The Real Life Fable of Charles Mingus and Orval Faubus (Revisited)
Sean MurphyOn Sept. 4, 1957, Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus called out the National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Central High School in Little Rock. Charles Mingus had many…
In Defense of Good Sax, Part Four: Separating The Best of The Best
Best sax solos ever? That is kind of like choosing the best sunset; it's impossible. But some do stand out apart from the rest, and beauty is always in the…
14 Songs For Turning 41
To know the man, get to know his music. (Or, to paraphrase Al Pacino in Serpico, "If you love the man's music, you have to love the man!") There are…
The Song Remains The Same or, The Agony of Influence
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,…
No, Really: Jeff Beck is God
Since it happened to be Keith Relf's birthday, it seemed appropriate to pay tribute to him on Tuesday. Plus, as I attempted to articulate in that piece, he warrants celebration as…
Bright Moments vs. The Dying of the Light*
I. L’amour de l’art fait perdre l’amour vrai. Or, the love of art makes one lose real love (attributed to Richepin). As quoted by Vincent Van Gogh in one his…
Richard Cohen, Charles Krauthammer, Salon.com and Me
Props to Salon.com for doing some heavy lifting in the service of exposing hackery this week, courtesy of their amusing --and recommended-- "Hack Thirty" feature. In a mild upset, they…
The Real Life Fable of Charles Mingus and Orval Faubus
On Sept. 4, 1957, Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus called out the National Guard to prevent nine black students from entering Central High School in Little Rock. Charles Mingus had many things…
The Shape of Jazz That Came…
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,…
Sue Mingus and the Mingus Big Band: Letting Our Children Hear Music
The Mingus Big Band is bigger than most big bands because they play the music of Charles Mingus. Of the many words one could use to describe Mingus, (and one…