Sy Johnson: RIP
Sean MurphyLet'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…
Roger Waters: Shining On
There are so many musicians I admire, a smaller circle I adore, a smaller one still I revere, and a relative handful I’m grateful for. Artists whose work has changed…
Aug 4, 1967: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
8/4/1967: It was 55 years ago, today. With any discussion of 1967 (in general) and The Summer of Love (in particular) Sgt. Pepper soaks up so much (oh so much)…
Original Poem: Howlin’ Wolf’s Harp
It was a huge thrill to have my poem "Billie Holiday's Deathbed" published (and nominated for a Pushcart Prize) by Decolonial Passage and I'm equally happy to see my new…
The Centennial of Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus had many things to say, and he used his mouth, his pen, his fists, and mostly his music to say them. Of the myriad words that describe Mingus, passionate would…
RIP Bunny & Tabby, and Welcome to Eternity
This is incredibly sad news, but I choose to celebrate lives well and purposefully led, and the certainty that they will rest peacefully know their work on earth was done,…
RIP Ian McDonald: MVP of the Best Prog Album Ever
If Ian McDonald had done nothing other than be a crucial (arguably the crucial) member of the band that, in 1969, recorded the album that launched a thousand pretentious, proggy,…
Original Poem: Ornette Coleman’s Question
"Ornette Coleman" by Warren Goodson It's such a blessing for a writer to find publications that "get" them and I continue to enjoy the support from Jerry Jazz Musician. This…
RIP Ronnie Spector, and a Celebration of Sound & Vision
Ronnie Spector in the CBS Records studio in Soho Square. Ronnie is in London to promote her new single 'Say Goodbye to Hollywood', London, circa 1977. (Photo by Tom Sheehan/Sony…
Graeme Edge: The Right Guy for the Era
Prog rock (in general) and the Moody Blues (in particular) needed that guy, and Graeme Edge was that guy. His spoken word was exactly what that era demanded, distilling the…