All of the Good Ones are Taken (A Fugue, of Sorts)

I'm not sure how Ian Hunter's ode to the unavailability of the perfect mate slipped into my thoughts on this, but it did, and it went as far as to decide to act as title and opening salvo. Really, it's a bit off the mark - the equivalent that is relevant would be more accurately stated as "All of the Good Ones are Shut Down by Money-Hungry Music Executives who Only Want to Push the Next Big Thing in Pop Markets and don't Give a Damn about Some of the Greatest Music Ever Written and Other Things That Might Become the Greatest Thing (or Not, but are at the Least Worth a Listen and a Chance.)"

That's a bit unwieldy, though, and slightly long for a title. Not as catchy in a chorus, either, but sometimes it's not all about catchiness, and that's the point of this ramble.

I discovered yesterday - some six or more years after the fact - that mega-conglomerate Sony BMG murdered their Catalyst label. Buried it six feet under. And they did the same with several of their RCA imprints, and Sony, likewise.

While not everything I picked up on Catalyst garners regular replays, nothing was particularly abhorrent, and more than a few gems were discovered. Among my first Catalyst discs was a Maria Bachmann release entitled Fratres - the label's first release, IIRC. Not only did that disc go on to become one of my favorite violin-piano pairings, something I'm not overly partial to for the most part as the piano always seems to get in the way, but I discovered Arvo Pärt and his compositions. And that is allowing me to enjoy a peaceful Sunday morning listening to the exquisite beauty of another Pärt work, his sublimely beautiful Te Deum, which is just now growing from its angelic silences through powerful and stirring passages, before returning towards silence again.

Coincidentally, the recording I am listening to is on ECM New Series, which, like Catalyst, seems to have BMG imprinted upon it, but from what I can tell, seems to be more of a distribution arrangement, because, unlike Catalyst, ECM is still alive and kicking, not yet swallowed by the corporate beastie and then made a victim of powerful music exec's imprinticide. Hopefully it remains independent, continues to supply listeners with beautiful and/or interesting musics, and doesn't find itself "taken."

Cross-posted to classical_music

Garden Update

Crocus really are multiplying, still in their small little local areas. Maybe next fall I'll plant a bunch more, probably scattering them even more. The first round I planted in groups of three, but given the way they spread, they'll do better in single spots.

Greens from the bluebells, grape hyacinth, iris, and Rachel's tulips have appeared - hopefully the bluebells and tulips will actually bloom this year. One of the elderberries is also showing some low green growth - hopefully it will remain unnoticed until I get the sprayer and can apply the anti-rodentdeer juice.

The black pussy willow - which gets hit pretty hard by the rodents - actually put out a single, dark, velvety catkin. We'll see if the spray treatment can keep the deer from eating all the buds this year - since it's inedible (to us,) it was treated last year with the 2-year systemic tablets, and they did nothing to disuade deer from the tasty leaves, buds, and stems.

Nothing planted yet for this season - still a bit early for that. Not much actually planned - a test order from a nursery I haven't tried before (hemlock for hiding the highway, some winterberry holly for bird feeding, some sycamore because they're beautiful, and two evergreens for the foundation) and a Forest Farm order that mostly completes the backbone plantings for the foundation (evergreens for the front and oakleaf hydrangea, English laurel, and fothergilla for the back) as well as a clump of ornamental grass to help spruce up (and hide) the not-yet-a-meadow sand mound/septic access.

As always (lately,) if anyone cares to contribute to the garden, they can - if you want to share native plants or certain non-natives, I'm open to that (and can offer up oaks and red maples in exchange - I'm not quite ready to part with blueberries, witch hazel, wintergreen, mountain laurels, and azalea, although that might be possible, more so in future years when things stabalize a bit more; I'd spare some ferns but I'm really not clear on the best way to share them... =) and there's always the Amazon wish list if someone just wants to buy a plant or three. Most selections on there come from Gurney's, Michigan Bulb, Henry Field's, or Spring Hill - all the same company, really - and I've planted stuff by all of them before. There's also some lawn & garden care stuff from Gardens Alive that can always come in handy.