What's tickling my pink?

I strapped on an old pair of walking boots I hadn't worn in long time and strode off into to town with the intention of seeing how my feet responded to an unfamiliar environment. Mrs.K, the kids and myself are soon to be embarking on a 52 mile yomp across the South Downs, so I was on a micro dry run so to speak.

This wasn't really much of a test, a gentle stroll down the road would be a more accurate description, my feet responded well, although I will have to take thin socks as the old dogs did bark a bit. A few strides beyond my front door I stopped and chatted briefly with a friend who was bemoaning an ill wind that had wreaked havoc on the Hollyhocks in her front garden, and knowing my interest in all things musical she asked what I was currently grooving to.

So what is currently tickling my pink? What is merrily floating about in my head space? Well..

First up, from the Jayhawks are Gary Louris and Mark Olson who have teamed up to deliver some beautiful harmonies on their album 'Ready for the Flood', which was released at the begining of the year.



Next up is Neil Halstead, one time member of shoe gazing band Slowdive, and frontman of Mojave 3, has released a couple of solo albums of which this track is taken from his latest offering 'Oh Mighty Engine' on Jack Johnson's Brushfire label. It's a soft British country/folk sound, summery and ponderous. I really like it.



It's a brief dip into the daily whims of my ipod, a mere morsel of what shuffles through my headphones, but it's a start. Last up is Getz/Gilberto, a jazz bossa nova album released on the Verve label in 1964 by American saxophonist Stan Getz and the Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto. Call it easy listening, call it mood music for the cocktail hour, call what you want, but in my opinion it's a lush and timeless classic.



So this is where I leave you wandering the sugar white sands, staring aimlessly across an orange lit bar, twirling a cocktail umbrella between your fingertips and listening to the listless breath of distant waves lapping on the shore.