Great NYT article on blues collector

The Ballad of Geeshie and Elvie,  from the NYT weekend magazine a few weeks ago -- but online you can hear some of the music. A fascinating read on the obsession of collectors, the nearly forgotten forebears of recorded country folk blues and the importance of music in our culture. Long but worthwhile, and when's the last time you felt that way about an online article?

Since the story broke there has been a reply by the daughter who is upset, perhaps not surprisingly, with the way the original writer obtained some of the information

Record store day among the oldies

Old records that is....  I spent a couple of happy hours this afternoon in celebration of Record Store Day at the wonderful Whetstone Audio in east Austin. Boy, I had not realized how much modernization was going in the area until I drove around looking for parking but forget that, the pickings at Whetstone were excellent. Not quite keeping count, I racked up 15lps before I got a grip and started looking at the gear on show: Rega's new R10 through a pair of Harbeth 5SL (and I think Naim amplification but I was too taken with the Rega to notice) blasting out great tunes, plus some great signs of record cleaning, tubes, dacs and a gorgeous Leben integrated that gives fresh meaning to the expression "to see is to want".

Well ,y LP stash covered a great collection of Glenn Hughes/Trapeze old releases, including an early pressing of Medusa, a Kenny Burrell, Sinatra with Quincy Jones, The Communards, Bucky Pizarrelli, Ralph Towner, and a mint copy (honest, it's not for me) of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack! But that's the fun -- I bought stuff on a whim, stuff I know I want and was happy to find, and some as gifts for people for whom a typical present is hard to determine. And the best part, once it was all racked up, Brian (the owner who seems more like a music fan than anything approaching a salesman) halved the price (hey, apparently it was a 'clearance' day) and I walked out with a stash for a barely believable $40.

If you are near Austin and love gear and music, Whetstone is well worth a visit. If you are not, the website is worth visiting since Brian adds tons of fun videos and insights to his pages routinely. He told me he's making a living and I hope he continues to do so -- this is the kind of space you simply cannot replicate online.

Bryston Mini-T review is live

We've moved to a publish as ready model now on the Zine -- no need to wait for quarterly issues. My latest review of the Bryston Mini-T speakers is now live so please--- Check it out:

The DAC Maraschinos are up next, then I am having a bit of a shoot out on some phono cables from Purist, Harmonic Tech and Furutech.....yes, I am having too much fun.

Am also spending a lot of time listening to the new Blue Note Music Matters reissues of classic LPs from Grant Green, Kenny Burrell and others. I have some originals so the comparison is interesting. No formal reviews planned but I might get round to it if time permits.  Stay tuned.