The sixth prelude completed on the 6th February whilst taking in the horrors of the Turkey/Syria earthquake.

From the recording of about 2014 - Lights in the Mist ( which I've lost ) - probably not such a bad thing. 

I found some songs which I've put back together. This one is about choices - and how its so easy to make the wrong or right choice without even knowing you're making any sort of choice at all. 

Stepan Rak was a Czechoslovakian  composer and guitarist who became well known in the UK during the 1980's and 1990's. He played a lot of his own compositions and did well with them . I think he must have been a good teacher as well. I remember seeing some of his simpler student compositions and thinking how good they were - as well as fun to play. Just right for a young pupil starting out. Early Allegro is in his "student" style. It takes a technique you learn quite early on -( thumb and finger combinations ) and plays around with it . 

I spent quite a lot of time in my twenties arranging and playing the great Irish tunes. With apologies to all the traditionalists - this one is great on the guitar. Its a nice one to wake up to on a Monday morning. Have a good week 

I still get asked to teach a lot of music from the 1990's - Oasis, The Verve, and to a lesser extent Blur, Pulp and so on. All good stuff and todays piece comes from that era, with some synthesiser added in..

One song - using a combination of material from a session in a little studio in someones house in Wokingham with egg boxes for sound proofing - or is that my memory playing tricks. Russell was one of the most talented natural musicians I've ever come across - an excellent drummer, singer and great at putting things together. He went on to play in some good function bands before our paths went in different directions. 

The bass line rhythm is how I remember the bass line for a great Steely Dan track from a long time ago . Their albums always amazed me - the precision was stunning. I remember seeing a documentary about the album Aja, I think, where they got different guitarists in to play a solo and they sorted out which one would work best for the track . I don't think there is a track of theirs I didn't think was tremendous. 

A  bit of Fernando Sors - Study No.5 from the Segovia 20  is in here - I think its called something else now -  Op.35 No.22 -  there you go.

This comes from about 2014 - I have recorded it somewhere else - but I think I've lost the recording ( it was on a CD called Lights in the Mist which I was trying to sell on the Folk market ). 

Todays piece had a working title that just didn't get changed. It was a bit grey and wintery and I was trying to cheer things up bit . Nylon and steel guitars against a simple accompaniment.

Also known as "Patience" in the UK. A game for solitary individuals. A bit of very slow melancholy.