The Poison Pie Publishing House presents:

November 1, 2026
In scarcely a fortnight, our band of musicians left Epirus behind and with it the Greek language. Fording the Aoös River, they arrived in the land of Illyria. It was inhabited by tribes, each with their own dialect of a tongue incomprehensible to an outsider. The travelers were well into the territory before Andromache became aware of this linguistic change because the shrubs and trees, no less than the birds and beasts, whom she encountered along their path, were steadfast in their adherence to a universal speech indifferent to geographic borders.

written while listening to:  Alessandro Galati Trio - Cubicq (Blue Gleam, BG003, 2010, Japan, cd, discogs.com)

November 2, 2026
In a small glade surrounded by forest, they came upon an isolated homestead, built of moss-covered stone and roofed with thatch. In all lands, people are made in different ways and some have a low tolerance for the company of their own kind. So it must have been with the couple who fled the civilized world to live their remaining years together in sylvan peace. The gray-haired pair were tending to their garden when the band came along the footpath. Hektor had been playing walking music on his pan flute but ceased when he noticed them.

written while listening to:  Carlos Zíngaro, Guillaume Gargaud & João Madeira - N'Bandi (4DaRecord, 4DRDGTCD006, 2023, Portugal, digital files, discogs.com)

November 3, 2026
"Don't stop playing on our account," said the old woman, "We seldom hear music of this kind." Andromache had never heard Illyrian spoken and recognized not a word. The old man continued his wife's thought, "On most days we are content to listen to the song of the wind and the voice of the birds." Much to Andromache's surprise, Papa responded in kind, "Then we are met by kindred spirits for, though we are capable of making music, our best efforts imitate the arias and psalms of the natural world."

written while listening to:  Raed Yassin - Phantom Orchestra, Sides C & D (Morphine Records, DOSER046LP, 2025, Germany, lpx2, discogs.com)