Music

[The films that Team NPR saw at the Toronto International Film Festival will be rolling out in theaters over the next several months, and we'll be reminding you about some of them along the way. One that Bob Mondello enjoyed was Dustin Hoffman's directing debut, Quartet. He attended the gala Toronto premiere and wrote this short postcard about the actors' responses and the audience's reaction to the film, which is currently scheduled to open just after Christmas, on January 4, 2013. — Linda Holmes]

Two years after the success of 2010's Grammy-nominated Infinite Arms, the twangy rock group Band of Horses just returned with a new album titled Mirage Rock.

Happy John Coltrane birthday on Sunday.

• Pianist Michael Wolff talks about his Cal Tjader tribute for the San Jose Mercury News. I do know Wolff as a New York pianist but didn't know he was musical director of The Arsenio Hall Show or that he's from the Bay Area.

Got an idea for a classical cartoon, or a reaction to this one? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Pablo Helguera is a New York-based artist working with sculpture, drawing, photography and performance. You can see more of his work at Artworld Salon and on his own site.

• The Washington Post has a long, fascinating piece on Dietmar Machold, the 63-year-old violin dealer/con man who went on trial in Vienna this week: "It is the largest fraud case in the history of a trade that goes back to at least the middle of the 18th century: Apart from criminal charges, Machold faces civil claims estimated at $200 million. ...

There must have been times in 1963, when Vince Guaraldi was riding high on his surprise hit "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," when he thought, "This is what I'll be remembered for." Not that he minded. He said taking requests for the tune was like signing the back of a check. The song's got a great hook tied to a poppy, uplifting chord sequence.

On the next Galactic Travels, I'll conclude the month-long focus on Manikin Records, celebrating two decades of music.  Many important artists have had their music released on this label.  The Featured CD at Midnight will be disk two from "Second Decade 2002-2012."  I will also play music by artists appearing at the Soundscapes Concert Series held