The David Lynch Dilemma (Revisited)
Sean MurphyWith the 25th anniversary edition of the seminal/infamous/underwhelming Blue Velvet being released this week, it seems like an opportune time to revisit a topic certain to cause some consternation: David…
Six Love Songs (Revisited)
I seldom need an excuse to talk about Love (not that Love, this Love). I'm speaking, of course, about the great Arthur Lee and his band. In addition to the…
Mark Twain: The Big Daddy of American Letters (Revisited)
On April 21, 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Conn. Patriot: the person who can holler the loudest without knowing what he is…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All hope is not lost. At least enough people are still making --and listening to-- jazz that we can even attempt to initiate what hopefully becomes an ongoing occasion. In…
The Song Remains The Same or, The Agony of Influence (Revisited)
Two thoughts from T.S. Eliot: April is the cruelest month... Whatever. Good poets borrow; great poets steal. Now we're talking. And here is where it gets interesting: debate rages (well,…
Happy Birthday Chazz: Mingus at 93
Today would have been (and, still is) Charles Mingus's 93rd birthday. I've written about him often and I'll continue to write about him, not only because he is one of…
April 15, 1985: THE FIGHT
IT PROBABLY SAYS SOMETHING about evolution that younger generations see the future as expansive, malleable and positive while the older generations eventually—and inexorably—see the past as safer, simpler and more…
Now’s The Time, A Short Story (Part Five)
The life and times of a minor jazz legend are recounted through his narrated memories. In this fictional treatment of jazz music in the mid-to-late 20th century, issues of race,…
Now’s The Time, A Short Story (Part Four)
The life and times of a minor jazz legend are recounted through his narrated memories. In this fictional treatment of jazz music in the mid-to-late 20th century, issues of race,…
Now’s The Time, A Short Story (Part Three)
The life and times of a minor jazz legend are recounted through his narrated memories. In this fictional treatment of jazz music in the mid-to-late 20th century, issues of race,…