Billows in Possibility, 47th Day of Summer, 525 M.E. (Atlas): "Music and woman I cannot but give way to, whatever my business is," boasted Samuel Pepys, who's style I've adopted for the lead-ins to this blog. The "shorthand of emotion" (Tolstoy), music is "the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life" (Beethoven). "Without music, life would be a mistake" (Nietzche). 

New Music Friday falls on Atlas this week, and today I listened to new releases by the newly formed Openness Trio (Carlos Nino, Josh Johnson, and Nate Mercereau), a two-CD collection of Sun Ra keyboard solos, the sophomore album by indie rock band, Wet Leg, and the new album by the newly reformed indie pop band, Allo Darlin'. Also, as it's a sitting day, I played the long (1:19:39) Blues Alif Lam Mim in the Mode of Rag Infinity/Rag Cosmosis by Chora(a)san Time-Court Mirage (C.C. Hennix), as I do after almost every meditation sitting.

Earlier this morning, I spent an hour on the phone with Hyatt Hotels straightening out my reservations for next March's Big Ears Festival. Tricksy hoteliers - I thought they were trying to renege on the confirmed rate I got when I made my reservation after last spring's Big Ears (at half the rate they're asking for now), but to their credit it was just a mix-up over a replacement credit card - long story, but I'm still locked in for next year at the 50% rate.

Onward and upward with the arts!