I have been listening to Detroit music � Derek May�s Rhythm piece from the late 80s � and New York music � John Cage�s unprepared music from the 40s � and a mixture � Donald Byrd hanging out with rappers in the early 90s.

I have started playing a French flute for the first time in my life � a Buffet. Seems suit be-bop edginess and is very economical with breath playing low notes.

There�s definitely a new guitar piece on the go � So What � played with reference to the possibility that the idea might have come through John Lee Hooker. Maybe a second piece which looks at those changes from the point of view of using open strings and harmonics wherever possible. I have been reading a bit about the history of the guitar in blues which is certainly egging me on. The guitar I am using is the U2 with a Fender Tweed simulation � using both pick-ups but with more bridge than neck

Colin Vallance mailed an interesting site about Carlo Little � who played drums with the Cyril Davies Band. There�s a quote on it from Ray Davies on how he first reacted to that Countryline harmonica piece � roughly it set a liberation agenda � no need for Brits to think they couldn�t really do that music.

I really get things to happen in the first four hours of my day from around 5.30am � but the downside is that I don�t get very much to happen between 4.00pm and 7.00pm which can be a bit dispiriting. Continuity is always an issue � which is one reason why I like a fairly routine set of productive activities each morning.

I mailed Peter Chatterton with a few thoughts about Mihaela�s paper.