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I was about to bitch again about how few jazz artists show up at the Toronto Jazz Fest. I was particularly getting sniffy that Arooj Aftab was going to the Ottawa Jazz Fest but it turns out she will be at the Toronto Jazz Fest, so I stand corrected. Still, she is just about the only ticketed performance that I am planning on seeing. (She's hitting Chicago just before Toronto, then Ottawa, then Montreal.) I didn't go to see Vieux Farka Toure in Montreal. He's coming to a festival in Guelph this summer. I probably won't go, but it's at least a possibility.

I just finished State of Grace by Joy Williams. The writing, as ever, is fine, but I just really couldn't get into the story. I have a few more by her to read, so I am hoping I like the next one better. I'm just starting The Book of Lamentations by Rosario Castellanos, which seems promising, but I won't know until I really get into it.

I actually was able to donate one Mosaic set to the U of Toronto Music Library (though I would have had to donate a lot more to get a donate slip for tax purposes...) but they didn't seem that interested in large scale donations, just very targeted ones. That said, I might try again when I am ready to downsize.

This was fun. It was an awful lot like seeing Bitches Brew played live, though not as elaborate on the percussion. Anyway, Sarian is continuing to tour this new album. He said he would be heading to Detroit and also Chicago (where he is playing Elastic).

Soundway is really good. There was also the Ethiopiques series. Most of this was licensed from Buda Musique, but I don't know how they distribute in North America, if at all. I mostly listen to a lot of the "heavy hitters" that are in heavy rotation on BBC 3 Music Planet, so Salif Keita, Ballaké Sissoko, Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté. And of course Tinariwen.

There is a min- Mel Brooks film festival up in Toronto. I'm going to see Spaceballs tonight and plan on seeing High Anxiety in about two weeks. I don't think I'll be able to fit any of the other ones in.

I picked up some vary random things, including African music, but I did get a few jazz downloads. (I already had the Ibrahim listed above.) https://britprogjazz.bandcamp.com/album/the-kenny-wheeler-big-band-friends-vol-2 https://timberne.bandcamp.com/album/yikes-too https://mrbongo.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-waters-strange-and-sublime-sounds-of-rio-de-janeiro https://yazzahmed.bandcamp.com/album/la-saboteuse-remixed (I'm a bit on the fence on this one, but will probably pick it up before Bandcamp Friday ends in a couple more hours): https://yazzahmed.bandcamp.com/album/a-paradise-in-the-hold Oh, if you haven't been following him, Neil Swainson is an incredible bassist up in Canada. He has 3 albums on Bandcamp: https://neilswainsonquintet.bandcamp.com/album/here-for-a-while https://neilswainsonquintet.bandcamp.com/album/fire-in-the-west https://neilswainsonquintet.bandcamp.com/album/49th-parallel He's on a fair number of Cellar Live recordings, including The Magnificent by Brad Turner https://bradturner.bandcamp.com/album/the-magnificent (I keep hoping Brad Turner will tour Toronto, so I can get a signed CD, but he's been staying on the West Coast so far...)

Nice! I saw Smulyan for the first time about a month ago when he was passing through Toronto. I'm planning on seeing Michael Sarian on Monday (he's playing The Rex Sunday and Monday). I assume he'll be promoting this project and will likely have some CDs for sale, so I'll try to be ready (with some cash). https://michaelsarian.bandcamp.com/album/esquina

Possibly tonight but more likely tomorrow: Peter Bernstein and Lorne Lofsky w/ Neil Swainson at the Rex.

That's kind of what I figured. Still, absolutely no interesting in catching this. I may have to wait Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme hits the screens. Though Epiphany looks a bit intriguing, so we'll see which hits first...

I'd actually considered seeing this, as Bill Murray is in it. However, after watching the trailer and it's all about the dog -- and how can she cope with a large dog in a small apartment, etc. -- I had zero interest in seeing this.

I enjoyed the Gide, but not as much on the second go around. That is often, but not always, the case with me. I read Dorothy Edwards's Winter Sonata and was underwhelmed. Just not enough going on in this tale of frustrated love for me. I'm rereading Tim O'Brien's America Fantastica for a book club, and then will read Kobo Abe's The Woman in the Dunes.

The guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of the Malian music duo Amadou & Mariam has died aged 70 after an illness, his family said, paying tribute to the Grammy-nominated blind musician. More from the Guardian here: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/apr/05/amadou-bagayoko-of-music-duo-amadou-and-mariam-dies-aged-70 Just by coincidence, I have been listening to a fair bit of Amadou & Mariam lately, as Apple Music/iTunes has 5 volumes of their recordings on the Maikano label. I also have been planning on picking this up from Bandcamp but was waiting for the next Bandcamp Friday (which is apparently in May): https://afrosunnyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/le-couple-aveugle-du-mali-amadou-bagayoko-et-mariam-doumbia-le-couple-aveugle-du-mali-amadou-bagayoko-et-mariam-doumbia-vol-5 (I am not sure how much is not covered in the 5 volumes on iTunes, but I will likely buy the digital version anyway, as it is easier for me to listen to Bandcamp rather than iTunes at work.) Sadly, I never was able to see them live. I am not sure how often they toured North America.

I did see La Strada. Wow, that was depressing. I was almost wondering if I wandered into a Bergman film by mistake. 😉 I didn't manage to see Mickey 17 for a variety of reasons, but I will probably manage it tomorrow. I just saw The Royal Tenenbaums for the first time. Definitely a very strong movie.

Not sure when it was added, but I see Apple Music now has Filet of Soul and Las Vegas available.