Woke up this morning with "Surabaya Johnny" rattling through my brain. Not sure which recent version triggered those thoughts, but when I got to my computer, I played first Lotte Lenya then this remarkable version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukrE...

Music Week: 40 albums, 7 A-list, long introduction, much to say here: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Music Week, or at least the start of one, as I mostly talk about what needs to be done to wrap up the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll, and some help I could use in doing so. The week's albums will be added when I get a bit of time: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Pick hit: Arkady Gotesman: Music for an Imaginary Ballet (2000-25 [2025], NoBusiness): Lithuanian drummer, samples 25 years of remarkable free jazz, mostly duos which he turns into a seamless masterpiece. [9] nobusinessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/music-...

Here I am reminiscing about Christmas (1950-2025), on Notes on Everyday Life: notesoneverydaylife.substack.com/p/christmas-...

Music Week: 60 albums, 6 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

I've belatedly added last week's Xgau Sez to Robert Christgau's website: robertchristgau.com/xgausez.php?...

The deadline for voting in the 20th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll has passed, which means that if you mean to vote but didn't, you better hurry up (I'm still counting): hullworks.net/jazzpoll/25/...

The Arts Fuse included my list in their "Best Jazz Albums of 2025" feature: artsfuse.org/321921/music...

Mike Konczal provides a sober statistical evaluation of the Trump economy. A year ago I could have told you so: newsletter.mikekonczal.com/p/a-year-in-...

Music Week: 23 albums, 4 A-list: includes my Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll picks: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Music Week: 36 albums, 4 A-list; first draft notes on jazz EOY ballot, breakout lists on hip-hop and country. tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Pick Hit: Anthony Braxton: Quartet (England) 1985 (Burning Ambulance): One of the all-time great jazz quartets, working hard for 4 days, too much for anyone at once, but pick a random set and be thrilled. [9] anthonybraxton-bam.bandcamp.com/album/quarte...

Music Week: 21 albums, 2 (+1?) A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

My websites are down due to a data center migration. They should be back up tonight. Meanwhile, why are my and other Substack pages so screwed up (at least on Firefox; Chromium seems to be ok)?

Archived Robert Christgau's "Xgau Sez: November 2025" on his website: robertchristgau.com/xgausez.php?...

This is a very striking title: "Gaza humanitarian foundation calls it quits after thousands die seeking its aid." It suggests that Israel has succeeded in demoralizing aid groups, but GHF seems more like a psy-op to terrorize hungry Palestinians.

I also added a brief PS to yesterday's Music Week: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

I added some more notes to Monday's Loose Tabs last night, and fixed some grave typos today: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Music Week: 47 albums, 7 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

A "loose tab" I forgot from yesterday's post: Todd Snider's song "Tension," with the line "in America we like our bad guys dead!" What was movie life in 1998 has since become little less than a national obsession: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cdp...

Loose Tabs: 168 links, 10292 words: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

I just discovered this reprint of my 2005 Village Voice article on jazz labels. Not something I feel up to updating, but perhaps something I should revisit in a Big Lookback? Nice to get some comments, even if most just second guess my choices. www.organissimo.org/forum/topic/...

Music Week: 35 albums, 6 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Music Week: 41 albums, 7 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Notes on Everyday Life offers multiple courses, on the elections, the shutdown, Dick Cheney, Jack DeJohnette, recent reading, and some exceptional listening: notesoneverydaylife.substack.com/p/notes-on-e...

Early on I impressed my future wife by quipping that if I couldn't learn to play my DX11, I could always just program it. As it turned out, I did neither, but this essay by someone who did both speaks directly to me. Good record, too: iverson.substack.com/p/guest-post...

Pick Hit: Brennen Leigh, "Don't You Ever Give Up on Love" (2025, Signature Sounds): Real country, the optimistic title followed by much experience to the contrary, and yet more hope. [9] brennenleigh.bandcamp.com/album/dont-y...

Music Week: 31 albums, 5 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Pick Hit: John O'Gallagher/Ben Monder/Andrew Cyrille/Billy Hart: Ancestral (2025, Whirlwind): Sometimes you just want to hear some first-rate saxophone. [9]: johnogallagher-whirlwind.bandcamp.com/album/ancest...

I'm going to write more about this year's birthday dinner for a NOEL post, but there is a rough draft in this week's Music Week and a menu with recipe links and a plate pic here: tomhull.com/ocston/plan/...

Music Week: 7 albums, 1 A-list, some cooking notes: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

I sent out the second of two fairly long pieces on the Gaza War Peace Plan, this one titled "Making Peace in Gaza and Beyond": open.substack.com/pub/notesone...

Loose Tabs: 36 days, 254 links, 13906 words, and still not nearly enough: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Music Week: 40 albums, 8 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Detail from No Kings demo in Wichita, KS. I liked this particular costume because it shows that MAGA = Nazi is meaningful to other people. Hard to guess how many people, as they lined Douglas for several blocks, and spilled over, but many costumes, a wide range of hand-lettered signs, and loud.

I've taken a close look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trump's Gaza plan: notesoneverydaylife.substack.com/p/gaza-war-p...

Robert Christgau's Xgau Sez Q&A for October is up on his website now: robertchristgau.com/xgausez.php?...

Music Week: 24 albums, 3 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Music Week: 50 albums, 4 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Err, no, the new further thoughts on "Cooking Chinese (Again)" are here: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

More thoughts on my "Cooking Chinese" post: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

New Notes on Everyday Life post, on how a working class clod from Kansas learned to cook Chinese: notesoneverydaylife.substack.com/p/cooking-ch...

A stray reference led me to the Bandcamp for About Time Records, and I wound up listening to everything there. The pick hit is this solo album by Revolutionary Ensemble drummer Jerome Cooper: "The Unpredictability of Predictability." about-time-records.bandcamp.com/album/the-un...

Music Week: 33 albums, 2 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

I sent out a new letter through Notes on Everyday Life, called "More Thoughts About Loose Tabs": notesoneverydaylife.substack.com/p/more-thoug...

Music Week: 36 albums, 6 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Music Week: 39 albums, 8 A-list: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

Loose Tabs: A big one: tomhull.com/ocston/blog/...

New Notes on Everyday Life: More Thoughts on Bernie Sanders and Capitalism, where I examine his "Real Politics Is Smart Politics" issue list, and put him (and Trump) into a context where a revolution is brewing but we don't know how: notesoneverydaylife.substack.com/p/more-thoug...