Obedience culture ruled and a baby grand piano took up most of the space in the sittin g room and there was a wireless (which paradoxically had lots of wires). Soon, Pick of The Pops arrived and the stunning technical revolution (pun intended) of vinyl at 45 and 33rpm.

On the long walk to school,'Walk On By' Dionne Warwick and 'River Deep Mountain High' drifted from the rare garage or two along the way. Little did I realise that I would one day meet and play for Tina Turner whose power surfed on that Spectre wall of sound...

But it was 'Dancing In The Street' - Martha and the Vandellas that sent shafts of dazzling light into my emotional and afro cortex ... circumstances and I accelerated exponentially from there

****

Desafinado in the Top Ten: Hard Days Night; Disraeli Gears: Hendrix's first gig in England : Dylan at the Albert Hall '66: Muddy Waters : Otis Spann right there ten feet away at clubs after school : Jimmy Witherspoon at The Bulls Head: Freedom Rider by Art Blakey ..

Roll ahead 40 years and you reach www.jazzmonk,co,uk : Afro Cortex - the summation ...so far. No-one taught me any of the six instruments I play: I just listened and watched ...REALLY listened ...and not just to what Miles Davis played ... just three of his husky rare declarations were and are forever worth 10,000 lessons ...the rest is practice..