Introducing “Kinds of Blue”
Sean MurphyI am delighted to share that my third poetry collection, Kinds of Blue, is now available! Why Did I Write This Book?My work is as political as ever, but I seldom write…
Original Poem: The Charles Mingus Sextet in Europe, 1964
I continue to appreciate the team at Jerry Jazz Musician for celebrating America’s unique art form, and showcasing not only the sounds, but the words around the sounds. For my fellow old…
AI Will Not Replace Art
"Etonne-moi!" --Serge Diaghilev, to Jean Cocteau Adam Gopnik, the prolific and brilliant writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker for several decades, has a timely piece in The New York Times that…
100 + 1: National Poetry Month Meets 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…
National Poetry Month Meets Marvin Gaye
I was aware (and in awe) of John Goodman before I reviewed his book (10 years ago!) Mingus Speaks -- an indispensable document of the great Charles Mingus (a lot…
Introducing “Rhapsodies in Blue”
Just in time to properly celebrate National Poetry Month, my second collection, Rhapsodies in Blue, is now available! You can pick up a paperback or Kindle version here. I'd love you to…
Original Poem: Charles Mingus’s Memento
It remains a blessing for this writer to find publications that “get” him –and what I’m attempting with my ongoing project (the first installment, of course, being The Blackened Blues, released…
Jeff Beck: The Guitar Grandmaster
As impossible at it is to believe Jeff Beck has died (aged 78), it’s just as difficult to fathom that he was with us in the first place. If you’re…
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…
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…