Transport
back to the early sixties, where attitudes have become somewhat liberated and
there was a 'trad jazz boom'. Although semi-autobiographical, Ask for Blues has
been written as a novel, spanning 1957 to 1964. It traces a young Martin's
discovery of and captivation by jazz at fifteen, and how sheer determination
made him a talented multi-instrumentalist just seven years later. Through
Martin and his friends, the book also accurately portrays what it was like to
be a young man growing up in those post-war years just before the swinging
sixties.





While most musical biographies read strictly chronologically,
some of the events in Ask for Blues have been placed in an order that
makes for a better story, although everything, including the encounters with well-known
musicians, happened as described. Music is an essential part of the narrative,
and is woven between memories of places and venues, pubs and drinking sessions,
society norms and how Martin is expected to 'behave' - though thanks to two
influential friends, it isn't long before he discovers the joys of totally
irresponsible behaviour.





In parallel, the book chronicles Martin's developing sexual
awareness as he progresses from shy late-starter to a man with a distinctly
cavalier attitude towards women, a perspective that consequently puts
relationships behind his absorption with music, to his eventual cost.