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Saturday, November 7, 2026

The G-Key as per composers 💫

 






Jorma Kaukonen & motorcycles 💫

 


62, yes sixty two years spread these two pictures: the B/W is dated 1964 and a (much) younger Jorma (with friends and relatives) happily shows his newly acquired gorgeous BMW motorcycle.



The pix liner-note looks a bit non-exact to my eyes: L>R seems to be Pig Pen, Jack Casady, Margaretta Kaukonen, Jorma Kaukonen and Janis Joplin, a good Jorma’s friend.


The cool book where I found the above picture.


… and here is the now 85 years old Jorma, still on two wheels.



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The Alan Skidmore Quintet’s real thing 💫

 


Here is the original master-tape of The Alan Skidmore Quintet’s “Once upon a Time” disc on Deram Nova (Decca Records Ltd. Group) issued in 1970.



A masterpiece: let’s not forget these were the years Paul Buckmaster’s The Chitinous Ensemble was published, always on Deram label.


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Friday, November 6, 2026

10,000,000.00 views 💫🥂💫

 

Ten millions, I’m impressed! 

It’s like a large city population!!!

Thanks to all readers for the loyalty and always great feedback.



🥂💫🥂



Ron Carter

 


Miles Davis and Ron Carter, drawn by Daniele Sturiale.




“This piece highlights the true essence of finding the right notes and working with others to do so. The night was filled with our melody and the audience’s joyous energy. 

Thank you, Mr. Sturiale, for your beautiful art, and for reminding me to reflect on times shared with those I hold close.”


Thanks to Ron Carter for sharing the above.



A Stefan Grossman 7” 45 rpm 💫

 


A seldom seen rarity.






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RIP for Fritz de With 🌸

 


Everybody into reel to reel knew him worldwide.


We are deeply saddened by the news that Fritz de With has passed away.



On behalf of OpenReelToReel and The Sound of Tape, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Netty and all the family. 

Our thoughts are with you, his friends and everyone who knew him during this difficult time.


We remember Fritz with respect and gratitude for the music and listening experiences he shared with the audiophile community.


Rest in peace, Fritz. You will be dearly missed and fondly remembered.



Thursday, November 5, 2026

Guitar and drums adventures 💫

 






The Alan Skidmore Quintet - Once upon a Time on Deram Nova 🥇

 


This masterpiece from 1970 has been officially reissued (not a bootleg!), at last… the stellar quintet is British Jazz Who’s Who at its very best, indeed.





Some battered VG+ original copies are available on Discogs at > € 200 so I gladly welcome this amazing sounding reprint.

Buy it, period.


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Tony Coe & John Horler live!

 


This Japanese issue of magnificent Tony Coe’s clarinet captured live is a beauty!




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Victory?

 





NEWS by Joni Mitchell 💫

 


NEWS is a collection of 23 new paintings by Joni Mitchell, presented in a hardback book conceived and designed by the legendary artist herself. 

Published by Julien's Publishing, NEWS is a powerful expression of Mitchell's creative independence, sharp wit and uncompromising vision.






Painting has been a constant practice throughout Joni Mitchell's life. Across an iconoclastic career, she has followed her own instincts over anyone's expectations, developing a visual language as distinctly her own as her music. 

NEWS brings that practice to the fore in a forthright response to the world as she sees it today.

"In the current climate, I felt a need to express my concern. It is an artist's duty to speak up."


In NEWS, Mitchell combines slogans, song lyrics and compelling paintings to skewer power and politics. These new works articulate protest and resistance, revealing an artist whose voice remains as fearless and individual as ever.


NEWS invites readers to encounter

Mitchell's perspective through color, words, and images. It is a testament to her undimmed creativity and the enduring power of art to speak to the moment.

"NEWS is my protest song - a song not for the ears but for the eyes," says Mitchell.

"This is not fake news!


The book is already sold out on JM’s site.






Wednesday, November 4, 2026

A John D’Angelico mandolin

 


This 1945 D’Angelico Scroll Model previously owned by David Grisman!   Carved Top Mandolin in its original brown hard shell case. 











  • This beautiful blonde carved F-hole mandolin is an exceptionally rare instrument, one of only two “Gibson” style scroll-body D’Angelico mandolins known to exist, and the only natural finish example. 

It has a very well documented history since its creation including having belonged for a time to David Grisman as part of the “Dawg Collection” from which a COA and pick are included. 

This is a singular instrument in every way.


His Bobness meets His Holiness 😏

 

Bob Dylan meets Pope Leo XIV in a private audience earlier today in the Vatican.






Mr. Zimmerman looking a bit like Giordano Bruno (with an umbrella, just in case…)




The Holy Father presented Dylan with a rosary, while Dylan reciprocated with his autobiography Chronicles: Volume One




A Harlekyn Recording 💫

 


I’ve been a bulimic collector and admirer of these elusive Philips’ records for decades.






First, by chance, then self-consciously, I appreciated the superb recording quality of these discs which I avidly accumulated in a lifetime of collecting.

The phrase "A Harlekyn recording" is a specialized production credit found on a selective run of avant-garde and classical albums released by Philips Records in the late 1970s and early 1980s.


These records were produced in cooperation with the Holland Festival and the Harlekyn foundation - an artistic venture and production company established by the iconic Dutch cabaret artist, musician, and theater producer Herman van Veen. 


Driven heavily by the influential Dutch conductor and pianist Reinbert de Leeuw, these releases highlighted rare, experimental twentieth-century compositions.


Because of their highly niche, limited-run nature, there are only a handful of specific Philips releases documented with this exact production stamp.




I made it 💫

 


I today watched a very cool Michael Fremer’s video where he introduces to his audio system, turntables, amps, speakers, etc.

Everything is first class both in quality, performance and price-tags… truly enjoyable is the last part of the YouTube video where he gives away his knowledge about some nice records best pressings, very kind of you Mr. Fremer, indeed.

Right now, a few hours after watching at the video, I’m handling and enjoying my system and enjoying music at my place and a consideration hit me like a meteorite: hey, but I made my myself many - oooh, ok: some! - of my stuffs: my Garrardzilla with The Peak 13” arm, the welded racks and plywood/metal racks, the ebony/bronze clamp, the ball-bearings isolation platforms, the SUT for moving-coil cartridges, my Gotorama 2.0 solid-aluminum towers…

Needless to say: the Gotorama 2.0 and the Garrardzilla make me quite - i.e. most - proud of their performance and uniqueness.








I made them… sure, I’ve been hiring and directing the best artisans, but all the above came from my pen, tastes and vision.

I made it and no need to hype here and there… right or wrong: I made it.


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Wayne C. Henderson’s 1000th guitar 💫

 


Congratulations for such an achievement!




🥂🥇🥂



Blink blink 💫

 



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Macca in Venice 💫

 


A special guest in Venice yesterday: Beatles legend Paul McCartney, who visited Punta della Dogana, part of the Pinault Collection.



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Bruno Maderna and Laura Betti sings Kurt Weill 💫

 


Laura Betti and Bruno Maderna for Kurt Weill


Two historic 1963 LPs from Dischi Ricordi return—restored and remastered as a CD—accompanied by a volume of new essays, as part of the *Ricordi Reprints* series.


Presentation and listening session, featuring contributions from Veniero Rizzardi, Leo Izzo, and Bruno Stucchi.






9 VOCE Triennale, Milano , 12 novembre, ore 11:00

Laura Betti

Bruno Maderna

Kurt Weill 1900-1950

12 novembre 2026


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