Progress on understanding KK bit transfers. About half the total bits have been transferred on Derek�s pix of musicians and the main tunes (including the infamous Mark/Gilbert/Robin/IC collab). So when volumes jump - as is happening this April which will probably be the second highest total ever - after March 2005 and beating November 2004 - a lot of it is likely to be those core music-related items. Of course the hope is that these users are tempted to look at the other material. I mailed Matthew about the developing plans for a recital on 3 Dec 2005.

I have started doing Stella by Starlight on the guitar again - the chords are familiar and the tune works well on the guitar. I already have a tangle with MfV in Plundafonix. Sometimes I get a little obsession with a standard.

It did strike me this morning that Miles was taking these standards to the limit at exactly the same point that a different tradition of songwriting was springing up. Given that many of the new crew were listening to MD (and indeed LN asked him to play on some) this is possibly more than a coincidence.

I watched another HH concert - this time from around 1988. There s one straight ahead piece with M Brecker, Al Foster (who was in one MD�s 80s groups) on drums and Buster Williams on bass . A lot of the DVD is given over to HH using a sound on sound Bosendorfer which I found a bit empty. The first track - with the 4tet is good with MB in slightly Shorteresque mood - it�s a nice piece written by B Williams.

http://www.busterwilliams.com/biography.html is good and shows how a career can be developed in this sort of music.

*"After working almost continuously for 30 years as a sideman," says Buster, "I decided it was time to take the plunge, step up to the front, play my music, and express my concept of a cohesive musical unit. I've served my apprenticeship under many great masters and feel that it's my honor and privilege to carry on the lineage that makes this music such an artistically rich art form.*

I should look out the CD of the Hancock-Shorter duets which I saw in the mid 90s at the Barbican. I suppose HH must like playing with MB.

I wrote about half of the gap in the gap analysis but there s a bit of a gap still left to fill - I need what Steve calls a change of state. Mail from Paul about Miss M in Santa Barabara.

I have bought a steamer and tried it out on a salmon steak. I need to master the herb bath facility.

Monday morning - overslept - that�s the problem with working at the weekend I find.