like nothing else
Yesterday I drove 250 miles to a small town in southern Illinois for a hearing in an old murder case that did not take place. The good news? While driving, I listened to this, for the first time.
Julius Hemphill (1938-95, alto saxophone, composition) and Abdul Wadud (1947-2022, cello), “Syntax” (unknown recording location and date)
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
Last night, after entering this sound world, I didn’t want to leave.
Christian Wolff (1934-), Mountain Messengers (for piano and orchestra, 2020), live (Nicolas Hodges, piano; Basel Sinfonietta [Ilan Volkov, conductor]), Switzerland (Basel), 1/24/21 (world premiere)
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
what’s new
George Enescu (1881-1955), Octet in C major (Op. 7), 1900: Hannah Tam, Himari-chan, Boha Moon, Sameer Agrawal (Violins); Emad Zolfaghari, Sam Tatsuki (Violas); Carson Ling-Efird, Laura Navarsardian (Cellos), live, Philadelphia (Curtis Institute of Music), 4/20/26 (published 5/18/26)
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Illinois
Yesterday, after stumbling upon this sound-world, I didn’t want to leave.
Stefan Wolpe (1902-1972), String Quartet (1969): Curtis Macomber (violin), Theodore Arm (violin), Toby Appel (viola), Fred Sherry (cello), rec. 2006 (published yesterday)
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Illinois
sounds of Chicago
Whitney Johnson (viola, voice), Lia Kohl (cello, voice), Macie Stewart (violin, voice), “Stone I Piece,” Chicago (The Land School), 2025
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Illinois
sounds of Chicago
Music for Union Station, Lia Kohl (composition, cello), Dorothy Carlos (cello), Zachary Good (bass clarinet), Gerrit Hatcher (tenor saxophone) Riley Leitch (trombone), Nick Meryhew (trombone), Beth McDonald (tuba), Zach Moore (bass), Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Macie Stewart (violin), performed 5/15/25 (Union Station, Chicago [rush hour]), published January 16, 2026
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Illinois
alone
George Crumb (1929-2022), Sonata for Solo Cello; Santiago Cañón-Valencia (1995-, cello), 2020
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Illinois
What better way to begin a new year?
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Suite No. 5 in C minor for Unaccompanied Cello; Steven Isserlis (1958-, cello), live, New York, 2018
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lagniappe
random sights
last night, Oak Park, Illinois
passings
Jack DeJohnette, drummer, pianist, composer, August 9, 1942 – October 26, 2025
Jack DeJohnette (drums) with MCOTD Hall-of-Famer Henry Threadgill (reeds), Roscoe Mitchell (reeds), Muhal Richard Abrams (piano), and Larry Gray (bass), Made in Chicago, 2015
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
like nothing else
Tony Malaby (saxophone), Mat Maneri (viola), Daniel Levin (cello), “New Artifacts,” recorded live (New York), 2015
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lagniappe
random sights
this morning, Oak Park, Illinois
music clip of the day 