Jeremy Spencer - Yearning Winds (2019)

Someone recently asked me if there is a ‘particular theme’ to this album. Indeed, there is, although it wasn’t premeditated. While some of these tunes had been recorded before as songs and others had been floating in my head for a while, it wasn’t until titling and serving them up as instrumentals, I realised that the inspiration for most of the tracks’ themes was based on books, or an anecdote found in one.

The opener, ‘Shadowplay’, for instance, is based on a fascinating book on Shakespeare by Lady Asquith, and the literal ‘haunting’ of ‘Lady Almina’ lives on in the account of Highclere castle’s history by the Countess of Carnarvon.

The somewhat Middle Eastern tones of ‘Paradise Lost’ and ‘Betrayed’ are based on Milton’s epic poem and the story of Samson and Delilah respectively. A pitiful tale in a travel book on Ireland inspired the title of ‘A Town of Goodbyes’, and John Gibbons’ book, ‘Tramping to Lourdes’ about his pilgrimage to the famous French town, inspired the last track.

Before commenting on the album’s title itself, I should shut up lest I spoil the mystery and personal interpretation which is the listener’s privilege when enjoying instrumental music!