The Shed #28 Singing In The Rain

Piece Description

The UK's "The Guardian" newspaper review of this show.

"The rain, Mark Coles explained at the beginning of his excellent music show, The Shed, has been causing havoc. "It's creating big, boggy puddles in the broad bean bed," he noted, peering out into the garden from the shed where he records the programme. The "miserable, lousy weather" was a theme, and put to good use: as he played Summertime by Black Umfolosi, Coles kicked open the shed door so we could hear the rain, layering this over the sweet, warm music to great effect.

This weekly online show is a treat. Global and eclectic in its music choices, but not terrifyingly so, it's an enjoyable meander through new tracks. Coles is the best sort of music host: passionate, knowledgable and – despite sounding like the vocal love child of John Peel and David Mitchell – distinctive. I like how he admits not having "the foggiest idea how to pronounce" something and his vivid, memorable descriptions of music and artists. A Swedish track is "sort of hurdy gurdy with sampled loops"; jazz saxophonist Andy Hamilton, who died recently, is remembered as "one of jazz's nice guys and probably already jamming with Errol Flynn"." (Elizabeth Mahoney, The Guardian June 15th 2012)