin for the first time, in a London recording studio in 1974”, The Guardian, 2017. “When the Guardian asked me to write a piece about the event, the first call I made was to Brian Eno. I had introduced the two men in 1973, while preparing the release of the second volume of Basil’s World Within Worlds on Island’s HELP label.” The Blue Moment, 2017.
In what year did you actually have them meet? And in which recording studio?
Thanks.
Jack
Sorry to sow confusion. I’ll check. RW
Thanks Richard, you didn’t cause too much confusion. I’m the one who’s obsessed with Kirchin and Eno… Let’s keep in touch. For me it’s very important.
Sorry Richard, have you managed to find out which year Kirchin and Eno met and in which studio? Thank you so much, I wish you happy holidays, and I apologize for bothering you again.
Hello Richard. This is not a comment more a nugget of information for you. I thought you might like to know about this event at our local Stroud Book Festival on Sunday 10th November 2024:
Under Milk Wood: An Anniversary Celebration in Words and Music
THE CLARK TRACEY QUARTET
https://stroudbookfestival.org.uk/events/under-milkwood/
There might be other parts of the festival you would find interesting. Best wishes, Steve Hurrell
Dear Richard Williams,
I’m preparing a Gil Evans Reader, collecting most of Gil’s interviews. I’m missing three of those I identified, including yours, “Sketches of Gil”, Melody Maker, March 4, 1978. Would you be able to get it for me? Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Laurent Cugny
Dear M Cugny — Yes, I have a copy of that. What’s your email address?
cugnyl@gmail.com
The first edition will be in French by a French publisher. But of course, the main corpus is in English. If you have any idea of a US publisher, it could be useful.
Thanks a lot.
Best regards,
Laurent Cugny
Hey Richard, I was reading a piece you did on Brian Wilson in which you went to his house in 1972-73 for an interview. I was wondering if there was any audio on it? As I understand it, it was a very unique window into Smile-but I’m guessing it was done on hand written notes? With all the 50th anniversary stuff having come and gone, I’m guessing it doesn’t exist in that form, because that would be up there with other legendary bits that never came out…if people knew about it of course. That’s a fun piece to read, by the way, and a very unique one for its time period.
No, there’s no audio. It wasn’t a formal interview.
Darn, hah. Yeah, I’m not surprised but was curious if it was an aborted interview that just didn’t exactly have the cooperation of the subject. But it was a fun piece, and very different Ifrom the myths of him-and somehow fitting in. A very unique read. I found it-don’t ask why-looking for a cross reference between Curtis Mayfield and Wilson. Was not expecting a piece that stated why Smile was shelved for reasons I had suspected. Pieces like this from the time period seem very rare. Much appreciated to exist! Thanks for the reply-happy new year.
Hello Richard, Pardon for intruding on your blog, but I realize I made an error after I quit Twitter/X. I now realize I should have asked, and invited, you to switch to Bluesky.
Given the negative mood on X, and given I always so enjoyed your tweets, is a move to Bluesky something you might want to consider? The atmosphere there is much more pleasant!
Thanks!
Michael
Thanks for the prompt. I’ve been thinking about it.
Thanks for replying. It would be wonderful to see you on Bluesky.
Hi Richard,
just read your Guardian review of “A Complete Unknown”. It’s released tomorrow in Australia so looking forward to seeing it this weekend !
Hi Richard,
Sat behind you and talked briefly at The Necks Cafe Oto gig. Thought you might like to see a compilation of my Cafe Oto Photographs 2010-2025:
http://www.z360.com/still/oto/
Cafe Oto said “Thanks a load for sending these over – some fantastic shots and a lot of very happy memories!”
Thanks again for thebluemoment,
Cheers,
Douglas Cape z360.com
Hi Richard,
I’m working on a book about Sandy Denny in conjunction with her daughter, Georgia Rose Lucas, and wondered whether you would allow me to quote from your blog:
https://thebluemoment.com/2015/03/02/the-story-of-sandy-denny/
Want to let me have your email address? RW
Yes it’s richard@spenwoodbooks.com
A by the way, and belated thanks. I remember your original review of the Link Wray album (aka Link Wray’s Three Track Shack on CD). I went out and bought it purely on trust of your review and it remains one of my all-time favourite albums.
Peter
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Hi Richard, I’m completing a PhD about the Canterbury scene (having written about it for a number of years in a fanzine and blog called Facelift), and am also researching for a couple of related books (one of which is a biography of Hugh Hopper). I wanted to ask you about some of your writings on the subject from the early to mid-Seventies. I wondered if you’d be willing to communicate with me via philfacelift@yahoo.co.uk – it would be much appreciated if at all possible