Whitney Houston and the Wages of Fame (Revisited)
Sean MurphySadly, only the most optimistic or naive observers did not see this coming. Indeed, it is fair, if harsh, to wonder how it took so long. I make it a…
Victory and Sorrow: Bright Moments from Three Masters (Revisited)
HOW TO TALK ABOUT JAZZ MUSIC? Well, perhaps it’s better to determine how not to talk about jazz music. Hearing is believing. That’s all there is to it. And if…
Led Zeppelin on Led Zeppelin
We tend to not think of Led Zeppelin as actual human beings. The reason, of course, is that they are not. At least not in the ways that can be…
From The Annals of Inscrutability…Robert Plant! (Revisited)
After praising The Marshall Tucker Band I reckon it's time to break out the big guns. Everyone can list a handful --or more-- songs that have presented lyrical challenges. I…
Mathias Kunzli: Playground
Approximately once a year I’ll choose one album to recommend to my fed-up or uninitiated friends who insist nothing new is happening in music. You know these people, you may…
Victory and Sorrow: Bright Moments from Three Masters (Revisited)
HOW TO TALK ABOUT JAZZ MUSIC? Well, perhaps it’s better to determine how not to talk about jazz music. Hearing is believing. That’s all there is to it. And if…
The Intersection of Art & Innovation, cont’d: Another Conversation with Aram Bajakian
2/21/14: Today we wrapped round two of what I hope will be an ongoing conversation. Aram and I discussed what he's learned by producing, and promoting, his first truly independent…
The Intersection of Art and Innovation, cont’d: Evolving Models of Music — A Conversation with Jon Madof
2/10/14: On Friday I had the opportunity to do another Google Hangout, part of an ongoing series called "The Intersection of Art and Innovation". (Some previous discussions can be found…
Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength: Rush’s ‘Permanent Waves’ (Revisited)
How unbelievably appropriate that Permanent Waves was released on January 1, 1980? In virtually every regard, this album ended the '70s (literally) and foreshadowed the fertile grounds (reggae, pop elements,…
Yusef Lateef: R.I.P., Gentle Giant (One Year Later)
We have lost one of the great, indeed one of the greatest, ones. Yusef Lateef, aged 93 years young, was finally stopped by cancer on December 23. I say "finally"…