THIS FUCKIN' BULLPEN, MAN

Kimmel: "This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this."

Benny Biceps gets his first MLB blast! Doesn't matter if he can't speak without saying "um" every four words if he hits like he does, I guess.

John Hartung of SportsNet LA just said he heard about the Rapture that was supposed to happen today (he claims he didn't know what it was, which made me jealous for a sec), then he spun that into a memory about "Rapture" by Blondie, recalling the first three words of her rap: "Fab Five Freddy."

Um...um...um...um...um... um...um...um...um...um...um...um.."

#OneAlbumADay; Today's Bruce Springsteen's birthday (b. September 23, 1949, Long Branch, NJ), so I'm shining a little light on his second studio LP, a fave, his last w/ musician David Sancious, who played piano (electric too), clarinet, soprano sax, Mellotron, string arrangements. More: alt text

Remembering Romy Schneider, born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach on September 23, 1938, Vienna, Austria (d. May 29, 1982, just 43). She & Alain Delon are seen here in Jacques Deray’s sweltering St. Tropez-set erotic thriller La Piscine (The Swimming Pool, 1969), available on HBO Max. More: alt text

Steve Baltin, one of my writers on the Night Flight blog (he's also written for Rolling Stone, L.A. Times, Billboard, Variety & many more), could use a little financial help for rehabilitation and cash to help him rebuild his independence. You can read all about what happened at the link. Thanks.

R.I.P. Claudia Cardinale, one of world cinema's most beautiful women. The renowned Italian-Tunisian actress -- who starred in more than 130 feature films -- died today, September 23, 2025, age 87. She passed away in Nemours, near Paris, surrounded by her children. (more: alt text)

Well, damn, just read Apple TV+'s limited series "The Savant," originally scheduled to premiere on September 26, 2025, has been postponed indefinitely. Starring & executive produced by Jessica Chastain, the plot is now considered potentially triggering given recent events (Charlie Kirk's death).

Part of Kimmel's comment was about how MAGA followers were "doing everything they can to score political points from it." THIS is an example of that very thing, and now we see how Sinclair are using their outrage about the first part of his comment to score those points. (more: alt text).

Remembering the influential bebop, hard bop, modal jazz & avant-garde jazz legend John Coltrane, born September 23, 1926, in Hamlet, NC (d. July 17, 1967). I listen to this man's music a lot & today, I think I'll start w/ 'Africa/Brass,' an Impulse! album from '61. What's your fave? (more: alt text)

I *hate* robots... but I say "bring it on, MLB." Some of the human-made strikes & balls calls this season have been SO BAD. The umps brought this on themselves. "With the challenge system, human umpires call every pitch, and each team can appeal two calls per game to ABS [automated balls &strikes]"

In the '60s & early '70s, before I began buying albums of my own (when I was eleven), my parents had maybe 25 total. Most of those were crap, but the one I loved listening to was this 1971 LP by Ray Charles (b. September 23, 1930, Albany, GA - d. June 10, 2004). I still love it today. More: alt text

Chrissie Hynde is selling her bitchen lime green '71 Pontiac LeMans T-37. Gets 8 miles/gallon. No word on what type of tape deck it has. The auction is based on a UK website, but the car is in Virginia. Starting bid is/was £7,500 ($10,135.76 US). It *is* a beaut. (h/t @andrewmale.bsky.social)

The Band’s second album, titled simply 'The Band' -- a concept LP w/ songs about people, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana -- was released on September 22, 1969, by Capitol Records. It was recorded, partly, in NYC but, mostly, in a pool house in L.A. More: alt text

After all the raptured Christians are taken to heaven, there's supposed to be a 7-year period of intense tribulation and judgment occurring on Earth. Can't be as bad as the last seven (or nine) months have been so bring it on!

#OneAlbumADay; it's the first day of Autumn, so I'm sharing the lovely "Autumn Sequence" & the rest of this gorgeous LP by the Charles Lloyd Quartet, their first fully-realized project w/ each member (Lloyd, Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee & Jack DeJohnette) playing their own unique part. More: alt text

Jeff Dowd, who inspired "The Dude" in the Coen Bros.' The Big Lebowski -- he also helped Robert Redford create the Sundance Film Festival/Film Institute! -- underwent brain surgery today @ 1pm local L.A. time. He'll be in ICU for a few days, so keep my friend in your thoughts please! More: alt text

Some jobs I've had: 2015-2019: Night Flight 2012-2014: Universal, Warner Music 2004-2009: Digital Ops - Rhino 2004: BMG Publishing, Warner Music 2000-2002: All Music Guide, other writing jobs 2001: Rhino Handmade 1995-2001: Del-Fi 1977-1995: Record stores, bookstores, odd jobs How about you?

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" is returning to the air tomorrow, Tuesday, September 23, 2025. ABC & Disney claim they have had "thoughtful conversations" with Kimmel and decided to resume the show. I sure hope Kimmel doesn't hold anything back for the paltry million of us who watch late-nite network TV.

Happy Birthday to Nick Cave, born September 22, 1957, in Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia! I'm a fan of his solo albums & (especially) albums with his band, the Bad Seeds, but lately I've been listening to these six soundtrack albums by Cave and his musical partner Warren Ellis. More: alt text

Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye MFR, born September 22, 1946, in Ondo, Nigeria, aka King Sunny Adé, is a Nigerian jùjú singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. This song, "Ja Funmi" ("Fight for me" in the Yoruba language), introduced "juju" to global audiences via this LP (Mango/Island, 1982).

Happy Birthday to Toni Basil, born Antonia Christina Basilotta on September 22, 1943, in Philadelphia, PA! Such an interesting life's she led: "Hullabaloo," Viva Las Vegas, the Monkees' Head, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, etc. (choreography/acting), + two hit singles/videos! Read more: alt text

I have the same problem! I really *hate* Bluesky Moderation's application of warning labels, especially concerning "adult content," or "non-sexual nudity" when a photo I've posted is an album cover or movie poster or something that's already gone through stages of "moderation." They are useless!!

Maybe there should just be National League teams playing in the World Series then? :-) (kidding!)

Autumn Hymnal: 23 tracks of jazz, folk & ambient suited to navigate these changes--from the celebratory catharsis of Tim Buckley, to the mournful acceptance of Anne Briggs, to the haunting beauty of Jessica Pratt. (2021 mixtape, still works!) thanks @aquariumdrunkard.com

Autumn Equinox: Today, September 22, 2025, at approximately 2:19 p.m. EDT (11:19 a.m. PDT) in the Northern Hemisphere, the center of the Sun crosses the celestial equator, marking the First Day of Fall and leading to nearly equal hours of daylight and darkness worldwide. (much more: alt text)

$22 million dollars for two years worth of shit.

Happy Birthday to Bill Murray, born September 21, 1950, in Evanston, IL. An interesting, little known fact about Murray is that he doesn't have an agent or a manager. Filmmakers who want to pitch a role to him must call a specific 1-800 number and leave a message on his voicemail. More: alt text

Now students, always remember your "3 R's"....Reefer, Riot, and Revolution! Remember Kent State! Fuck School! (And Fuck Censorship Too!)

Started watching a hippies vs. biker flick I hadn't seen before, The Peace Killers (1971), and surprised to see it had a couple of songs by an L.A. acquaintance, Ruthann Friedman! I'll have to catch the rest of the film (reviewed in the alt text) after the ball game this afternoon. So far, so good.

#OneAlbumADay; In 1970, too many ignored this beautifully dreamy debut LP by Linda Perhacs -- born Linda Jeanne Arnold on September 21, 1943, Santa Monica, CA -- so she kept working as a dental hygienist until it was rediscovered, circa 2003. I first read about her in Scram fanzine. More: alt text

The Oblique Strategy of the Day is... Water. #BrianEno #PeterSchmidt

“Forget the myths that the media has created about the White House. The truth is, these are not very bright guys…” -All the President’s Men (1976)

After screening at Cannes (in May) and the Toronto Int'l Film Festival (earlier that month), Sean Penn’s directorial debut, The Indian Runner, was given wide release in U.S. theaters on September 20, 1991. It became one of my favorite films, a sad saga about two brothers. Watch it! More: alt text

#OneAlbumADay: Singer-songwriter Margo Guryan (b. September 20, 1937, in NYC - d. November 8, 2021) is best known for "Sunday Mornin'," a Top 40 hit for Spanky & Our Gang (#30) and Oliver (#35), found on this gorgeous sunshine pop LP from 1968, her only studio album & a cult classic. More: alt text

Singer-songwriter & Crickets guitarist Sonny Curtis -- who wrote "I Fought the Law," a hit for the Bobby Fuller Four and the Clash, and also "Walk Right Back" for the Everly Bros. and "Love Is All Around," the theme to "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" -- died yesterday, September 19, 2025. More: alt text

The lettering for the Clash's iconic 1979 album 'London Calling' was directly inspired by the typography on Elvis Presley's self-titled debut album from 1956, which added just one more dimension to this great LP cover. Brava, Pennie Smith!

It'd be funny if they also stumbled on to Kari Wuhrer

"I was born wise. Street-wise, people-wise, self-wise. This wisdom was my birthright. I was also born old. And illegitimate. But the two big advantages I had at birth were to have been born wise and to have been born in poverty." Sophia Loren, born 20 September 1934.

Happy Birthday to tiger-eyed temptress and Italian screen goddess Sophia Loren, one of the last surviving major stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema, born Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone on September 20, 1934, in the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome! What a life! More: alt text

This guy feels the same way about Tanner Scott that I do sometimes: "What the fuck?!"

Never-before-seen letters from Pink Floyd's fallen first leader, Syd Barrett, to his former Cambridge girlfriend Jenny Spires, dating from January to September 1965. Syd relates to sharing a room in London with Roger Waters: "You can have too much of Roger, even though he’s a good mate."

#OneAlbumADay; the ugly cover art doesn't *look* like the music *sounds*. These blues-rockers from Boulder, CO, were formed in '68 by Tommy Bolin (replaced here by Jock Bartley on guitar), John Faris (keys), David Givens (bass), Robbie Chamberlin (drums), and Candy Givens (vocals). More: alt text

On September 19, 1986, David Lynch's Blue Velvet opened in U.S. theaters. I'd been looking forward to seeing the film, but after reading Sheila Benson's L.A. Times review that morning, I caught a matinee show that afternoon... and I ended up being the only one sitting in the audience. More: alt text

Happy Birthday to successful singer-songwriter, actor/voice actor & ASCAP publishing exec Paul Williams, born September 19, 1940, Omaha, Nebraska! "Scorpio Red" (a favorite of mine) was released in 1968 by his studio band The Holy Mackerel (Williams wrote some of their songs and sang lead vocals).