Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: duke

  • The Duke’s Guide To Romance

    The Duke’s Guide To Romance

    The Gentlemen Authors. Book One.

    Sophie Barnes has created a light, enjoyable romp in Regency England with A Duke’s Guide to Romance when she takes a tried and true formula, turns it around, then adds the easy to love characters Ada Quinn and the beleaguered Anthony Gibbs, Duke of Westcliffe as they discover the way to love, through the pages of a book.

    Ada likes to live a very quiet life behind the scenes or rather the books in her beloved Uncle’s Bookshop, Between the Pages. She enjoys reading and carrying out her work as a bookbinder for her Uncle. What she does not enjoy is that should she be caught, not only working in the bookstore but reading the books she, along with her Uncle could very easily be ostracised from Society.

    That would not bother her unduly but it would have a detrimental effect on her Uncle’s business. Then along comes Mr Gibbs, who really can’t afford to buy any more books as he is in financial distress. He enters the bookstore to brows the stock. Ada thinks is a closed shop and is looking for a book to read when one falls on her head.

    One small chance meeting goes on to be the creative force behind the Duke and his friends, who have spent most of their inheritances on living the fast life, in the wake of their collective father’s passing. They are all desperate to find a means to making some serious money.

    Jane Austen’s death has left a gap in the ‘romance’ market and after a considerably lengthy and fascinating conversation, Ada suggest that perhaps the Duke writes a romance novel! This leads he and his friends to take up the challenge, only to realise it is far harder than they think.

    Well-constructed with a somewhat quirky plot line A Dukes Guide to Romance is the perfect antidote to cold wet afternoons or for a long lazy day on the beach. It is captivating, charming and sets the scene well for the further romances to follow, as the Duke’s friends are still searching for a way to solve their financial difficulties.

    Sophie Barnes has included a very tantalising teaser at the end of the book.

  • The Single Petal Of A Rose – Duke Ellington For Solo Guitar Volume II

    The Single Petal Of A Rose – Duke Ellington For Solo Guitar Volume II

    People write nice things about Steve Hancoff for a very good reason; he is an amazing musician who, through his ability on the guitar, takes completely unrelated material then turns the pieces into gems for solo guitar. His last Masterclass with this incredible skill, was the conversion of Bach’s Six Suites for Solo ‘Cello into solo guitar scores and in doing so he created a body of work that is outstanding on several fronts.

    Earlier in 2020 Hancoff and his wife moved to an artist colony in Israel; in preparation for this move he discovered a previous recording made in 2004 of Duke Ellington works titled The Single Petal of Rose was almost depleted. In listening to the old recording he realised it was worth re-releasing, but first needed to be re-mastered in line with modern technology. Volume II is the end result.

    Duke Ellington, although a pianist of note was better known as a band leader in the big band, swing era, a prolific composer of jazz, often with his long-time friend and band member Billy Strayhorn. Ellington was and is still considered as pivotal figure in the Jazz industry.

    Recording these historic, much loved, well known and often played pieces written by Ellington, as solo guitar pieces is what could be considered as in many ways a labour of love, one which makes for an interesting and immensely enjoyable listening experience.

    For jazz devotee’s this could almost be considered as the perfect, stripped down version of the music as perhaps heard in Ellington’s mind as he was writing the scores. The signature piece The Single Petal Of A Rose was originally written for Renee Diamond in 1959, after a visit to her home; a single petal from a rose had fallen onto the piano, lying there in perfection.

    This composition was later included in the suite created in tribute to Queen Elizabeth, known as the The Queen’s Suite and is the only piece ever recorded and released to the public from this body of work. Ellington made only one copy of the Suite, paid for with his own money, then delivered to Buckingham Palace as a gift to the Queen. His interpretation of the piece was that it ‘represented wonder’.

    The liner notes with the Album make fantastic reading as the history of each of the eighteen pieces is presented, along with the year of composition. Some of Ellington’s observations at the time, such as in the notes for Hard Way are almost prophetic, when read in context with todays world, almost fifty years later.

    Steve Hancoff has, once again with impeccable timing, with the re-release of his 2004 work The Single Petal Of A Rose, offered to the vastly different world of 2020, a wonderful fresh take on traditional jazz which is an absolute delight, as it has been created with passion, attention to fine detail and a love of a wide and varied range of music styles, created in his one of a kind signature style.