Yesterday I handed in the manuscript for the new Studs Terkel music book - some 416 pages containing fifty years of oral histories with everyone from famous opera stars, conductors and impresarios to jazz legends, folksters and even Janis Joplin. Good things come of this factchecking mission - I am now a wealth of arcane knowledge about the death of Bessie Smith, and also, I found out about John Jacob Niles, 'the dean of american balledeers,' who collected folksongs in th early 1900s and who recorded them, accompanying himself on lute or dulcimer, along with his reedy, high-pitched voice. Listen here for a sample of some of his more, umm, famous songs.

Was reading this blog that has photos of the installation process of the the Christo piece in Central Park and had that overwhelming feeling of excitement and desire for wonderment that I think I used to have in the car on the way to an amusement park. Consider this an invite for a long walk in the park in February.

Also, a list I'm on has been bemoaning the death of analog tape. The article about the closing of Quantegy is one of those retrotech nightmares rendered comical with interviews by Jeff Tweedy and Steve Albini, esp. thinking about Albini squirrelling away reels between his walls and things, furious to be the last man standing. I wonder how my old friend as Sear Sound is feeling about all this - will have to contact the analog freaks to see what the rumors are.