LAX 2
Onstage at PRS, on about Black genius, concepts of time, spelling bees, cute doggie.
Beta’s Substack
Beta Music for Beta People
Live Last read · last published · next check
Latest posts
LAX 1
Day One in Los Angeles, on the line with Bennie Maupin, onstage at the Blue Note, on the edge of the memory hole
On the Air
A radio round-up for the folks out there who want to hear the sound of my voice
Michael Brook
On building the infinite guitar, the yin-yang of Jon Hassell, Cobalt Blue sinking like a stone, and unwittingly becoming the architect for "world music"
Steve Tibbetts Pt. 2
On meditation, children, his collaboration with singing nun Chöying Drolma, and fighting ICE in the streets of Minneapolis
Steve Tibbetts Pt. 1
On science as faith, seven-year album cycles, seeing the Northern Lights during his first ECM session, and the "accumulation of everything."
In the Fried Archives: Jon Hassell Pt. 2
From 2017, the trumpeter/ visionary on traversing digital la-la land, slurping hashish milkshakes with La Monte Young, idiot-compassion, and music as masturbation
Best Jazz Reissues of 2026 First Half
A quick round-up of some fiery new favorites and crucial reappraisals
In the Fried Archives: Jon Hassell Pt. 1
From 2017, a chat with the trumpeter/ composer/ Fourth World visionary
The Lot for June
Remembrance in a Pale Room: for Bengt Berger, Steve Barrow, Douglas Shaw
Some Playlists
Catching up on a few DJ sets from the past few months
Filles de Kilimanjaro
Some stray notes on this week's Pitchfork Sunday Review
Twofer Tuesday #17
A tribute to the late Steve Barrow and being blissed out in the Bizarro World of dub reggae
Freedom from the Known
Sonny Rollins and the quest for black consciousness that led to Freedom Suite
The Lot for May
Ripe Fruits Mid-Journey in Fern Valley
Thurston Moore
On free jazz, jamming with Cecil Taylor, becoming an ECM guy, and scaring the kids with late Coltrane.
18 Best Post-'80s Prince Songs
Diving into Prince's daunting post-symbol output to find some pearls
Tomorrow's Harvest
Celebrating today's news with a review from 13 years ago
Sixty Years of "Come Out"
Sixty years ago, composer Steve Reich debuted a tape-loop experiment Come Out—a piece that put forth the voice of a young Black man beaten by police, an injustice that still reverberates to this day.
Twofer Tuesday #16
The magic of Brazilian artist Priscilla Ermel and the world musical memory amid the global pandemic
Cosmic Music: One Month On
Celebrating the folks who have helped make the book launch fun and memorable.