Arturo O'Farrill's Sextet at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
The wind rushed hard and cold as I emerged from the Columbus Circle station.
Stephen Mejias
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"Congui Congui Music"
I sat at the bar and ordered a Brooklyn Winter.
The Locked-In Rhythm Section
I loved the way the band worked together—how each member lifted every other, and how each member excelled during solos—but I was most impressed by the locked-in rhythm section, and especially Pedro Martinez on congas. His hands turned into light, racing across the conga heads, speeding away from everything else—the stage, the room, the cold night—while remaining right on time.
Laughter, Happiness, and Hope
Two founding fathers of salsa, Johnny Pacheco and Eddie Palmieri, discuss the history of their wonderful musical style and the birth of the Fania record label in this interesting and entertaining interview with <i>Latino USA</i>'s Maria Hinojosa.
Listening to music. On the hi-fi.
Shaking his head and smiling, he says:
Cognitive Frequency
As our summer intern, <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/060107can/">Ariel Bitran</a> proved tireless, helping to make the <i><a href="http://ssl.blueearth.net/primedia/product.php?productid=75&cat=0&page=1… Stereophile Buyer's Guide</a></i> our biggest, most beautiful, and most comprehensive yet. His spirit—youthful, enthusiastic, passionate, curious, goofy—was stimulating and infectious. It was great to have him around, and I've enjoyed watching as his interest in hi-fi grows.
As Special As This
I spent some time last night listening to Joanna Newsom's <i>Ys</i>. Tangent CDP-50, Tangent AMP-50, Totem Arro loudspeakers. I know and love the Totem speakers, but the Tangents are new to me and, with Joanna Newsom's help and harp perhaps, they sounded better—more capable—than ever before in my small living room. The sound was fleshy and fast and detailed, whereas (earlier on and with other material) it had been thin and mechanical and uninvolving. I don't know if this has to do with the electronics breaking-in—they've now been in the system for about 200 hours—or if I was just in a good mood or if Joanna Newsom was responsible. And, right now, I don't care. I'll try to figure it out later.
Pretty Snow
They're saying five to seven inches in the city.
Classic Album Night at Lyric Hi-Fi
Received this fax today:
Beeps and Hums
My ears had been bothering me. First my right, then the left. A low-level high-pitched ringing, followed by a congested feeling and a popping like what you get when flying or taking an elevator way up to the 29th floor. Then, one morning in Las Vegas while attending the <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/ces2008/">Consumer Electronics Show</a>, my left ear went <i>whooooooooosh</i>. And my hearing was momentarily dulled—not completely gone, just dulled. Outside sounds were farther away, my own voice sounded distant and muffled. It freaked me out.