Daily Log

Yesterday, we took Rachel to the Wichita Art Museum, where they had a special exhibit of the De La Torre brothers: Mexican glassworks, some in cases behind lenticular screens. I can't say as it particularly appealed to me, but there is a distinctive genius to it, and it seems to me to be quintessentially Mexican. As it happens, we had a friend come over to pick up some jigsaw puzzles. She is Mexican-American, and had just been to the Art Museum. She particularly latched on to the Frida Kahlo puzzles. She's also interested in baseball history, so I gave her my 1985 copy of the Reichler Baseball Encyclopedia.

When we got home, Rachel and Laura watched a couple Steve Martin movies. I caught up a bit on the poll, then warmed up leftovers, also making the missing salad. Rachel went back to Kendra's, and will begin the long drive back to Portland on Friday. We still have a lot of leftovers. I posted a plate pic on Facebook. Not much reaction. Hoping to round some folks up for another leftovers dinner. While I'm too busy to contemplate cooking for a while, unpacking the refrigerator won't take long.

Woke up around 9. Went back to bed, but not to sleep, so I got up and came down at 10:30. I should have a lot of work today, but email is off to a slow start (at least for a Friday: 24 messages):

• Poll stuff: Ballots: Richard Williams, Dan Buskirk, Russell Perry, George Varga; Changes: Bill Milkowski, John Ephland; Nacks: Maciej Nowotny, Troy Dostert. Added jazzpoll subscribers: Russell Perry, Marcello Lorrai.
• Chuck Eddy: Semiquincentennial Minute
• Substack matters: June 2026 stats: 118 subscribers (+12), 629 post reads (+265).
• Tom Engelhardt: Crooked Donald and the Strait of Hormuz
• Walgreens: Rx ready for pickup.
• Phil Overeem: Making His Mark at Maker's
• I posted Music Week (7:1) to Substack: shareable assets; 1 like.

Music Week

Expanded blog post, July archive (in progress).

Tweet: Music Week: 28 albums, 5 A-list

Music: Current count 46219 [46191] rated (+28), 16 [14] unrated (+2).

New records reviewed this week:

• Julian Argüelles: Echo Fields (2026, Escapade): [bc]: B+(**)
• Barcelona Art Orchestra & Miguel Zenón: Expressions: Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (2025 [2026], Miel Music): [sp]: B+(*)
• Patricia Brennan/Sylvie Courvoisier: Talamanti (Antlia): [sp]: B+(***)
• Ron Carter & Yotam Silberstein: Duets (2026, Jojo): [cd]: A-
• Maya De Vitry: All My Faith (2026, Mad Maker Studios): [cd]: A- [07-24]
• Duchess: A Marvelous Party (Anzic) **
• Emperor X: Unified Field (2026, Bar/None): [sp]: B+(**)
• Nick Fraser: Areas (2026, Elastsic): [bc]: B+(*)
• Hannah Gill: I Like the Sunrise (2026, Turtle Bay): [sp]: B+(**)
• Devin Gray/Andrea Parkins/Frank Gratkowski: Hz of Gold (2021 [2026], Rataplan): [bc]: B+(*)
• Alden Hellmuth: Tether (2026, Leiter): [sp]: B+(***)
• The Joymakers: A Texas-Sized Band (2026, Turtle Bay): [sp]: B+(**)
• Goran Kajfeš Subtropic Arkestra: & Avin Omar (2026, We Jazz, EP): [bc]: B+(***)
• La La Lars: Lilla Lars (2026, Gothborgen, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
• James Brandon Lewis Quartet: Omni (2025 [2026], Intakt): [sp]: A-
• Virginia MacDonald: In Search Of . . . (2024 [2026], Cellar): [cd]: B+(***)
• Nduduzo Makhathini: The Myth We Choose (2026, Blue Note): [sp]: B+(*)
• Michael Marcus Quartet: Next Stop Down (2024 [2026], ESP-Disk'): [cd]: B+(***)
• Tal Mashiach: Who's Around? (2026, Anzic): [cd]: B
• Chris Potter: Alive With Ghosts Today (2025 [2026], Edition): [sp]: B+(*)
• Sad Daddy: Ozark Shine (2026, Catfish Music/Free Dirt): [sp]: B+(**)
• Harry Skoler: Echoes (2026, Red Brick Hill): [sp]: B+(**)
• SML: Spontaneous Music Live (2025 [2026], International Anthem): [sp]: A-
• Matthew Stevens: Matthew Stevens (2026, Candid): [sp]: B+(*)
• Soojin Suh: Prism of Existence (2026, Endectomorph Music): [sp]: B+(**)
• Martin Wind: Stars (2025 [2026], Newvelle): [sp]: A-

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

• Either/Orchestra: Nalbandian L'Ethipien/The Ethiopian [Éthiopiques 32] (2011 [2025], Buda Musique): [sp]: B+(***)
• Evan Parker/Paul Rogers/Louis Moholo: Tebugo (1992 [2025], Jazz in Britain): [bc]: B+(***)

Old music:

• None.

Grade (or other) changes:

• The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis: Deface the Currency (2026, Impulse!): [sp]: [was: B] B+(**)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

• Colin Heshmat: Elastic Groove (HMC) [07-23]
• Andrew Kim: Lineage (Origin) [07-24]
• Bob Nell & Michael Bisio Trios: We Are Here (Origin) [07-24]
• Rebecca Rafla: Fundamentally Unfinished (Rebecca Raffla Music) [06-22]
• Armand Sangalang: Waypoints (Calligram) [08-07]
• Claudio Scolari Project: Lines of Now (Principal) [04-24]
• Clark Sommers: WaBaSH (Calligram) [08-07]

Daily Log

Woke up before 10. Came down 10:20. I crashed so hard after TV last night that I left a ballot only partly counted. I noted it, saved what I had to the website, but didn't write to jpadmin. I figured I'd start today by catching up. We went to Mark Shepherd's funeral yesterday. It was billed as a car show, and the lot was packed when we got there. So was the mortuary chapel, so they set up an overflow room. Mike and Rachel made it into the main arena, but I retreated to the overflow. I ran into Mac and Brenda on the way there, so we sat together. Saw a couple more people I knew, but not many. Main problem with the overflow was that only the podium had a mic, so the testimonies/stories from the crowd were unintelligible. (Mike gave one, which I could identify by occasionally catching the word "grandpa," referring to Mark's father, Art Shepherd.) Mike decided he wanted to go to the cemetery afterwards. Steve arranged for Mark to get the last plot left in the bloc where Art and Margaret are buried. My mother and father were also buried there, and the tent was set up right over their graves. It's been a good 20 years since I last tried to find them, so I took mental notes of how to do so again — not that I'm likely to return any time soon. I saw Greg Seidel there, and we chatted a bit. During the drive back, Mike and Rachel vented on how much they hated Greg. I've seen him a couple times since moving back to Wichita. Relationship has been testy since he had a big bust-up with Steve & Josi, over what I was never quite certain, but Mike certainly hated him. I've long regarded him as potential trouble, although we got along ok, and were fairly close for a while. He came by after Dad died. I also saw him when I visited Mark in the hospital, after his heart attack and bypass surgery. He looked to be in pretty good shape. Hair was white, rather long, sort of a founding fathers look. Mark had aged more severely, as has Steve, though a bit less than Mark.

We went to Hog Wild after that, then took Mike to the airport, and came home. Rachel was going to watch the World Cup match, but it started later than expected, so she left. I rewarmed some chicken and dumplings, and go to work on the accumulated email. Like I said, I didn't get done. Rachel is coming over around 1 today. Laura wants to take her to the Art Museum. Not sure what else they'll be doing, but I hope to get some time to talk. No plans for dinner. We could go out, or just heat up leftovers. Rachel is driving back tomorrow, so this is the end of the visit. I'll try to work a bit as I can. I'm feeling like putting minimal work into the poll from here on out. I still need to do Music Week this week. Probably do that on Friday.

Email (38 messages):

• Poll stuff: new ballots: John Chacona, Steve Dollar, Bill Milkowski, James Koblin. I updated website and sent mail to jpadmin.
• Substack stuff: 2 new subscribers (Philip Watson, Steve Smith).
• Riot Riot: The 40 Best Albums of 2026 So Far.

Daily Log

Mike and Rachel arrived around 9:30. We went ahead and started eating around 8, with Ram over. We were ready to break into the dessert when they arrived. Two of Mike's friends came over (Mike Carmody and Brian Haney?), but didn't eat much. I didn't do the Native American salad, which wasn't missed. Huge amount of food left over, but everything was very good. I snapped a place pic, but haven't posted it yet. Mike stayed up and talked till 3AM. I got up about 10:30. Mike and Rachel are going to the Beacon for breakfast, then to Mark's house, to secure some furniture that Mark had kept from his and Josi's parents, that Josi wanted. After that, they'll swing by, and I'll go to funeral with them.

Significantly behind on email (49 unread as of 11:43, but 6-10 more opened but still needing attention.

• Poll stuff: new ballots: Will Layman, Bret Saunders, Ralph A. Miriello, Mike Greenblatt, Gene Seymour, John Ephland, Richard Blute, Matthieu Jouan; acks:; nacks: David Adler, Ysi Ortega.
• Substack stuff: After Iran: +1 like; Music Week (6:4): +1 like; new subscriber: RH News (looks like a bot).
• Amazon: four books delivered.
• Project Syndicate Deep Dives: Matt Simonton on Oligarchy's Ancient Origins

Jun 2026