Hey everybody.  We're back home now, where it's a bone-chilling 50
degrees.  That may not sound so cold to you.  In fact, considering it's late February it might even strike you as somewhere between balmy and global-warmed alarming, but I can explain: that's the temperature inside our apartment.  Not to worry—a presumably competent technician is hard at work on the problem (though there has been the occasional setback, such as when he locked himself out of his truck earlier today).  Onward and upward.  But first one more backward glance.  We knocked off recording early last Friday to make our way to the Primitive Baptist Church for a rare local appearance by Lambchop.  A knockout of a set, new songs and old, new members (recent collaborators and this evening's opening act, Hands Off Cuba) and old (Jonathan Marx—cutting quite the dashing figure in the pulpit—and Paul Niehaus were both in tow).  And a spectacular setting: a few seats, I guess I should call them pews, around the perimeter of the room, everyone else sitting on the floor, drinking whatever they brought with them; the sound in the room was perfect, no mics necessary except for Kurt Wagner's singing.  After the set, trays of sandwiches appeared, then it was time for the evening's headliner, Matthew Shipp, playing a remarkable solo set.  He walked out, sat down and without a word, started playing.  And then—45 minutes later? an hour?—he stopped, thanked everyone and left.  I know that "Summertime" was in there somewhere, otherwise I can't help you.  More food appeared, this time dessert.  A super special evening, both musically and otherwise.  Before I go (it's not easy typing with gloves on), I just want to let everyone know that we're doing our annual requests-for-pledges appearance on WFMU on Tuesday, March 7, from 8pm till 11, eastern time.  More information at wfmu.org. —Ira