#Music R.I.P. John Hammond, Jr. What a distinguished career and lineage.

Well, this weekend I received my late wife's death certificate. I guess it hasn't all been just a bad dream. 💔

R.I.P. Eliane Radigue. Your influence on #Music, especially electronic #Music, is incalculable.

#Books Finished #reading 'Whitefoot' (Counterpoint, 2009), a children's book (illustrated) I found on my late darling wife's night table while ridding our bedroom of the death juju. This from that: "That one lives at the center of the world is the world's profoundest thought."

Wow. @misterquartet.bsky.social Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection 2026 Vol 04 was fabulous. And plus also too, Mr. Blue used the expression "jiggery pokery"!

@misterquartet.bsky.social Thanks for all the classical music on vol. 04. Very nice.

@misterquartet.bsky.social Ciśnienie - [angry noises] !!!

Last evening, at 4:30pm Pacific, the light and love of my life passed from this plane. Next Saturday, Valentine's Day, we would have been married 41 years. I promised her that while I'd miss her every day and in every way, I'd be fine. And I shall, in time. #FuckCancer #IWillAlwaysLoveYouSherri

Meanwhile, in local news, Marian Jasper Blue of Vista, Calif. is petitioning the Superior Court of San Diego to change her name to Marian Thelibrarian. I had not previously realized that Thelibrarian was one word (or, er, name).

When the going gets tough, the tough listen to Bach's Cello Suites.

#Music Diary, 21 Jan 2026: Legendary Pink Dots 'A Scented Candle' (NoiseNoiseNoise, 2016) Suss 'Self-Titled' (Northern Spy, 2022)

I say: "If you should chance to meet me as I wander to and fro ..." You say: ?

#Music Diary, 18 Jan 2026: Beethoven/Emanuel Ax 'The 5 Piano Concertos; Choral Fantasy' (2003) Mike Johnson 'The Gardens of Loss' (2026)

#Music Diary, 17 Jan 2026: Anoice 'Stories in White' (2012) Present 'This Is NOT the End' (2024) Yang 'Rejoice!' (2024) Univers Zero 'Live at the Triton 2009' (2025)

#Music I have now listened to @i-p-r.bsky.social's new comp. 'The Well' three times through and it is SO.GOOD.

#Music Diary, 14 Jan 2026: • G Lisher 'Underwater Detection Method' (2024) • T Dockstader 'Aerial #1' (2005) • Miriodor 'Elements' (2022) • Univers Zero 'Lueur' (2023) • S Grossman 'Struttin' Out' (1986) • Vivaldi/A S Mutter/Trondheim Soloists 'Four Seasons' (1999)

#Music Diary, 9 Jan 2026: Tim Hart/Maddy Prior 'Sing Folk Songs of Old England Vol II' (Crest, 1976) The Pentangle 'Solomon's Seal' (@RepriseRecords, 1972) 'Pierre Boulez Conducts Schoenberg' CDs 1-6 (@sonyclassical, 2013) [#Music to work by]

#Music Diary, 8 Jan 2026: Woo 'It's Cosy Inside' (@i-p-r.bsky.social 1989) 'Music and Noise, KXCI 91.7, Tucson, 09 March 1984' [w @becsceb.bsky.social] The Fall 'This Nation's Saving Grace' (Beggars Banquet 1985) Terry Riley 'The Cusp of Magic' (@Nonesuch.com 2008) & 'In C' (New Albion 1995)

@stellagarp.bsky.social You're not near where that ICE killing just happened, are you? Be safe!

#Music Diary, 6 Jan 2026: Stefan Grossman 'Live!' (Transatlantic, 1973) The Legendary Pink Dots 'Poppy Variations' (Beta-lactam Ring, 2005) Jeffrey Runnings 'Piqued' (@i-p-r.bsky.social, 2025) Hespèrion XX 'Middle Ages & Renaissance' (Fontalis/Auvidis, 1997)

#Music Diary, 5 Jan 2026: S. Grossman/J. Renbourn 's/t' (Kicking Mule, 1978) J. Hartford 'Aereo • Plain' (@warnerbros, 1971) T. Hart/M. Prior 'Folk Songs of Old England, Vol. 1' (Mooncrest, 1976) 'Cloudland Blue Eclctc Slctn 2026 Vol. 01' (@mixcloud 2026) Nurse With Wound 6 x Lenka Lente 3" CDs

#Music Diary, 4 Jan 2026: The Legendary Pink Dots 'A Perfect Mystery' (Beta-lactam Ring, 2001) 'Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection 2025 Vol 51' comp. (@mixcloud, 2025) 'The Viennese School - Teachers & Followers: Alban Berg' comp. (MDG, 2007)

@misterquartet.bsky.social Consentrik Quartet from 25/51: tasty indeed. Thanks!

#Music Diary, 3 Jan 2026: Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection 2025 Vol 51 comp. (@mixcloud 2025) The Hafler Trio, The distribution of interactions ...(invertedun6rella 2026) K. Stockhausen, Kontakte (Wergo 1992) E. Rautavaara, Piano Concertos 1 & 2 (@OndineRecords 1991)

@misterquartet.bsky.social Ah, never mind. Krokofant. I say again, Damn ...

@misterquartet.bsky.social Morning, Dave. On Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection 2025 Vol 51, who is that playing at 1:22:35? Damn ...

#Music Diary, 2 Jan 2026: John Renbourn, Traveller's Prayer (Shanachie, 1998); MX-80 Sound, Better Than Life (Klanggalerie, 2023); LSD March, Jurando (Reverb Worship, 2008); Cut Up: Deconstructing W.S. Burroughs comp. (Unexplained Sounds, 2024) Suss, s/t (Northern Spy, 2022)

#Music Diary, 1 Jan 2026: Tom Verlaine 'Tom Verlaine' (Elektra, 1979); 'Stefan Grossman's How To Play Blues Guitar' (Shanachie, 1990); John Renbourn 'Traveller's Prayer' (Shanachie, 1998).

#Music Listening right now to the 50th Anniversary ed. of 'Horses,' and am immediately transported back to #Bloomington #Indiana and 1977, when I first heard (and bought) it. Hair-raising now, as then. #HappyBirthday, @pattismithh.bsky.social!

#Books Finished 'The Crossing' by Cormac McCarthy (@AAKnopf, 1994), Vol. 2 of 'The Border Trilogy.' Not as good as 'All the Pretty Horses' (Vol. 1), but beautifully written, demythologizing, grave, and sorrowful. #Reading

#Books Finished 'The Crossing' by Cormac McCarthy (@AAKnopf, 1994), Vol. 2 of 'The Border Trilogy.' Not as good as 'All the Pretty Horses' (Vol. 1), but beautifully written, demythologizing, grave, and sorrowful. #Reading

Totally in!

The Wire's Top 50 lists are out for 2025. I own one each from the regular releases list (Tortoise) and the archival releases list (Robbie Basho). Woo hoo! #Music

A belated R.I.P. wish for Veronique Vincent, lead singer of The Honeymoon Killers and Aksak Maboul, who passed in October. Condolences to her husband Marc Hollander. #Music

Scored a very nice copy of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Covici • Friede, 1934) with "illustrations and decorations by Rockwell Kent." Thank you, Between the Covers of Gloucester City, NJ! #Books

The Frost Giant's Daughter?

#Comics Just finished the astonishing Spawn: The Dark Ages #1 (@imagecomics.com) and Savage Sword of Conan #11 (@comicstitan.bsky.social). Whether in color or b&w, @liamsharp.bsky.social is the most incredible comics artist I've seen since, well, Barry Windsor Smith. And that's saying a lot.

#Music In the House & On the Deck: 'Superstitions' (SubRosa, 2025) by Narthex, the collaboration between Daniel Denis (Univers Zero) & Alain Neffe (Pseudocode). Very atmospheric. Sadly, mine arrived w a tiny scratch at the intro to Side 1. Tick, tick, tick for 20 seconds.

Way to go "moderate" (i.e., dumbass) Democrats: this is what you get when you make deals with lying troglodytes. www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...

I put on Bach's Mass in B Minor to work by this morning and was so transported I almost forgot to work. #Music

#Music Finished a deep dive into my New Lost City Ramblers vinyl collection (20 LPs). My favorite? "Vol. 3" (@Folkways, 1961), not least for the fabulous "Talking Hard Luck." #Records

#MUSIC R.I.P. Dave Ball. Very talented musician.

#Music R.I.P. #JackDeJohnette Such a fantastic drummer, whose timing in hooking up with Miles Davis for 'Bitches Brew' couldn't have been better. Playing it now. #Respect, my brother.

Hear, hear!

Together, the Dr. Seuss Foundation and the San Diego Foundation are creating brighter futures for children and families. We are recognizing this partnership and our combined efforts to award $4.7M to support programs that are expected to serve over 94,000 individuals in San Diego.

In the House & On the Deck: 'For the Raven' (Infinite Fog Productions, 2025), the new release from Metgumbnerbone. Moody and druidic, this is one that @peterhuestis.bsky.social would like. Very Halloween-appropriate. #Music

@misterquartet.bsky.social 'Morning, Dave. Listening to #39 just now and thought to ask how it is that your pronunciation of German is so good? Did you grow up there, otherwise spend time there, have a German spouse or family or friends, major in it in college, or?

@ryancordell.org Hello, Ryan. A few years ago, I bought the embosser pictured here from a bookseller buddy. Would you be interested in having it for your shop? If so, I will happily mail it to you. I've never used it and would like it to go to a good home.

#Music RIP #MarkVolman (1947 - 2025), co-founder of The Turtles and The Phlorescent Leech (or, Flo) and Eddie, and Mothers of Invention vocalist. 'First time I saw the Mothers, in the mid-70s, Mark and his co-conspirator Howard Kaylan were at the mike. Sing while you may!

#Books Finished 'Oblivion' (@littlebrown, 2004), the short (altho some are decidedly long) story collection by #DavidFosterWallace. Given the author, not a light read, but a compelling one. "Good Old Neon" and its abrupt ending ("Not another word."), particularly so. #Reading