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In the April 2024 issue of this magazine, a piece by Editor Jim Austin appeared in the "As We See It" space. It was titled "On assessing sonic illusions," and it has haunted me for more than a year. Jim's thesis was that a music recording is a "synthetic, whole-cloth creation ... a complete fabrication."

Legendary Stax guitarist/producer Steve Cropper hated when deejays talked over song intros. He decided to do something about it for the countless hit singles cut at the label's Memphis studio in the 1960s. As a result of his efforts, Cropper—who passed away on December 3, 2025, at age 84—became known as "The Intro Guy," a sobriquet he was proud to honor.

The Thursday after AXPONA, I planned to go to a listening party, sponsored by our town's library and held at a local art gallery. I thought that for once I would expand my horizons and spend time with others who love music instead of sitting alone in front of my hi-fi.—Joe Lynn

AXPONA was immense and overwhelming. Bass vibrated down hallways. Rooms spilled sound into each other. We took a deep breath and dove in, starting with the car audio section.

When she was three years old, I watched my daughter operate a drinking fountain for the first time. As she leaned in, she loosened her grip on the button, cutting the flow. She tried this several times, with admirable persistence but zero success. Eventually she had an idea: Lean in first, then press the button.

Oscar Peterson was born in 1925. In late 2026, a set titled World Tour was released on the Mack Avenue/Two Lions label. It is advertised as "part of the continued celebration of Peterson's centennial." Consider this article a modest attempt to join the celebration.

It's trite to observe that we're doomed to fail to understand the generations that come after us, yet it's true. We are also, apparently, doomed to forget we're doomed. "We have to get a younger generation into hi-fi, or the industry is dead," lament aging men, unable to imagine a traversable path other than their own.