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Never heard "Utterly Simple" and "Hope I Never Find Me There". Are they worth listening to? Yeah, DM's songs were coming from a different place than SW's. Maybe that was what SW was mad about. Here's this guy who was playing gigs in his dad's jazz band at the age of twelve, then being compared to Ray Charles when was sixteen in the Spencer Davis Group. How are you going to put yourself above him? Weird about LSOHHB. What up wit dose Brits? I read DM's recent autobio "Only You Know and I Know", and I think that was the only gig he did with DATD. Lucky you!

He wrote an awful book on Miles Davis' electric period, which was full of errors, such as wrong personnel, confusing Jumma Santos for Juma Sultan and descriptions/opinions that had no relation to reality. The large list of errors was compiled here: https://web.archive.org/web/20160427225113/http://www.miles-beyond.com/freemanerrors.htm

I like that one a whole lot more. The other one was a dead link. It almost looked like it was trying to hijack the browser screen.

Oh that's very odd, that wasn't the picture I posted! This would be the correct one, hopefully it will stay that way.

I think he's also trying to project an image as an "outsider critic" of sorts. I don't often read Burning Ambulance. Sometimes I visit the site because people link to discussions of subjects that interest me. I've usually been somewhat disappointed by the reviews/discussions/whatever. Missed the Bird thing, which is just as well.

Oh yes

yep. I think that is his goal...

I have two Ikea Expedit shelving units that I use for LPs. I wish they were still around. I know they offer the Kallax system now, but I'd rather match what I have. And, I didn't turn my 2x4 unit sideways like this... failure in 3, 2, 1...

The most unexpected encounter for me was when my wife and I were visiting NYC and taking in a Broadway revival of Oklahoma! As we took our seats, I noticed a man who looked like Dick Hyman bent over talking to someone seated a few rows up. When he stood up, I realized that it was Dick Hyman and he and his wife were seated directly in front of front of our seats. I greeted him, we had met previously and I had interviewed him a time or two. We learned a lot about theater, as he pointed out that the orchestra was watching the conductor on three video screens at the back of the theater. We had a good chat during intermission and afterwards, as well.

I also use the IKEA Gnedby shelves (with CDs in space saver sleeves). When I bought them these 8 fit perfectly in the space I had, but now I need more and desperately wish I could still buy them.

playlist assembled from:

I get that. The Village Voice is going to focus on New York. What I mean is that the music being played at the ICA in London in 1978 was basically the same thing, with the same squeaky toys and the same duck calls. It is an interesting quirk that we now regard the Downtown scene as its own sui generis thing and not part of a very similar trend emerging in the post punk era in cities that had substantial first generation free improv scenes. I assume that a lot of that is down to later developments and in particular the platform given to John Zorn by Elektra from the late 1980s onwardss. But then again at the time I was focused on learning to eat solids so my opinion is probably wrong.

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Rich Perry - East of the Sun and West of 2nd Avenue (Steeplechase)

April 23 Pierre Courbois - 1940

I was at two record stores in the last few days and there were plenty of copies.

The great conductor Michael Tilson Thomas has died. New York Times obit: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/arts/music/michael-tilson-thomas-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.dFA.BhKK.AZy4jEKKWMdH&smid=url-share

The "scenes" in other big cities were secondary - as it would naturally be if you're reading a publication catering to New Yorkers. I remember from those days that if you read about music performances in another country, it was usually in relation to upcoming concerts coming to NY or something spectacularly unusual involving a group of artists and musicians sharing "avant-garde" ideas (Shiraz Arts Festival for example). Again, by 1980, geo-location lines became pretty aribitrary because "Downtown" was now known as a style and you could be playing in a different city entirely and be referred to as a "Downtown" composer.

Everyone should hear Arno Marsh on the Woofy label.