Even in semi-retirement, my time is valuable. Between the Bernie Worrell biography (which is now in the research stage) and my normal CirdecSongs duties, I simply don’t have time to explore all the things in music I’d like to. And since someone else has already written about it, why not share their words with you. You get the info, I save time. Win-win.

There are four web pages I check every day for news I might find interesting. I’m also starting to receive more and more press releases as my profile “rises,” I suppose. So here’s a week’s worth of what struck me as interesting, which might capture your attention as well.

ROB FETTERS MAKES QUARANTINE FUN

Every week for the past two months, singer/songwriter extraordinaire Rob Fetters has been putting on a concert from his home in Ohio. The show is very much like the house concert I attended, and they are still a load of fun. The shows take place every Saturday night, which Fetters plans to do “for the duration” of the pandemic. The first eight shows are archived, and can be watched any time. For more information, check here.

NEW PINK FLOYD RELEASES:

According to Consequence of Sound, legendary proggers Pink Floyd are digging into the archives and offering up a series of deep cuts and rarities they refer to as a “daily evolving playlist.” The first in the series, a live version of “Us & Them,” has already been released. Read all about it here.

LITERAL STARVING ARTISTS

COVID-19 has destroyed many lives, including that of more than a few musicians. Attempts to obtain aid have run into obstacle after obstacle. Rolling Stone did a fairly comprehensive feature on the problem, which you can read about here.

CELEBRATING A CLASSIC VENUE

A while back, I wrote a piece about the concert venues I would love to visit. It was basically a bucket list. Had I thought about it, the Knitting Factory would have been among those venues. JazzTimes recently posted an interesting piece on that venue’s early days. I wish I could have been there. You can read about it here.

NATE CHINEN TAKES FIVE

Every Monday, journalist and author Nate Chinen, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing recently, publishes five new tracks on the WBGO web site for listener consideration. Given his propensity toward jazz, he calls the feature Take Five. I’m always looking for new avenues to explore, so I will share with you what he shared earlier in the week. Here are this week’s selections.

CirdecSongs FUN FIND OF THE WEEK

Mike Keneally and Scott Schorr have joined forces to create MFTJ, which they appropriately refer to as a “phat debut album of instrumental prog soup.” Influences seem to come from everywhere, coalescing nicely into one of the more unique blends you liable to hear in the near future. It’s available on Bandcamp, and you owe it to yourself to check it out.

See you next week.

#cirdecsongs

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My book, I Can’t Be the Only One Hearing This: A Lifetime of Music Through Eclectic Ears, is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine book dealers.

Would you like to have your album reviewed? Contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com