A Note from the Desk of Sound & Reason

It's Friday

Seven months in, and I want to pause. To speak directly to you, all of you who read, reflect, and especially those who’ve stepped up as paid subscribers. You’ve helped keep this engine running — not with smoke or noise, but with purpose.

Before The Sound & Reason, I spent fourteen years delivering columns for FYI Music News, Billboard, and Cashbox Canada — a lot of words, a lot of weather. Long before that, I launched Jazz Report Magazine back in ’88 and held the line for 18 years. Six books, two volumes of concert photography, and still — I never tire of the desk, or the joy of letting the mind speak freely.

Come this fall, I’ll be releasing The Sound & Reason – Notes from the Soul, a curated collection of 150 stories — all music, all heart. These past months, I’ve written with rhythm and fire: music, yes, but also culture, travel, photography, and those urgent political dispatches. The political writing exists to expose the fractures in our democracy — the crimes against the soul. But the music? That’s to document the best in us—the pulse of our better angels.

So here we are — another Friday morning, light pouring in, coffee steaming beside the keyboard. I invite you to visit the homepage — wander through the music, culture, travel, and photography sections. That’s my joy. I hope it becomes part of yours.

I remember writing the very first editorial for Jazz Report. It was about the brutal Argentine junta and the CIA’s bloody handshake in keeping it afloat. My partner looked at me and asked, “Is this a music magazine?” I said, “Yep.” Because music is the cure. The clearest face of humanity.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing. And yes — I read every letter you send. Your words stay with me.

With appreciation,
Bill