Original Poem: RICHARD PRYOR ON THE SUNSET STRIP, 1982: AN EXEGESIS
Sean MurphyI consider Richard Pryor's Live in Concert ('79) the single best stand up special in history. But Live on the Sunset Strip is possibly more important (maybe even better, if…
Original Poem: Lightnin’ Hopkins’s Bottle
It's a thrill to once again grace the pages of The Blue Mountain Review. As someone who runs an exceedingly modest (though sublimely designed -- thanks again to 1455 Creative…
Steadfast and Inimitable: The Sound & Vision of Pharoah Sanders
Not a fan of Led Zeppelin, The Clash’s Paul Simonon once opined: “Just looking at their album covers makes me want to throw up.” When it comes to Pharoah Sanders,…
Celebrating Sue Mingus
Sad to hear the news of Sue Mingus's passing, but am here to celebrate an incredible life fully led, with adventure and passion to spare. And for us jazz fans…
Yes: Close to the Edge at 50
Listening to Yes is like listening to opera: the words are, or may as well be, in a different language. It’s all about the sounds: that voice, those instruments, that…
Barbara Ehrenreich and the Dignity of Labor
image via The Nation It seems specious, even disingenuous, to suggest that a well-known, best-selling author is both underrated and insufficiently read. As it happens, Barbara Ehrenreich, one of the…
Sy Johnson: RIP
Let's face it. There were few human beings who could give Charles Mingus what he needed (what he wanted? the universe can't contain such multitudes and appetites); there were a…
August 2002 – August 2022: Sanctuary
I visited my mother’s grave the first several years for the same reason I used to attend church: it was expected, it was meant to make me feel better, it…
August 2002 – August 2022: Three Poems
The Things Prepping for a Colonoscopy Procedure Prepares You For… The pre-procedure, a to-do list equal parts ordealand ritual preparing you for what will happen, is A preparation of sorts…
August 2002 – August 2022: Gifts & Blessings
i. August 2002 - August 2022 Twenty years. I’m of course of a certain age (and have been for some time now) that just about any event may seem like…