My very first official encounter at this year's Salon Son et Image was with a vintage-gear dealer: Cristian Fatu's static display included this beautiful McIntosh 275 power amplifier above (approximate value: $CAD3200) . . .

So there I was, taking the subway in Toronto to Union Station, where I would be taking the train to Montreal, and this coming weekend’s Salon Son & Image (SSI), when I spotted this sign, advertising the availability of grants for education related to the love of music. Is that fitting, or what? The list of occupations related to music was extensive, and included, in addition to some obvious ones like audio technician, sound mixer, and electrical engineer, some that I would not have thought of, like intellectual property lawyer and accountant. But I was happy to see “magazine editor” on the list.

A few years ago, Ryan Truesdell, a jazz composer and arranger, gained access to a treasure trove of Gil Evans' handwritten scores from the 1940s to '80s—some of them recorded, many not—and set out to form a big band to play them. Lines of Color (Blue Note/Artists Share) is the second album to come out of what he calls the Gil Evans Project (the first, Centennial, was released in 2012), and it's something to savor.

Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28, 4pm–midnight (or later!): Filtronique (9343 Rue Lajeunesse, Montreal) will host two special parties, featuring guests and products from AudioQuest, dCS, Kronos, Magico, Simaudio, Tidal, and Wilson Audio Specialties.

On Saturday March 28, from 11–6pm, Virginia dealer Command Performance AV (115 Park Avenue, Suite #2, Falls Church) will be hosting Zanden Audio's North American distributor, Eric Pheils. Eric will demonstrate Zanden's Model 120 phono stage, Model 3100 preamplifier, and Model 8120 stereo amplifier. Not only will audiophiles be able to hear a state-of-the-art audio system, but they will also experience what Zanden feels is "the profound effect of proper equalization" of stereo LP records.