Category Archives: Commentary

What’s New for the 16th of February: Books by and about Bob Dylan, and music by Dylan and others; plus some new world music and jazz

Posted on 16th February 2025 by Gus the Estate Head Gardener

Let us pause in life’s pleasures and count its many tears While we all sup sorrow with the poor. There’s a song that will linger forever in our ears, Oh, hard times, come again no more. “Hard Times,” Stephen Foster … Continue reading →

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Biscuits

Posted on 27th December 2024 by Gus the Estate Head Gardener

No, not the biscuits we have here in Scotland and the rest of the British Isles which Americans call cookies of one sort or another, but rather what Americans do call a biscuit. There’s simply nothing better then the smell … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 27th of October: The Byrds Live, Trader Joe’s Organic Hot Cocoa Mix, Some Excellent Music Reviews, Folkmanis Puppets of an Autumnal Nature, The Mouse Guard begins…

Posted on 27th October 2024 by Diverse Voices

It was time to be honest with myself. To survive all the shame this world will throw at you, you have to hold yourself tall, look your accuser straight in the eye. Even if it’s your own face looking back … Continue reading →

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My email address

Posted on 16th October 2024 by Cat Eldridge

Here’s my email address — cat@allcatsaresleeping.com

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What’s New for the 29th of September: Louisiana’s Lost Bayou Ramblers, live music by Kathryn Tickell, Ottawa based urban fantasies by Charles de Lint, Norwegian saxophonist Karl Seglem, Gus on the Estate Kitchen garden and other Autumnal matters

Posted on 19th September 2024 by Diverse Voices

Every good fiddler has a distinctive sound. No matter how many play the same tune, each can’t help but play it differently. Some might use an up stroke where another would a down. One might bow a series of quick … Continue reading →

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Nalo Hopkinson’s Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions, and Falling in Love in Hominids

Posted on 2nd September 2024 by Jennifer Stevenson

“Hopkinson throws a bowling ball down the middle of the genre. She strikes and strikes and strikes again.” This review is co-written with my husband, Rich Bynum. I find him a very reliable reader. He doesn’t speak Criticism; he barely … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 4th of August: A raft of Cuban music reviews; Trader Joe’s chocolate peanut butter cookies; Looking at J.R.R. Tolkien; And a Cuban band documentary

Posted on 4th August 2024 by Reynard

Music is so essential to the Cuban character that you can’t disentangle it from the history of the nation. the history of Cuban music is one of cultural collisions, of voluntary and forced migrations, of religions and revolutions. – Ned … Continue reading →

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What’s New for July 21st: All music — books on The Pogues, Sandy Denny, Lowell George, Zappa, and more; Cajun mardi gras on film; and Cajun, zydeco, and klemer related music

Posted on 21st July 2024 by Diverse Voices

Brown eyed women and red grenadine the bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean Sound of the thunder with the rain pouring down and it looks like the old man’s getting on Robert Hunter’s‘Brown-Eyed Women‘ Sorry ’bout the delay … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 7th of July: A Passel of Roger Zelazny Reviews, A Write-up of an Irish Pub, Two Pieces of Live Music by Rosanne Cash, Where Irish Coffee Originated, Irish (and a Little Welsh) Music of a Modern Sort

Posted on 7th July 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Time is never called in my recurring dream of pubs. — Ciaran Carson in Last Night’s Fun: In and Out of Time with Irish Music I’m Iain, the Librarian here at the Kinrowan Estate. I‘m settling in for a quiet day of … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 23rd of June: A special edition for the Solstice, Wales in literature and music, and yes, in film.

Posted on 23rd June 2024 by Reynard

She’s looking for the music. She can hear it but she can’t find it. There are candles everywhere. Some parts of the room are low-ceilinged and high-cushioned, just right for kissing and gossip and splitting a bottle. Some parts are … Continue reading →

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