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Does the Western 12-tone scale represent every tone possibility? Oh, grasshopper, you have so much to learn.
I loved the first six volumes of Tales of the City, although the recently published Michael Tolliver Lives sounds pretty dire. Still, few writers have ever written more lovingly about the city by the bay.
Neil Gaiman argues that the science fiction novels of H.G. Wells, while fine, pale compared to his short stories. Gaiman says that the SF stories survive, while "many of the mainstream novels he considered more important and significant are gone and, for the most part, forgotten, perhaps because the novels were very much of their time."
Perhaps. But they may be due for reconsideration. While trekking in Bolivia, I came upon a copy of Wells' all but forgotten The History of Mr. Polly, which was a revelation. Fiercely funny, keenly observed, and delightfully gentle, it charmed me precisely…
"A stinking, rat-infested cesspit that would never be tolerated now." And your point is . . . ?
Living In Stereo argues that, far from being the best Beatles album SPLHCB was the worst . . . least best . . . um, not greatest non-soundtrack album.
"The same acoustic silence, embedded in two different excerpts, can be perceived dramatically differently," writes Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis in an article in the June issue of Music Perception.
A few things contributed:
First, I was awfully impressed by some truly affordable components that seemed, to me, to offer truly hi-end sound: The PSB Alpha B1 loudspeakers, then the Aperion Audio Intimus 532 loudspeakers, and finally the Trends TA-10.1 amplifier. These are only a few. I know there are so many more out there. My experience with these particular pieces, along with my newfound enthusiasm for listening to music through an iPod and Shure SE310 in-ear headphones, got me very excited for the possibility of bringing high-end hi-fi to a younger crowd. I talked about it, and…
The Jazz Journalists Association, a group of mainly New York-based jazz critics and writers, handed out its 2007 awards Thursday afternoon. Here are the winners, followed in parentheses by the musician that I voted for in each category:
Lifetime Achievement: Andrew Hill (I voted for Paul Motian. Hill was a giant, and he died this year after a long struggle with cancer; but sentiment aside, Motian’s drumming has been the stronger influence, and I figured this award should sometimes go to the living.)
Musician of the Year: Ornette Coleman (Ornette Coleman. Who else.)
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