Great writing in The New Yorker on a great musician singing some real "adult" music. I offer Britten as the refutation to those who say that there can be no great vocal music in English—I can't think of any of his operas or art songs that aren't immensely musical and moving. And did I mention dramatic?
The name of the essay is "Fervor," and that's what Ross writes with. If you can read the last paragraph of this tribute to Ms. Hunt Lieberson without tearing up, you have my condolences.
"If Alex were a dog, he would be 189 years old. But he's a parrot and he's 27. In parrot years that's 27. Unless Alex chokes on a nut or falls out of his cage, he should live another 50 years. In a perfect world, healthy parrots can live 80 to 90 years."
Mali's proto-bluesman dead at 66. I loved his guitar, true—but I really loved his phrasing as a singer. If you haven't heard his duet with kora-player Toumani Duabaté, you're missing one of the great records of this century.
Alan In Victoria commented on a URL I posted about the Primedia Enthusiast sale: "I know Primedia through their two excellent car mags, Automobile and Motor Trend. Both have been recently spiffed up, especially the dramatically revitalised Motor Trend. I hope they are now in good hands..."
Huckleberry, on the other hand, just brazens it out. What table? Oh, the one beneath me? Are you sure that counts? Well, I was tired of sitting here anyway.
"Counterstream will be your online home for exploring the music of America's composers. We will broadcast a frequently updated general mix of adventurous music, as well as an eclectic assortment of guest-curated programs, genre-specific radio hours, interviews, and live concert recordings. Listen and discover the sound of music without limits."
It's the compound that makes wine smell peppery. One scientist said, "If you can measure something, you can understand its behaviour and how to control it." Hmmm, that sounds oddly familiar.
Craphound has posted a letter from Amazon that tells customers they have bought a root kit infected disc and offers to take 'em back. No obfuscation, no whiny excuses about "bad customers"—just direct action.
Virginia Hall was considered so dangerous by the Gestapo that they crafted a Wanted poster with her likeness. The UK made her an MBE and the US awarded her the DSC—the only woman ever to receive that honor. She parachuted behind enemy lines with her "wooden leg in her backpack." So why haven't I ever heard of this remarkable woman?