Happy New Year !

Happy New Year and a belated Merry Christmas !! I have been away in a very rainy Southern Spain - developing a real weakness for Seville which manages to be both lively and cosy. I'm also impressed by the amount of live music you hear walking around the streets and how many people I saw carrying guitars ! Anyway, I wish everyone a New Year full of wonder and excitement. As for my new year all my new songs are finished it's just a question of recording them and I hope to have more news about that soon, lots of love tt

Photos (c) Sylvie Bardet

Carmen Herrera

Just read this great article from the NYT about the Cuban artist Carmen Herrera [link]. Her story is so inspiring and work so beautiful if you have a moment it is worth checking out and don't forget the slide show ! The above painting is called "Red with white Triangle" (1961). Lots of love, tt

Racha Rizk. Mreyte Ya Mreyte

I have to thank Peeping Tallulah for my choice of wake up song this week, as I had never heard it before she mentioned it in the TT test. The song "Myrete Ya Myrete" sung by Racha Rizk and written by Khaled Mouzanar for the film "Caramel" is truly gorgeous and sensual. I hope you enjoy discovering it as much as me ! Love tt

Peeping Tallulah / Photographer

This week the TT test is taken by the intriguing photographer Peeping Tallulah. In her own words, she plays on the theme of the subservient fear of female eroticism. Taking photographs in public and private spaces, Peeps (as she is affectionately known by her muses) illustrates and annotates a very adult world of submission and domination. Even though this is a world I’m not ordinarily drawn to, I find her work to be challenging and refreshing and her answers to the TT test very interesting !! What is your wake up song at the moment ? I’m totally obsessed with a Middle eastern feel at the moment... And so the song, "Mreyte Ya Mreyte" from the film "Caramel" is what I look forward to in the morning, preferably with a strong coffee and cigarette... Which work of art or single event has most influenced you in your chosen profession ? Of all the art stuff that’s gone in, none really stand out as pinnacle moments. I loved Dali as a child, religious icons, Bacon as I got a little older. And then all the usual, I suppose the Sensation exhibition opened my eyes to something knew. In truth though... I think the biggest influence was my last lover... who taught me something about the darker side of love. If you could travel back in time, which period would you most like to visit and why ? Probably a time where very pale skin, plump bosom and a tiny waste was the fashion... maybe Victorian, but only if I was stinking rich… I've always been intrigued with Neanderthals, so maybe cave man times would suit me best. I love eating out and discovering new restaurants, can you please recommend one to me ? My house... I know its not quite a restaurant, but I can recommend it. Or... if your are ever in Columbia Road market, there's a very sweet coffee shop on Hackney Road. Coffee is superb and they make perfect sandwiches and cakes, "Taste of Bitter Love" [link]. What is the best advice you ever been given relating to your professional/creative life ? "If you think it’s a good thing for you... then do it.” Bonus question: I have 2 questions really: When you first started photographing this night time universe were you looking for something transgressive to document or did you always feel like an insider and were actually telling your story ? I found something like home in the alternative scene in London. It seemed entirely natural to photograph it. Many of the people you photograph are playing roles or living out fantasies that they may not be able to in their daily lives so how do they feel about being photographed knowing that the photos may well end up being published or exhibited to a wider audience or even family and friends ?! To be entirely honest... I'm not sure how they feel about it. I think they like it... being admired, desired... wanted and shared. I only work with people who want it... and feel that its good for them, and then it becomes a shared moment. After that, my work belongs to everyone who wants to see it.

T.TV page

The T.TV page [link] is now online. You can see many of the old videos on this page and hopefully in the new year footage following the making of the next album ; ) love, tt.

Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin : 69 Annee Erotique

My wake up song this week is Serge Gainsbourg’s ’69 Annee Erotique’ featuring Jane Birkin. Perhaps, with this wintry weather I am looking for a little sunshine and as soon I hear the first bars of this song I picture myself driving along the Mediterranean coast in an open-topped car wearing dark glasses. This is really fantastic because I don’t have a car, I'd be completely neurotic about too much exposure to the sun and I hate wearing sun glasses ! Anyway, the following clip, is classic, Gainsbourg manages to sing and smoke (where is he flicking the ash ?!) and Jane Birkin looks beautiful and completely natural lying across a piano... ah, the 60s... early 70s... whatever !… love tt

Langhorne Slim

A really fun night. Over the weekend I was surfing on Spotify and heard this wonderful singer-songwriter called Langhorne Slim [link]. His new album ‘Be Set Free’ is so good, in fact I haven’t enjoyed an album like this for a long time. I then find out he is playing a gig in my town (London) on the Tuesday. Can you imagine ?! And he is playing in a funky little bar where the sound is better if you stand behind the monitors. So that’s where I stood all evening listening to Langhorne Slim and his raucous and energizing band always amazed that there is still so much to discover : ) love tt

Philippe Graffin / Violinist

This week the TT Test is taken by the wonderful French violinist Philippe Graffin (recently included in Classic FM’s top 10 violinists in the world, no less !) who I first heard on a lovely disc "Shades of the forest: The Bohemian world of Debussy, Enescu and Ravel". His repertoire includes many works from his native France as well as re-discovering neglected classics and exploring contemporary works. He has shared the stage with musical giants such as Menuhin, Rostropovich and Martha Argerich, partnered cellists Gary Hoffman and Truls Mark, pianists Steven Kovacevich and Claire Desert and the Chilingirian Quartet, appeared as a soloist with many major European orchestras and is the founder and artistic director of the Consonances chamber music festival in Saint-Nazaire. Whew! With such a busy schedule I’m amazed but very happy that he has found the time to provide such sublime answers to the TT test. What is your wake up song at the moment? It’s already an old new song by Alain Souchon (don’t scream!), "Les Parachutes Dorés", about a guy that looks at the strikes, the protests and everything else from his paradisiacal island after he got out having sunk the company but with his dear "parachute"... not his best tune though. Maybe it’s the sound of French I like. Which work of art has most influenced you in your chosen profession? For my profession: the sound of violinist Toscha Seidel. He was born in Odessa, before the Russian Revolution, was a child prodigy, then immigrated to America, and made it to Hollywood. You can hear his playing on the sound track of Ingrid Bergman's first film in America,"Intermezzo". It is the original sound that everyone has in their ears and tries to go back to. If you could travel back in time, which period would you most like to visit & why? There are a few. The Romantic Era, Vienna between the 1790s and 1828, with Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven in the same place, just about the same time... that’s pretty good, but really I would love to be in Europe before World War 2, to travel throughout eastern Europe, Vilnius, Warsaw, Berlin etc... just to see this world that has vanished for ever. I think that being a violinist you somehow carry a little bit of that world inside you.. I love eating out and discovering new restaurants, can you please recommend one to me? "Le Jardin des Pates" near the Jardin des Plantes and the mosques in the 5th arrondissement, Rue Lacépéde. They only do a few dishes, always the same for years. It's really a simple place, but I love their food and atmosphere. What is the best advice you have ever been given relating to your professional /creative life? "All you can hope for is to play the violin, where and how will depend, but feel lucky just to play the violin". Mr Gingold (Josef Gingold) my teacher, when he was already a very old man in America. Or another one "Tonight You are the violin". That really helps to go on stage sometimes. Bonus question: You have made chamber music quite a central part of your repertoire (great for me as I love chamber music !). As a listener, chamber music feels like an easier more intimate way to feel close to a composer, to understand their language and movement. Sometimes with the orchestra, especially large orchestras, i feel almost overwhelmed, as if i can't keep up with or really hear the conversation. So if you could recommend a piece of chamber music to someone who may be new to chamber music what would you recommend? And would you be able to recommend someone like me who is a bit scared of the orchestra : ) a concerto for the violin? Thank you for that question: Ligeti string quartet n.1. Metamorphoses Nocturnes, written in 1953. It's as if there had to be just one last piece written this could be it, a tribute to all music. You hear both the "village" that was and everything that will be written afterwards. It's Taraf de Haidouks sent to the moon... A concerto for violin? Maybe the Schumann violin concerto. It is a concerto most violinist don't like. I don't know why. It was discovered in the 30s only. Schumann's wife, Clara, had forbidden it to be played. It was Jelly d'Aranyi, the Hungarian gypsy violinist whom Bartok, Ravel and Elgar all fell in love with, that discovered it. She was told of its existence during a "seance" (this is the official version I promise) in England. Apparently, she did not believe at all in this, I don't either, but she was told to look for this manuscript in a library in (I think) Dusseldorf. It was true and no one knew it. The Nazis, however, insisted that it was played by one of their own, they were banishing the Mendelssohn (who was Jewish) violin concerto from being performed. The piece is amazing, the slow movement, of which there is a recording with d'Aranyi playing the slow movement, is the most beautiful slow movement ever, starts with a cello solo, then the violin plays in the middle register something longing and timeless. Schumann was labelled "crazy" by the time he wrote this, but thank god for this concerto. What I also like about it, is that here is no tradition of how to play it. I love that. It's romantic, by one of the greatest composer, ever, and yet there are no marks. I suspect that is why some violinists don't like it.

Dame Shirley Bassey : The Girl from Tiger Bay

My wake up song this week is 'The Girl from Tiger Bay' from Dame Shirley Bassey's fine new album 'The Performance'. The Manic Street Preachers have written the perfect song for her and it fits easily into her long list of classic material. Anyway, what's not to love about Dame Shirley ?!! love tt.

Carolin Widmann & Denes Varjon

Last night I went to see Carolin Widmann [link] and Denes Varjon, at the Wigmore Hall. It was an all Schumann recital, the three violin sonatas, and it was amazing! Widmann has this uncommon sound, so earthy and full bodied that I found myself in that wonderful place where the newness of the sound makes you a really alert listener. She was evenly matched by pianist Varjon. I strongly recommend that you catch them live, failing that why not try their recording of the Schumann sonatas on ECM ? [link]. Love tt

Michael meets Musa

Yesterday evening I was invited by Refugee Action to a talk given by Michael Palin at the Royal Geographic Society [link] with Musa Ibrahim who recounted his journey from Somalia to Britain and the experience of seeking asylum in this country. After all the trials and hardships that someone in this position faces , what I found most moving was when Musa was asked by a member of the audience how we could help to make refugees more welcome, he answered simply, 'A smile '. If you would like to find out more about Refugee Action and the work that they do please follow the [link]. Love tt.

Roberta Flack : Do what you gotta do

My wake up song this week is 'Do what you Gotta Do' written by the great song writer Jimmy Webb. It's such a beautiful, enigmatic song. I feel it to be about freedom and the wisdom of not trying to possess someone but I'm sure there are many more ways of hearing it. My favourite version is by Roberta Flack, the way she interprets this song has such elegance and compassion, it's a perfect match. Apologies for the scratchy clip, but Flack's great performance still shines through, love tt.

Larry Klein / Producer

Larry Klein is not only a great musician having played with artists as wonderfully diverse as Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McRae, Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond but a highly respected producer working with among others Herbie Hancock, Madeleine Peyroux and Joni Mitchell. I am thrilled that he is the first person to take the TT Test ! What is your wake up song at the moment ? I've been listening to Rickie Lee Jones' first two records and J.J. Cale's records somewhat obsessively for the last couple of weeks. All very inspiring. Which work of art or single event has most influenced you in your chosen profession ? All of The Beatles' records and all of Bill Evans' records If you could travel back in time, which period would you most like to visit and why ? I'd love to go to Paris in the 30's to be around the catalytic literary scene during that time. (probably an overly romantic notion, but seems like it would be fun). I love eating out and discovering new restaurants, can you please recommend one to me ? Harry's Bar, Venice Italy : [link]. What is the best advice you ever been given relating to your professional / creative life ? "Hold on to the divine dissatisfaction, but don't worry". BONUS QUESTION : Your recordings are very noted for how well you place and record the voice. How do you achieve this and do you have any tips for recording the voice ? I always do what I can to guide the vocalist towards singing from their heart, and without self-consciousness; almost as if they were singing by themselves late at night. A great microphone always helps. Close proximity to the mic. A great tube compressor is also important. Most important: a good rapport between myself, the engineer and the vocalist that leads to a feeling of safety in trying anything that comes to mind.

The TT Test !

I will be introducing a new feature on the blog called the TT Test, it is a little questionnaire that I will put to someone I find interesting, inspiring or creative (usually all three !). There will always be five standard questions and a bonus question. It has been fun thinking of the questions and I hope you will like it. I will be posting the first TT Test soon, love Tanita.

Podcast 7

Podcast 7 has been added !! If you haven't already just sign up to the mailing list to gain access to the Attic to listen to the podcast. Hope you enjoy, lot's of love, tt.

I am not a Robot

Just heard this song by Marina and the Diamonds ' I am not a Robot '. It's so fresh and what an interesting voice! love tt

Jenny and the Worm

I went to the the London Calling new short films screening earlier this week, part of the London Film festival. I was really impressed by the high standard and creativity in this section. My favourite film was a very funny short called 'Jenny and the Worm' by writer-director Ian Clark. Two teenage punks and a giant worm, what more could you want from an evening's entertainment ?!! If you have the chance do try and see it, I'm sure it will be playing at most festivals in the coming months, love tt

Parenthetical Girls - Four Words

My wake up song this week is 'Four Words ' by Parenthetical Girls. It feels like a magical adventure accompanied by your most loyal and fearless friends. Such buoyancy and optimism is impossible to resist! Hope you enjoy, love tt

Wind Shadow

I went to the Barbican last night and saw a performance by the Cloud Gate Theatre Company of Taiwan, it was brilliant and puzzling. The finale is extraordinary and if you have the chance it is worth seeing the show for this moment alone. Love tt

Podcast 6

Podcast 6 has been added !! If you haven't already just sign up to the mailing list to gain access to the Attic to listen to the podcast. Hope you enjoy, lot's of love, tt.

Cooking lesson !

I've realized that my not being able to cook is a problem so I have decided to ask my friends to teach me (and my mother, I hope at some point she will reveal the secrets of her irresistible satay sauce recipe to me so I can share it on this site!). I had my first lesson today with my friend Bharti. The menu consisted of these classic Indian dishes: Tarka Dhal, Dry Potato Curry, Jeera Rice and Chapatis (Indian flat bread). I prepared the meal for 6 people and under Bharthi's wise guidance I'm proud to report that the meal turned out to be very tasty. I will be posting the recipes on the 'My Stuff' page as soon as I can. Hope you will be tempted to try some of them out ! Lots of love tt.

Photo (c) Sylvie Bardet

Etta, Chaka and Gladys

My wake up song this week is a live performance by 3 great singers : Etta James, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight accompanied by the wonderful BB King. It is the classic blues song : "Ain't Nobody Business". Music like this makes you glad to be alive! Hope you enjoy. Lots of love tt.

Slightly foxed editions and Persephone Books

Reading a memoir by the late Richard Kennedy of his youthful apprenticeship at Leonard and Virginia Woolf ‘s Hogarth press. It’s refreshing to see Virginia Woolf remembered as rather vibrant and sophisticated and not simply depressive, and the eccentricity of writers even running a printing press ( I mean that’s as absurd as an artist running a record company!) is heart-warming. The Bloomsbury memoir is coupled with ‘A Parcel of Time ‘, where Kennedy describes his childhood and how it is affected by the First World War. I’m really enjoying this book but what I am really dotty about are ‘Slightly Foxed Editions’ who publish it [link]. I’ve eagerly collected all their titles since I discovered them about two weeks ago! These are books you want to hold AND touch. There are some really exciting independent publishing houses now that understand that reading is not solely a visual activity but also a tactile one. Another great bonus is that often they are re-publishing books that have been unjustly forgotten and unavailable. Persephone books [link] is another fine example of this. They publish gorgeous editions – using a fabric design for the book’s interior which match the mood and date of the book. ‘Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day’ by Winifred Watson is my current favourite, how could we have lived without this book for so long ?!! Lots of Love tt

+81

My wake up song this week (a rather exciting week, a belated surprise birthday party had been arranged for me and although I suspected some thing, I thought it involved an elaborate new lighting system for my apparment and not a party !!) is by the truly fruity & delightful Deerhoof. '+81' is a song of such epic loadiness that it should really be the theme of a cool children's TV show that you never understood as a child but mourn wistfully as an adult... anyways, I hope you enjoy !! Love tt

ps : sorry I couldn't embed this video on my blog. Please follow the [link]

City paradise

Last week I saw some films at the animation festival in London. 'City Paradise' by the film maker Gaelle Dennis really caught my eye. I hope you enjoy it ! Love tt

Ellie Greenwich

Sadly, I've just heard that the legendary Ellie Greenwich has passed away. What an extraordinary talent, not only did she co-write some of the best songs ever including 'Be My Baby', 'River Deep, Mountain High', '(And) Then He kissed Me', 'Chapel of Love', 'Leader of the Pack', 'I can hear music' to name a few, she also helped to define the sound of the girl groups of the 60s, worked with the young Neil Diamond and produced records at a time when it was practically unheard of for a woman to have that role in the studio (unfortunately, I still have difficulty naming a female music producer working today). And as a singer she was no slouch either as the clip I've chosen demonstrates, her voice is lovely and strongly reminiscent of Dusty Springfield. The song is from 1967 'Goodnight, Goodnight'. She will be greatly missed,lots of love tt.

Les Papillons Noirs

My wake up song this week is from one of my favourite artists Serge Gainsbourg. He also sings on the record with Michele Arnaud. I love the way Gainsbourg balances Arnaud's rather sober voice against the very sexy, laid-back groove & slightly macho strings, it's just perfect. Hope you enjoy ! Lots of love tt.

Podcast 5

Podcast 5 has been added !! If you haven't already just sign up to the mailing list to gain access to the Attic to listen to the podcast. Hope you enjoy, lot's of love, tt.

40 !!

Whew ! I was 40 last week. Thank you very much for all the kind birthday wishes I have received. I remember when I was a teenager there was a television series called " 30 something " and I used to think the characters were so old and their problems completely inscrutable. I'm now 40 and I still think that, I mean I still think people in their 30s are old, and inscrutable !! I guess I'm going to have to let go of that particular view of the world ! Anyway, here is a photo of me on my birthday mooching around Marseille... Lots of love tanita

Bang On

My wake up song this week is 'Bang On' by The Breeders. It's the kind of the record that makes me feel like I'm in a cartoon ( perhaps, it's the slightly Scooby Doo guitar riff or the desire it gives me to jump up and down ). Anyway,it's wonderful and just coming in over two minutes perfectly bite-sized,I hope you enjoy it ! Love tt

Abba Mania

My five year old nephew, Louis, has begun writing. In a neat hand, hardly a child's scrawl, he patiently begins : 'Honey, honey','Thank You for the Music ', 'Mamma Mia ','Voulez-Vous'... By the fourth line it becomes clear. He has memorized the greatest hits of Abba, and it is to these glorious titles that his early penmanship is dedicated, not 'dog', 'cat', 'sat', 'mat'. I am absurdly proud, not only is he advanced, he has great taste !! Love tt

Addie Pray & Staff Benda Bilili

Have you ever seen the movie 'Paper Moon' ? I'm reading the original book that the film is based upon by Joe David Brown. It's so good that I can't understand why it isn't more widely read or why it was out of print for so long. I have to resist reading it all in one day because I don't want to lose the company of such great characters as Addie Pray and Long Boy. I'm also loving this track 'Polio' from Staff Benda Bilili, the raggedy guitar sound and soulful playing is awesome - wish I could play like that !! love tt

Su Blackwell and Dorian Gray

I've just discovered the works of the artist Su Blackwell. She works with paper and creates book-cut sculptures that are really enchanting. If you have a moment check out her website where you can see some of these wonderful pieces [link]. Last night I also saw a truly atmospheric production of ' Dorian Gray ' in the tiny basement theatre of the already small Leicester Square Theatre [link] ! I really felt transported to another time by this production, and I was enraptured by the classic story. I guess the two experiences have a similar charm, even if they have quite dark and adult themes, there is a magical simplicity in how they are presented that makes you feel rather like a child. Lots of love tt

Seli

I met up with friends in Italy this weekend in the beautiful city of Vicenza. Naturally we ate Baccala, drank Prosecco and visited some Palladian villas ! I also did a fun interview for a radio show ' Libro Oggetto ' [link] which is all about books. I think it will be broadcast in September & will be available as a podcast for one week after the broadcast date. Unsurprisingly, my wake up song for this week is Italian, ' Seli ', a performance featuring the extraordinary Edda Dell 'Orso ( most famous for her work with Ennio Morricone ) from the soundtrack of the film ' 4...3...2...1... Morte '. It's such a bouncy track it will have you running round the block ! Hope you enjoy, lots of love tt.

Books

Paris again this week. It is very hot and quite empty and in the evenings walking across the city you feel like you are in an early 1970s psychological spy thriller ( or maybe that's just me especially when I reach the fun fair in the Jardin des Tuileries !! ). I met up with Larry Klein the producer and musician for a very refreshing chat and cup of tea. We also browsed around the Galignani bookshop where he kindly bought me ' The Selected Essays of Gore Vidal ' and I chose for Larry, Edmund White's ' The Flaneur ' ( we were in Paris ! ). It's a book that expresses how seductive the city is and also what makes me feel sort of distrustful and less comfortable in it. Anyway, it's a real joy to wander into a bookshop and pick out a book for someone you are just getting to know ( I 'd almost forgotten this very old fashioned pleasure ). Here is a classic track that Larry produced with a lovely performance from Madeleine Peyroux. Hope you enjoy, lots of love tt

Podcast 4

Hello ! Podcast No. 4 is available to listen to. Those who have already signed up to the mailing list will know how to access the attic to listen to the podcast, and those who haven't, well, all you have to do is sign up and you will be given a password which allows you to listen to all 4 podcasts. I hope you enjoy !! Lots of love tt

Comme les Rois Mages

Sorry ! I haven't been the most dedicated blogger recently. London has been wonderfully sunny so I've spent most of my time outside. Anyway, in honour of this lovely summer, my wake up song is one the happiest ever written. I think it's vaguely about 3 kings, Christopher Columbus, a blue pond and cosmic truth ! I imagine the writers were very happy when they wrote this one ;) People outside of France might be more familiar with Sheila from her 70s disco period and her big hit under Sheila B Devotion " Spacer " but this earlier song from the 60s is deliciously groovy too. Hope you enjoy the song and the video which appears to have been shot in a carpet shop ! Lots of love tt.

Michael Jackson

So sad to hear that Michael Jackson has passed away. He was a genius and listening to the radio today I was reminded of just how much unbelievably wonderful music he gave the world. He is going to be so missed, lots of love tt.

I've just been to a tea party organized by Refugee Action [link] to celebrate Refugee Week [link]. I had the pleasure of sitting with Sysay from Eritrea and Nasreen from Iraq who told me about their work for Refugee Action and their own personal stories which lead them to seek refuge in this country. They were truly inspiring and compassionate women. I hope if you are in the UK you will be able to attend some of the events this week, perhaps question your assumptions and prejudices about refugees and get more involved. Lots of Love Tanita

Paris

I'm in Paris this week and I'm addicted to the vegetarian thali at the Krishna Bavan restaurant in La Chapelle, an area near to Gare du Nord. I'm also rather taken by this song "Live good" by the French band "The Naive New Beaters". The video is great ! Love tt.

We are not the same

My wake up song at the moment is The Cimarons "We are not the same". I had completely forgotten about this childhood favourite until one day I walked into a clothes store and heard this blaring out of their speakers. I was immediately transported to my parents' parties in the early '70s, where the soundtrack was either Trojan style reggae, Atlantic soul or some home sick Fijians singing island songs ! Anyway it remains a truly exciting record with the grooviest intro. Hope you enjoy, love tt.

Podcast 3

Hi, I've added a new podcast. Hope you will enjoy it. For those who haven't already, all you have to do to listen to the podcasts is click on the sign for the mailing list on the right hand side of the page and sign up ! Lots of love tt

Christie's Arsep

Sylvie Bardet, who created my rather lovely website, has a photo in the Christie's ARSEP art auction. All the proceeds from this auction will go towards ARSEP : [link] an organization which funds essential research into multiple sclerosis. If you are interested in photography or would just like to contribute to a great cause or both please check out the online auction [link], you can also see the photos in person at the Christie's salesroom, Paris June 1-3. Lots of love tt

Micachu & The Shapes

Wow, I've just heard this band called Micachu & The Shapes. They are amazing, check them out ! Love tt

New podcast added !

Hello, there is a new podcast in the attic ! All you have to do to enter the attic is sign up to the newsletter, I hope you enjoy it , love tt

Martha Argerich

I'm a bit grumpy at the moment, I have a nasty throat infection (which EVERYONE in my personal universe knows about and is completely bored by ) and it's meant that I have missed three concerts !! That's fine, these things happen but I am very sad about missing one particular concert. I had tickets to see Martha Argerich at the Royal Festival Hall. On two previous occasions she has cancelled last minute and on the one evening she does show up I have to cancel ! Well, a friend who did go informed me that it was astonishing, the best live performance she's ever seen ( this friend is over seventy, and seen many concerts so I think that's a great compliment ! ). So this is kind of a dream review, I suppose, of a dream concert : ) lots of love tt

Bea Arthur

Sadly, Bea Arthur passed away this weekend. I remember when 'The Golden Girls' first came out & what a buzz it caused amongst me and my teenage friends. I don't think we had ever seen such feisty, sexy, sassy & hilarious older ladies before - it was wonderful and life affirming. Of course, we all had a soft spot for the really tall one whose grouchiness mirrored our own teenage temperament. Here is a classic clip which is also a reminder of what a great singer Bea Arthur was. Lots of love tt

"In dieser stadt"

My wake up song at the moment is Hildegard Knef singing "In dieser stadt". I remember the Canadian writer Ann-Marie MacDonald describing the German language as a beautiful woman wearing a man's shirt. Listening to this wonderful performance I completely understand what she means ! Love tt.

Easter

Over Easter, I visited 3 London exhibitions. Roni Horn at the Tate [link] I had the feeling that she was not quite comfortable with the space and I preferred seeing her work in Iceland. Hussein Chalayan at the Design Museum [link] was fun, I really liked the film with the futuristic pod. And my favourite Annette Messager at the Hayward [link]. If you have the chance, please see it ! I think the installation 'Casino' is one of the most beautiful and magical I've ever seen. Love tt.

TT Podcast !

I have a new page on my website called 'the attic' in which you will find a TT podcast. In the podcast I will sing an accoustic version of one of my old songs and talk a little bit about it. To gain access to the attic, all you have to do is sign up to the mailing list: link. Thank you to those who have already done this. I hope you will enjoy it and I will add more podcasts in the future ! Lots of love tt.

Helen Levitt

I was saddened to hear that Helen Levitt the photographer has recently passed away. I've mentioned her before on the 'mystuff page' of my website as I am a big fan. It may seem trite to say this but she really was able to tell a story in a photo. I always felt that she was coming from the same place as her subjects, there's no judgement, polite barrier or commentary (well, that's sort of impossible but you know what I mean). She was a rare talent and will be greatly missed. Love tt.

Still writing...

Still working on new material. I’m very happy writing with Mark, he has brought this truly joyous sense of groove to the songs and I feel he is bringing out a different side of me. There are even a couple of songs that if I heard them by someone else, I would be quite envious. (Oops! Am I allowed to say that? I guess it’s ok to throw the occasional flower at yourself !) Who knows what will happen ? When you actually end up recording an album, you can be so easily distracted by non-musical choices and have a sudden lack of faith. My aim is just to keep this freshness & enthusiasm through the whole process. Lots of love tt

Lecuona Cuban boys

My wake up song at the moment is Lecuona Cuban Boys ‘Hindu’. It reminds me of Lotte Lenya singing ‘Alabama’ in that it fills me with nostalgia for the giddy & slightly debauched life I have yet to live ! I hope you enjoy it, the sound quality is not great but I think that sort of adds to it :) Lots of love tt

Interesting ….

Sometimes I enjoy attending an event where I don’t know what to expect. I decided to try the ‘This is Tuesday‘ experimental music evening at King’s Place: link. The performance from the Melissa Phelps ensemble was a revelation. The ensemble consists of eight cellos creating a truly wonderful, warm, human and sensual sound. I was also impressed by how open the audience is. One of the other pieces, the composer enthusiastically explained, was based on sampling the note that you get from holding down a string on a guitar and plucking the string on the left fret side of the held down chord as oppose to plucking over the more usual sound hole. This was then processed & edited according to a mathematical formula involving prime numbers.The live guitarist then responds to the sample according to another mathematical formula. It sounded like some one eating with chopsticks and a few random chords played on electric guitar (of course, it isn’t random because of all the elaborate sums involved!). I’m ashamed to admit this. Believe me, I tried everything: mediation, self-hypnosis, counting the audience, pretending the music was from another planet but I was bored! The audience, however, kept with it. I don’t know if they actually enjoyed it but I didn’t see anyone giggling or yawning. Quite refreshing when we are supposed to be living in an age where no one can focus their attention on anything for longer than three minutes. Perhaps contemporary music is the Way. I too can become a little Zen Buddha instead of the fidgety five year old that I usually am by not judging everything that I hear! Anyway, I do recommend these evenings,it’s a treat to hear live music in such an informal atmosphere even if some of the music is not what I would usually choose to listen to :) Lots of love, Tanita

Ramon !

Ramon my brother came by this week to sing on one of the new songs. He has a completely different voice to me, it is really powerful (perhaps, this is because he is an actor). So basically I get him to sing the really hard bits on the song which I can't sing ;) I sing in French on this song, which is funny and I hope you will like it as much as I liked doing it. Perhaps, I've been listening to too much Serge Gainsbourg and watching too many Isabelle Huppert movies ! Love tt

Elisabeth Leonskaja

Wednesday evening Mark and I went to the Wigmore Hall to hear Elisabeth Leonskaja. Playing Beethoven’s late piano sonatas. One of the most magical concerts I’ve ever heard was Leonskaja’s Schubert recital at the same venue. So I was really looking forward to this. She did not disappoint especially in the last sonata Op.111. I’m uncomfortable writing about music that moves me, it feels intimate and a little silly. When I hear a great performance my feelings are so contradictory: a great stillness and order, but then this super alertness to every change and variation even in the texture of sound and this beautiful fragility because the spell can so easily be broken. Maybe what I'm trying to say is that great music makes us feel everything. Lots of love, Tanita.

Mark Creswell

I’m currently finishing off the new material with Mark Creswell. I’ve known Mark since I was 18 so it was about time that we actually wrote together ! We share so many influences: soul, country, reggae but what I appreciate most about him is his openness to all kinds of music. For example last night we had a retro moment and listened to a few tracks from Madonna’s album ‘Music’. Both of us awestruck by Mirwais the producer's ability to organize sound (I’m afraid I can’t think of a better way to describe what he does). But Mark will also happily sit through a DVD of Daniel Barenboim giving a Beethoven Master class. What more can you ask from a musical collaborator ! Love, tt

Photo (c) Sylvie Bardet

Piano Mania

Last week my two pianos were regulated and generally spruced up by a wonderful piano technician called Ben Edwards. And although the biggest influence on my piano playing remains Les Dawson : .I can still appreciate that after all Ben’s hard work if someone proper played the pianos they would sound amazing ! Ben also has another talent under his stage name Ben Fairlight he is a professional story teller : [link]. That seems like two truly cool jobs. In my fantasy job life I think I would like to be a piano technician/story teller ! Love, tt

Happy New Year !

Hello. Happy New Year to everyone ! I wish you all a peaceful year full of adventure and lots of new discoveries... and, of course Love, love, love tt.