A volcano erupts Mahrudin is an imagined island that was born many millennia ago when the seabed under the cold northern ocean first trembled, then shook, cracked, and finally tore itself apart. It is a land of myths and legends, set to music by Alan Kennedy, a musician and composer from Durham, UK. As befits…Read more Mahrudin
Month: September 2025
Danny Thompson
R.I.P. Danny Thompson, 1939-2025 I was saddened to hear that Danny Thompson died this week. He was 86. “Legendary acoustic bass player Danny Thompson died peacefully yesterday at his home in Rickmansworth, UK. A musician who was both beloved and admired by everybody he worked with, his body of work is unparalleled in its quality…Read more Danny Thompson
Desert Electric
'Queen Victoria' agaves in the "Desert Electric" sound & light show, Phoenix, 2018. The Jazz Club in my village withered on the vine, but a couple of residents meet for a Listening Pleasure session once a month or so. The topic this month is 'Fruit'. A few songs came to mind immediately, a few more…Read more Desert Electric
My Halo at Half-Light
An angel's halo shines brightly at all times, but a saint's is only faintly visible in the half-light of dusk or dawn. Perhaps that is why snakefarm's recordings have gone largely unnoticed since it was formed in 1999. Or perhaps Anna Domino and Michel Delory are only kidding when they use the title of their…Read more My Halo at Half-Light
The Hungry Heart
A feast for the hungry heart. The Crotchety Blog Library contains a lot of music, and I had forgotten that Bruce Springsteen recorded a song called "Hungry Heart". Google, of course, knows better. But I wasn't looking for that today. I was searching for a picture to illustrate smalltape's excellent album, The Hungry Heart. (I…Read more The Hungry Heart
Wishing Well
Caption competition: What is that frog saying to the pretty maiden? There's always an air of mystery about a wishing well. What lurks in those dark watery depths? If I make a wish, will it come true? What's the going rate for a wish, these days, and is there a discount for a bulk order?…Read more Wishing Well
Crotchety Man 