Les UDs finally discovered the precise boundaries of their property; their landscaper had a surveyor do the deed. Turns out we own a good deal more forest than we thought we did, so yesterday UD created a path through the woods, connecting one of our established paths to the new boundary marker. This involved raking up leaves and dirt, plus pulling and tossing dead branches – work UD loves for itself, and also for the way it shapes the land and gives the dog and me more walking space.
It was a clear cold day, full sun, and it took UD very little time to forge a nice wide walkway.
At one point she raked up an old lp.
Why would someone toss/bury a record in the woods? She and Mr UD speculated. An unwanted gift? Did it fall out of a trash bag? But then how would it end up a half acre away, at the very top of the property? What animal would find it worth picking up or nudging?
Something emotional? A favorite track, associated with a love affair gone sour, hurled in rage or sorrow into the void?
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Short of sending it to the FBI forensic lab, there was certainly no way of identifying the record. Right?
Wrong. Take a look at the lp’s center, where I’ve focused a light. All it took was deciphering the printed and written language there, and then checking a discography.
VAN GELDER appears on part of the curve; that would be the recording studio; PRLP is I suppose the record label: Prestige. 2934A (I think that’s the written number) is, according to the Prestige Records Discography for 1961, “To Rigmor,” a piece Joe Newman (the whole album is the Joe Newman Quintet, Good ‘N’ Groovy) wrote for his wife.
December 22nd, 2019 at 8:08PM
Someone disliked the album so much that they frisbee’d it into the woods?
December 22nd, 2019 at 9:15PM
Chas: I thought of that… But having listened to various tracks, it’s really wonderful. Could only have been someone who just doesn’t like jazz.