What’s It All About, Then? Part One: Jazz, Featuring Eric Dolphy (Revisited)
Sean MurphyQuestion: What's it all about? Answer: I don't know. But I do know a few things. I know some of the things that make me tick. Even though I write…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All 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…
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,…
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…
Solitude*
Anyone who has lost a parent (or worse, a child) can understand that when this happens it becomes an indelible line of demarcation: your life before and your life after.…
Mardi Gras In My Mind (Revisited)
Mardi gras makes me think of New Orleans and all the good things I associate with The Crescent City. Among many other things, New Orleans makes me think of snapping…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All 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…
Keep on Baracking in the Free World: 10 Songs for 4 (More) Years
1. Now's The Time. Because, you know, it is. 2. Focus on Sanity No further comment necessary. Thank you America!!! 3. II B.S. His name is CHOLLY MINGUS and I…
10 for NYC by 10, on 9/11
New York City would be unimaginable without jazz, and vice versa. Here then is a tribute for --and by-- several musicians who help define and celebrate the cultural mecca of our known universe.…
The Shape of Jazz That Came…(Revisited)
1959 was a watershed year for jazz music (arguably the greatest single year for jazz in all history–which is saying a lot). Here’s a taste: Miles Davis Kind of Blue,…