News Update - October 2011

Many of the links on this site are now obsolete and a new site has been designed for launch sometime...... However, because this will mean many hours of involvement by JH & BT, it will have to wait until after the completion of several ongoing projects......

So Read This Page First for any news, updates and links.

"Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia Live '05" DVD (TMDVD0611) is now available now in the UK from CKA's own website, from our ebay shop, at Amazon.co.uk and in Germany from viking-music.de - Go here for more details.

The TM Transcription service now offers SHADOWSHOW(1984) in addittion to the three Paraphernalia Albums from the late '70s - early '80s. Go here for all the details.

The BBC will show Playing Against Time sometime in February 2012 on BBC4

This is a 75 min. 'musical-medico' documentary about Barbara's fight to keep performing, while suffering from her ever deteriorating Parkinson's condition. It's directed by Mike Dibb, who was responsible for the original film about B&J, 'Jazz, Rock & Marriage' back in '79 and the subsequent award winning Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett & Astor Piazzolla films. Good company!

Originally scheduled for November 2011, the BBC have decided to show this film during a 'jazz weekend' planned for transmission on BBC 4 sometime in February 2012. It has been intimated that they will also screen a concert performance from Barbara's band Paraphernalia during the same event.

Mike Dibb, asked them to reconsider this switch, on the basis that the film was primarily about Parkinson...with Barbara's musical life as the background, and that it deserved a much wider audience than might be attracted by a weekend of jazz programmes. It seems this entreaty has fallen on deaf ears and that the BBC is ignoring it's public service remit in this matter. At present we have no exact transmission date.

The film has already had several screenings in London and all those present, Parkinson sufferers, healthcare professionals, musicians and other interested parties have been both moved and lavish in their praise of the information it imparts and the overall message of hope that it brings regarding the future treatment of all debilitating conditions affecting the brain.

The film is underscored by Barbara's music throughout.

The new transmission date will be posted just as soon as we have it.

Meanwhile.....

Barbara is working on a new Paraphernalia CD and Colosseum made it into the studio in April and will be continuing the recording of their new album "Anno Domini" in the autumn.