The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part Three)
Sean Murphy2. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues Fleet Foxes were a welcome and justly celebrated mainstream breakout act in 2008, delivering that rare feat: a debut album that was totally assured and…
Sam Rivers, R.I.P.
Another irreplaceable giant has left the planet. Sam Rivers, always graceful, elegant and cool as a mofo, certainly carved out his own niche in the jazz idiom. While his work…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part Two)
5. New Zion Trio, Fight Against Babylon. The full review is here. Zelig-like, Jamie Saft has been an indefatigable fixture in the downtown NYC music scene. Equal parts MVP…
The Narrow Path: A Tone Poem*
You are alone. You are back in the city and you are alone as you emerge into the open and empty space, stepping out from the stale depths of…
My Kind of Christmas Music (Revisited)
Tchaikovsky Corelli Bach John Fahey The Who Chuck Berry a three-fer from Jethro Tull! Sonny Boy The Godfather Donny Satchmo Ella! (An embarrassment of riches here, here, and here) Johnny…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part One)
A couple of quick things. In fairness, both Tom Waits and Paul Simon could easily be on this list. They show few signs of slowing down and it is appropriate…
Five Songs From 2011
Here are five songs from albums that did not make my personal Top 10 for 2011 (stay tuned for that list...): 5. Gary Clark, Jr: "Bright Lights Big City". This…
Vaclav Havel, R.I.P.
This representative quote has been reprinted many times elsewhere, with good reason, so I have no qualms utilizing it here: Hope in this deep and powerful sense is not the…
Socrates, R.I.P.
I read with sadness about the recent passing of Brazilian soccer legend Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio Vieira de Oliveira. Or, Socrates for short. He has been adequately eulogized already (a decent…
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Winterland
More Hendrix? For anyone who has—or who has not, for that matter—been paying attention the last couple of years, a major initiative has been underway to get the world to…