Slaps Orchestra - Opera Omnia 2010-2016

Intriguing music... contemporary, classical, electronic, concrete, weird noise... dunno... I find it extremely suggestive, both easy to the ears and complex, music for mind and body.

Enjoy... explore these soundscapes, dig it.

Thanking Michelangelo Bava.

Emily Young (sculptress)

I loved a BBC documentary about Emily working at his monastery/home/workshop in Tuscany...

Lovely, empathic artist, using stones and rocks and hating the soooo boring marble...

I'm with her.

The Peak goes fancy

The Peak will be going to be brewed in fancy, summer-hinting colors, folks... it's only anodization, but I love the effect.

There are only three still available, in all shown colors choices: red, orange and gold.

Proud... also if my wife asked if they're flutes...



Panzerholz/bronze rear-weight, at right the finished one.


BTW: nothing new under the sun, yet... some eons ago "someone" - i.e. Thorens - did it...



Apparently the orange color is unseen, 'til now;-)

Fado in Coimbra, Portugal

During my recent journey in Portugal, I had several very nice musical moments... but nothing compared to my Fado ao Centro in Coimbra evening... 

Coimbra's Fado is very different from its Lisbon's version... only former and ex-Coimbra University students, all males, wearing their traditional black capes, singing and playing classical guitar and guitarra Portuguesa.

The place is very comfortable and classy - sort of out of time - and music flows as timeless as it can be.

The musicians are truly gifted and - be sure - it's not a sort-of tourist-only affaire: historic hints are given by Ms. Germana, an extremely kind and well-informed lady whose live commenting, supported by short movies on the screen behind musicians, was a plus to the evening.

I was in tears when, at the end of one-hour long gig, had the privilege to chat with musicians and to handle and strum a premium luthier crafted guitarra Portuguesa.

An epiphany!

I strongly suggest and invite everyone traveling in the area to stop-by enjoy this great music, hinting both saudade for leaving Portugal, for serenades during the mild nights in Coimbra or cheering at the end of a studying year at the nearby University, one of most ancient in the world.

Thanks, folks... obrigado, Doigo... obrigado, Germana... also now I'm back home, I'm enjoying Coimbra's fado from the disks I bought after the concert.

Cheers.

Jazz Images by Francis Wolff

This very (limited edition) book was the unexpected and gladly received gift from a friend... as he told me, he bought two at Mosaic in CT, USA: one for himself and another for someone able to appreciate it... and. YES! Leif: I DO appreciate it!

The Ashley Khan's foreword is wort the book... his insight about the days these wonderful pixies were shot, the coming from Nazi Germany to USA, the use of Rolleiflex camera and the cool eye inside RudyVan Gelder's studio... priceless.

... but what more amazes me are the finest, humblest details: John Coltrane's elastic twisted belt, the shiny, brand new Neumanns and Telefunkens' microphones and Selmers' saxes, the natural elegance of these stellar musicians and I'm not only talking about Miles'

A true visual goldmine of a life-long commitment to jazz and to - more specifically - seminal, trend-setting Blue Note record label.

Thanks, pal.  

Darius Valiunas - cartridges builder and a new doctor for our beloved Neumann DST's cartridge maintenance

Darius Valiunas, a gentleman from Lithuania, owns the seldom found skill to properly maintain and service the idiosyncratic DST's design cartridges... and to build his very own interpretation, field-coil or not.

He built a Neumann DST replica and a field-coil version of DST design, as well... as Darius says: Air core Direct couple field coil mc cartridge sound is nearest to master tape.Exactly my VERY feeling since I discovered Lumiere DST and Neumann DST!

Again from Darius: Cactus spine with bonded aluminum tube with nude elliptical diamond.
We have tested both for sound/output and they are very similar. 

Cactus spine is much more rugged from mechanical point of view (I mean it's more accident proof, it don't break easy).

... and again:


Standart mc cartridges are wired on iron carcase,but that iron influences Eddy Current.That stops coil movement on big amplitudes,so we hear compressed sound.There is another type of  cartridges[air core ones]that have no problem with Eddy Current,but they have poor bass respond.Therefore the front coils make big movement amplitude,bass from these air core cartridges is good.Magnetic field from elecromagnet is very stable and it  creates good dynamics on bass respond.When you are listening to field coil cartridge,you never get tired of its sound.Music intonations are undistorted,and they are like from master tape.The shape of the coils and field are constructed in the way to keep linearity on worped,uncentered vynil.These cartridges will never be mass production,but it is always possible to make an order individualy.-- 

Very, very interesting... not direct feedback, BUT... as experience and instinct is something many among us have, just looking at the quality of workmanship is enough for yours truly.