Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
Sean MurphyAll 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…
Adam Yauch, R.I.P. (One Year Later)
This hurts. Word is hitting the wires that Adam Yauch, a.k.a. MCA, has succumbed to cancer. This is awful news, obviously, but also surprising since it sounded like he had…
The Red Headed Stranger Turns 80
Willie Nelson is not America. Willie Nelson is America. I don't have much to say other than two simple observations: First, I hope he's around for many more years. Two,…
George Jones: R.I.P.
George Jones has left us for that great country song in the sky. To say he's another loss we can't adequately understand and that we'll never see anything like him…
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,…
Just Like a Big Daydream in the Middle of the Night: The Return of Shuggie Otis
True story: Already an industry veteran although barely legal drinking age, Shuggie Otis was asked to join the Rolling Stones. Famously, he declined the offer. Had he accepted that once-in-a-lifetime…
Happy Birthday Chazz: Mingus at 91
Today would have been (and, still is) Charles Mingus's 91st birthday. I've written about him often and I'll continue to write about him, not only because he is one of…
Levon Helm: So Real It Makes You Believe (One Year Later)
There are probably countless ways to talk about what makes a particular artist compelling, and all of them are true. There are not that many ways to articulate how or…
RUSH HOUR
4/18/2003: today is the day mein froinds! Rush is officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight. I've written quite a bit about one of my favorite…
Herbie Hancock: IN THE HOUSE
The coolness of Herbie Hancock is a topic I've grappled with on at least a couple of occasions (the key takeaway: he's cooler than me, you, and everyone else we…