On the way to the Fulham game and chatting to West Ham legend Cass Pennant (on his way to the Leeds match) at the station.

Not out to gigs often but here we are in the Union Chapel for this - read this and you know as much as I do but reads good…

Central Croydon for a boxed set order of late period Nancy Wilson soul/disco and killed 20 mins train-wait time in a chazza. Spent a fiver with the TB sealed, Gilles always good, The Roots a classic and never too many versions of No Diggity! Time to catch up again with Taxi Driver after decades.

‘Kick Out The Jams motherf*ckers!’

A friend of mine at is a semi-professional film director and is hoping to make a short film with a veteran central character. I believe he has the support of various charities, including a veterans charity, but there is more in this crowdfund intro: www.kickstarter.com/projects/pmp...

Strings, bassline, organ stabs, flute - absolute classic lounge core on the way to work. youtu.be/lTw9sBrrtrg

Catching up with my Japan purchases and absolutely loving this 3CD set. @globaljukeboxer.bsky.social originally posted Anita’s ‘Jazz On A Summer’s Day’ performance (later in her career than this CD) and been wanting to catch up since. Not only fantastic vocals but the backing is top drawer too!

One of my budget Japan purchases accompanying me to work this morning. Sleevenotes a bit tricky but the music is perfect for a bright and breezy morning in South (and West) London.

Baby face to face youtu.be/YiNBuVtDvCg

youtu.be/OZLo1O1rGhM Axelrod/U.N.C.L.E./DJ Shadow

youtu.be/9iJQQTg5_Kg From Elvis to The Velvet Underground in not that many years…

Part 4. Disc Union in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The best of the four shops was weirdly on the third floor of an office block but was crammed with goodies. £37 the lot and the P&P 15 CD box £13!

Part 3, Tower Records Shibuya, Tokyo. Couple of classics I’ve been wanting for a while and some last gaps in my Julie and JB’s finally filled. £27 the lot.

Tokyo amazing for vinyl but just not a practical purchase for travelling so, as usual, default to CD’s. CD’s available but less than vinyl although even the big stores have a (small) used section. 2 used at HMV (£3.60) and 1 new and 3 used at Tower (Shinjuku)

Tokyo. Amazing place and record shops on every corner (I barely exaggerate!) More to follow…

I’m not always convinced D’Angelo wasn’t just too lazy to turn a groove into a song but when the groove hits I feel no pain… youtu.be/a09swTbaSYM

I know some purists will hate this but the bassline alone makes this a classic, never mind the vocals… youtu.be/WULff_XxcRI

Second day back at work after a few days in Seville with another couple. Yes, we did visit record shops. 3 very different in one street. One had tons of ‘my’ stuff but only fairly priced. A couple in the next tho - my mate got the Chameleons and the Whitfield era Temptations and funky jazz for me.

Woke up with this earworm. Long me nah smoke the good tu sheng peng and longer since it was a (Jamaican) dollar a stick in the city and 50 cents in the country but what a tune! youtu.be/1ZFCxtq7Lqo

Freezing morning on the station platform and what we need is some dubby disco-boogie and Sun, Sun, Sun… youtu.be/bUkI-On9Gtc

Happy New Year folks! Love my Latin, love a bit of psychy guitar and organ, love El Chicano and I hope you do too! youtu.be/hoR_vcdckgg

On a train home after a 10 hour shift and shuffle does it right for an old punk-soulboy whose birthday is tomorrow: youtu.be/TJdM9dazxQo

Is there a better accompaniment to tired and slightly drunk on the way home from a second 10-hour shift in a row than Ray Price? (Clue: No) youtu.be/orSArw274h0

Surfing to work on a wave of nostalgia… youtu.be/QAgVwp5OODc

Mackems at 2.00. Guests so won’t actually be watching but a big, big game!

Prepping Sunday Lunch and having a bit of a dancey shuffle round the kitchen to a stone-cold Latin jazz-funk classic: youtu.be/C9n02sGMaiU

Want some glorious catchy, danceable, soul-pop from the 80’s? The Empress has it for us: youtu.be/HB0P8XdVNUA

Someone just posted the ‘Cher with The Osmonds’ clip and it reminded me that I was going to post their ‘One Bad Apple’ song. Some debate with myself as whether to post the video but decided not to. Close your eyes and it’s funky and soulful pop worthy of the Jackson 5 youtu.be/30Cxl5bVmVU

‘What music is ‘doing it’ for you just now, Michael?’ ‘Why, since you enquire, it’s ’The Village Caller’ by Vibraphonist Johnny Lytle: youtu.be/e_Pw5qMYIdU

Today's episode of Give the Drummer Some will feature 3 hours of under-heard marvels by the women of ska and early reggae. Rarities, obscurities and beloved cuts. Hear the show live, 9 to noon (ET) on @wfmu.bsky.social's Drummer Stream. LISTEN: wfmu.org/wfmu_drummer... CHAT: wfmu.org/playlists/sh...

@cici6923.bsky.social Last full day in Italia and heading back to Bari station and…

All these years of wrongly thinking it’s Indian Pale Ale and in reality it’s ‘Italian’! ‘Luppolo in fiore’: flowering hops…no idea but it’s fine to celebrate US Lecce’s towering 0-0 draw and numb the pain of a poor Toon performance on the south coast.

Off to the game today but not NUFC. Getting the bus to the stadium with a Lecce Ultra. He goes in the Curva Nord where they wait outside until the gates are overwhelmed checking tickets and then push in for free - not a method of entrance for me given Hillsborough. I’m happy to pay £17 for Serie A!

Mike thinks: stylish, contemporary Anglo-Italian, jazz modernist with a hint of Ivy League. Italians think: aging big foreign lad in a lairy shirt…