iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"This is a world of short breaths and short distances, more a matter of spinning round in grooves then of taking off into the high blue yonder." Richard Hoggart, 'The Way We Live Now' (1995)

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Today I will be mostly working on this:

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"Blues is my life. It's a true feeling that comes from the heart, not something that just comes out of my mouth. Blues is what I love, and blues is what I always do." Remembering the Queen of the Chicago Blues, Koko Taylor, born OTD in 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee. #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

'Songs in the Key of Life' turns fifty today. I can't recall a time it wasn't around - it came out when I was just two years old - I can still remember the esteem it was held in by my parents & their friends, but most of all, the album's deep, rich, bassy sound on our 70s stereo. #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

1) Perfect for these early Autumn evenings, 'When the Eagle Flies' (1974). Traffic's last album until Winwood & Capaldi's reunion in 1994 sees an advance into a sophisticated jazz-rock style, propelled by the great Rosko Gee on bass, best evidenced on the standout 'Dream Gerrard'...(below) #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I forgot to mention his birthday yesterday, so here's Michael Gibbs' self-titled 1970 album - top notch Brit jazz, featuring Chris Spedding, Jack Bruce, Tony Oxley, Alan Skidmore, Barbara Thompson, Henry Lowther, John Surman, Ray Warleigh & more. #musicsky #jazzsky

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Michael Gibbs ‎– Michael Gibbs (1970)

YouTube video by Pedro Nóbrega

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I paid another visit to the wonderful Crooked Book in downtown Boscombe today and obviously spent too much (again) Modernism edited by Christopher Wilk The Dustbin of History by Greil Marcus London Observed by Doris Lessing What's Left? by Nick Cohen The Rise of Enoch Powell by Paul Foot. #booksky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Remembering British jazz legend Dick Heckstall-Smith, born OTD 1934 in Ludlow, Shropshire. His work with Alexis Korner, the Graham Bond Organisation, Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Colosseum & Big Chief was exemplary, as was his solo material and playing on Jack Bruce's Things We Like. #jazzsky #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Picked up this great book by Nat Hentoff yesterday. Beautifully written recollections, and the chapter on Mingus is fascinating. #jazzsky #musicsky

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Lion & Unicorn @lionunicorn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

66 years ago today, Miles Davis played his first gig in Britain. "Rarely have I witnessed a more impressive concert of jazz," wrote Benny Green. @benfinlay74.bsky.social on that ground-breaking tour. thelionandunicorn.com/2026/05/23/a...

thelionandunicorn.com

Autumn Leaves: Miles in the UK

BEN FINLAY on Miles Davis’s first British tour in 1960.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Very pleased to find this yesterday: The second volume of Lessing's autobiography covers the years 1949 to 1962, from Lessing's arrival in London to the publication of her most famous work of fiction, 'The Golden Notebook', via the Communist Party, bohemianism and the theatre. #booksky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

1) "If you put the most important cultural elements in society into the hands of commercial people who want to make a profit they will bring it down to the lowest common denominator." Remembering an intellectual hero of mine, author and academic Richard Hoggart, born OTD 1918.

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Jonathan Calder @lordbonkers.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Liberal England: A podcast on Christopher Hill's The World Turned Upside Down liberalengland.blogspot.com/2026/09/a-po...

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

A good day out in my former home of Chichester. Visited some old haunts, and a had a great charity shop haul... Sometimes, life ain't all that bad you know...

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Remembering Brother Ray Charles born OTD 1930 in Albany, Georgia #jazzsky #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Remembering John Coltrane, born OTD 100 years ago in Hamlet, North Carolina and gone far too soon. He left behind some of the deepest, most transcendental music in the universe. #jazzsky #musicsky #coltrane100

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Released OTD 1969, the landmark second album by The Band, also known as 'The Brown Album'. I've lived with this for forty years now and I'll always come back to it - some things never never grow old... #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

New music... We are Priory Park, an acoustic instrumental duo made up of yours truly and ace musician Matt Blakey. Expect some laidback, jazzy melodic guitar music and more. You're welcome. #musicsky

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Priory Park Jam 21/09/26

YouTube video by Ben Finlay - The History Man

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

"... for me, one of the best British records, perfect for darkening autumn evenings..." It's definitely turning autumnal, so #nowplaying this classic, which I've written a little bit about: historyman74.substack.com/p/my-favouri... #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

"How long have I been sleeping? How long have I been drifting alone through the night?" Released OTD in 1974, Jackson Browne's classic 'Late For the Sky'. #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

'The Trials of Oz' (1991) - a dramatisation of the 1971 trial in which the editors of the British underground magazine 'Oz' were charged with obscenity - is now up on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M-T...

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The Trials of Oz (720p) ft. Hugh Grant, Nigel Hawthorne, Leslie Phillips, Alfred Molina

YouTube video by Forgotten British TV

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Mister Mahzel @mistermahzel.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Another excellent survey, Ben. Thank you for sharing your well-informed opinions.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

"If privately life was proving difficult, musically 1975 would be somewhat of a peak for Martyn..." The great John Martyn - one of my favourite ever artists - was born OTD in 1948. His underrated 'Sunday's Child' features in my top ten records of 1975. Read here:

thelionandunicorn.com

Top 10: 1975

BEN FINLAY selects the best British albums of 1975. Expect the unexpected.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

'Catch a mood and fly away' Remembering the one and only John Martyn, born on this day in 1948. I'll always remember seeing him at Salisbury City Hall on 20th May 2005 - he and his great band took the place on a trip that night...

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General Witchfinders - The British Horror Podcast and Zine @generalwitch.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Missed Penda’s Fen last night? Both David Rudkin’s 1974 film and a new interview with actor Spencer Banks are streaming on BBC iPlayer. Catch up on the film, then listen to our podcast episode tinyurl.com/PendasFen #PendasFen #FolkHorror #PlayForToday #BBCiPlayer

An graphic featuring two BBC iPlayer video thumbnails on a light purple background with bold white text at the bottom. The top thumbnail shows actor Spencer Banks in present day, titled ‘Remembers... Spencer Banks Remembers... Penda’s Fen’. The middle thumbnail shows a scene from Penda’s Fen featuring a person wearing a grotesque gargoyle mask, titled ‘Play for Today: Penda’s Fen’. Large white text underneath reads: ‘PENDA’S FEN and interview with SPENCER BANKS now on iPlayer’.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Happy birthday to one of the greatest British drummers, Barriemore Barlow, who played with Jethro Tull from 1971 to 1980. His superb playing is a highlight of the band's majestic 'Heavy Horses' album, which features in my top ten prog records. Read here: @lionunicorn.bsky.social #musicsky

thelionandunicorn.com

Top 10: Prog rock

Fancy time-signatures, album-length songs and mystical lyrics – BEN FINLAY takes us through the best of prog rock.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

"My rider left upon the midnight flyer, singing like a summer breeze.." - 'Operator' from 'American Beauty' (1970) Remembering Grateful Dead founder member Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, born OTD in 1945 and gone far too soon.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

1) Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' was published OTD in 1957. I can't quite remember when I first read it, but the first copy I owned (I've had several) was the one pictured, an early 90s edition. It introduced me to a new world - Ginsberg, Burroughs, Gregory Corso - but Jack... #booksky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

"Every man should pull a boat over a mountain once in his life..." Happy birthday to director and film maker Werner Herzog, born September 5 1942. He made two of my favourite ever films: 'Aguirre, Wrath of God' (1972) and 'Fitzcarraldo' (1982). Brilliant. #filmsky

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The Kimono Gallery @roger1952.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Autumn - Kyoto, Japan

Nestled beneath a blazing canopy of Japanese maples (iroha-momiji), a quiet Kyoto sanctuary is enveloped in the fiery crescendo of autumn (kōyō). The composition frames a traditional residence—distinguished by its dark grey ceramic roof tiles (ibushi-gawara) and crisp white plaster walls (shikkuikabe)—partially veiled behind a dense lattice of silver-barked branches and brilliant foliage. Leaves in shades of incandescent crimson, burnt orange, and sunlit ochre cascade down from the upper canopy, contrasted against the deep, evergreen shadows of the surrounding mountain forest. On the flagstone approach (nobe-dan) leading to the shadowed doorway, a lone visitor stands looking upward, wrapped in quiet contemplation beneath the autumn arbor.

This autumnal tableau reflects the deep-rooted cultural tradition of momijigari ("hunting autumn leaves"), a seasonal pilgrimage celebrated in Japan since the Heian period. In Kyoto’s historic districts—such as Sagano, Higashiyama, and Arashiyama—architectural design has long been tailored to honor the natural terrain. Residences and temple sub-complexes utilize low rooflines and natural building materials to yield visually to the surrounding garden and forest. The grey clay tiles and dark timber framing act as a neutral, grounded foundation, allowing the fiery, short-lived transformation of the maples to dominate the visual landscape.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Just finished wstching series five last night. Undoubtedly one of the finest television dramas I've ever had the pleasure to watch. Incredible characters, plots, acting, period detail and storylines. Excellent.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Nice charity shop find yesterday - 'The Penguin Book of English Short Stories' featuring Dickens, Hardy, Kipling, Joyce, Huxley, Waugh, Greene and others. #booksky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Excellent piano recital of some challenging material yesterday by Oscar Davis at Christchurch Priory. Annoyingly, enjoyment was somewhat spoilt by some attendees use of bloody mobile phones during the performance (and this was not a young audience.) Quite frankly, I despair at times.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Saddened to hear of the passing of Cassandra Wilson. I was lucky to see her live in the 1990s, still remember buying the masterful 'Blue Light 'Til Dawn' when it came out, and followed her career. A singer of incomparable emotional depth that we won't see the like of again. RIP.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Remembering a blues icon and one of the guitar greats, Freddie King, born OTD 1934 in Gilmer, Texas and gone far too early. His influence - particularly on a generation of guitarists - was huge. *Trivia note * His 'Texas Cannonball' album was the first CD I ever bought.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Today's book purchase: Good 1969 first edition of 'The Penguin Book of American Short Stories' with a Norman Rockwell painting on the cover. Features Edgar Allan Poe, Henry James, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Jack London and John Updike among others

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

"Basically my influences have been American influences. It's been blues, gospel, swing era music, bebop music, Broadway show music, classical music." Remembering the great Horace Silver, born OTD 1928 in Norwalk, Connecticut. #jazzsky #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

"I do believe that God has his hands on me and that he has work for me to do..." Remembering Brother Billy Preston, born on this day in 1946. An amazing singer, musician, performer, he bought the church and gospel to everything he did. #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Released OTD in 1967, 'Crusade', the third studio album by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, and the first to feature future Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, just 18 at the time. Highlights include 'The Death of J.B. Lenoir' and Taylor's 'Snowy Wood'. Classic Brit blues.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

'Hergest Ridge' by Mike Oldfield was released OTD 1974. A personal favourite of mine, I wrote a little bit about it. Read here: historyman74.substack.com/p/on-the-bor...

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

1/ Van Morrison turns 81 today... #nowplaying 'Veedon Fleece' Veedon Fleece is Van's forgotten masterpiece, full of Gaelic mysticism with Blakean journeys into the soul. The piano-led prayer of 'Linden Arden Stole the Highlights' into 'Who Was That Masked Man?...

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Happy 82nd birthday to saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger John Surman. He has explored avant-garde, modal and free jazz and has also incorporated folk, pastoral, choral and chamber music into his highly original sound. One of the greatest British jazz musicians.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

'In South Carolina there are many tall pines I remember the oak tree that we used to climb But now when I'm lonesome, I always pretend That I'm getting the feel of hickory wind' Released OTD in 1968, the beautiful 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' by The Byrds.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

"All I ever wanted to do was hear music that I like and play it to other people.." John Peel, born on this day 1939 in Heswall, the Wirral (then) Cheshire.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

“The art of movies is to allow the audience to suspend their disbelief. They need to use their imaginations.” Remembering William Friedkin, born OTD 1935. His run of films from 1971 to 1980 - 'The French Connection', 'The Exorcist', 'Sorcerer' & 'Cruising' - are pinnacles of film making.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Remembering the great Richard Attenborough, born OTD 1923. For me, he directed a number of my favourite films; 'Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), the truly creepy 'Magic' (1978) and 'Shadowlands' (1993); as an actor, who can forget his portrayal of John Christie in '10 Rillington Place'?

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Released OTD in 1969, BB King, 'Live and Well', one of my favourite BB albums, and one of the first I bought many years ago (on cassette) Side one was recorded live at the Village Gate, in New York City and side two recorded at The Hit Factory. #musicsky

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

"I’m not a star, I’m a singer..." Remembering another great, the one and only Dinah Washington, born OTD 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

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Ben Finlay @benfinlay74.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Bird lives! "They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art..." Remembering a true virtuoso, an icon, a musical revolutionary - Charlie Parker was born OTD in 1920 in Kansas City.

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