Quiet Songs for Loud Times: Introducing Alan Semerdjian
Sean MurphyI've talked before about how I have come to count on direct contact from artists being responsible for great new music I may not otherwise hear. Most recently, while talking…
Whitney Houston and the Wages of Fame (Revisited)
Sadly, 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…
The Intersection of Art and Innovation, cont’d: Evolving Models of Music — A Conversation with Jon Madof
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 HERE,…
Victory and Sorrow: Bright Moments from Three Masters
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…
Howard Sounes’ ’27’ Has That Train Wreck Kind of Appeal
“You’re drinking with number three,” Jim Morrison allegedly declared, equal parts sardonic and prescient, following the successive deaths of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix in 1970. As it happened, he…
Paul McCartney and Lee “Scratch” Perry (Revisited)
It was 34 years ago today... They almost put Macca away! (Today is the anniversary of Paul being released; hence the epic photo, above.) Do you remember what a huge…
Jimi Hendrix: Isolated and Astonishing
No comment necessary. Hendrix. Isolated tracks. God bless the Internet. "The Wind Cries Mary": "Have You Ever Been To Electric Ladyland": "All Along the Watchtower": "Drifting":
Jon Madof and Zion80 Are Making World Music for a New World
At a concert in New York City a few months ago I saw two things I’d never witnessed before. The first was a group of Jewish jazz musicians playing Afrobeat.…
Roy Campbell, R.I.P.
Another one gone way too soon. I first figured out I should be paying attention to Roy Campbell when I listened to Matthew Shipp's (highly recommended) Pastoral Composure (2000). I…
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,…