In Defense of Good Sax, Part Four: Separating The Best of The Best
Sean MurphyBest sax solos ever? That is kind of like choosing the best sunset; it's impossible. But some do stand out apart from the rest, and beauty is always in the…
In Defense of Good Sax, Part Three (The Joy of Saxless Jazz)
Starring John Zorn and Marc Ribot. So what happens when one of the most prolific and staggeringly gifted sax players (and composers) of our era, John Zorn, conducts his music…
In Defense of Good Sax, Part Two
Wherein five jazz saxophonists "slum" and make truly indelible contributions to five well-loved and much-played rock songs. Considering one of the all-time ALL TIME greats (Sonny Rollins) is on this…
In Defense of Good Sax, Part One
A writer whom I respect recently made an offhand observation that I'd like to challenge --not because his opinion isn't valid but rather because it seems representative of a casual…
Forever Never Changes: Remembering Arthur Lee
Arthur Lee died eight years ago this week (August 3, 2006). I not only am keen to remember --and celebrate-- his life and work, I also appreciate the fact that…
The Molly Ringwald Evolutionary Trio
Question: The Molly Ringwald Evolutionary Trio: What celebrity did you desperately want to have sex with at three different ages–sixteen, twenty-one, and then thirty? Answers, below. Summer ’86. I had…
Fantômas: Fifteen Years Later
A writer should always set challenges: it keeps things interesting and guards against formulaic and predictable assessments. Still, as Harry Callahan sagely observed, "A man's gotta know his limitations." I…
Mr. Bungle’s California: Fifteen Years Later
*8/5/14: This dropped a little over five years ago, which is difficult to fathom. This album dropped a little over fifteen years ago, which is exceedingly difficult to fathom. ***…
Wayne Shorter: JuJu at 50
Fifty years ago, today, this masterpiece dropped on an unworthy world. Borrowing Coltrane's band, Wayne Shorter proved he could bring the ruckus like the best of them. This, in fact,…