I absolutely love the Penguin Cafe Orchestra and admire their late leader, Simon Jeffes, greatly. He’s a musical hero. He was the person who said: “It doesn’t have to be complicated, it doesn’t have to go anywhere, it just has to have emotion”. Of course, I paraphrase that last bit for clarity. It’s all about the tune. It’s all about finding a modern British folk music. It’s African, South American, ragtime, folky, jokey, but never hokey. My only regret was never getting to see them play live and I cried when I found out that Simon Jeffes had passed away prematurely over a decade ago. Whenever I am down or need a little pep, some musical sunshine, something that can put a spring back in my step, I turn to the Penguins. Some might laugh, some might think that it is nothing more than middle-class chamber music, but it has soul. And it appeals and nourishes this soul…

« »