The Maids of Cadiz

Looking for a title is not always the easiest thing. The Maze of Cadiz owes something to Leo Delibes, most famous for the ballet Coppélia , who composed a song for ‘high voice’ called Les filles de Cadix. Versions of it are available on Youtube by Joan Sutherland, Deanna Durbin and quite a few others. Jeanette MacDonald sang it in a movie of 1942 called Cairo described as something on a spoof on spy stories.

For me, however, the real link is with an arrangement by the great Gil Evans for Miles Davis’ Miles Ahead, an album of 1957, called The Maids of Cadiz. It is purely instrumental, no voice, high or otherwise, and Miles Davis plays a flugelhorn. You can watch him in action on Youtube in a later version at a concert in Montreux, conducted by Quincy Jones. Fabulous.

Greetings to Readers in the USA

I’ve just realised that this is my first blog entry in 2009. New Year good wishes to everyone – and special greetings to readers in the USA.

I have recently received numerous emails from American readers wondering why The Maze of Cadiz is advertised but not properly available to buy on USA amazon. Many have read reviews - particularly the one by Adam LeBor in the Christmas edition of The Economist - and would like to know how they can buy it.

The reason the book is not available on www.amazon.com is that the American rights have not, as yet, been acquired.

Readers in the USA can purchase a copy through http://www.amazon.co.uk/ or through www.amazon.ca - Canadian amazon (cheaper shipping costs)

Thanks again to all those who took the trouble to get in touch with me about this.