Pete La Roca, R.I.P.
Sean MurphyIt will be an ongoing, and very somber, progression, watching so many old-school jazz musicians (many of whom recorded on the epic Blue Note label during the glory years of…
The 30th Anniversary Of A Digital Dinosaur: An Appreciation
Wow, look who turned 30 this week! Our beloved (and/or quaint, prehistoric, irrelevant) CD player was "born" in 1982, right around the time video killed the radio star (allegedly). Pretty interesting…
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.…
Finding Grace in Beautiful Places
In a piece I recommend you reading @ the reliably awesome Rumpus, writer Amber Sparks, a non-believer, discusses matters of faith, spirituality and art (check it here). The piece is entitled "Seeking…
When I have fears that I may cease to be…* (Revisited)
I. Til Love and Fame to nothingness do sink When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has glean’d my teeming brain, Before high…
Before we discovered the Higgs Boson we had Max Roach
I talk about Max Roach as often as I can, because. I talk about Max Roach because Max Roach needs to be talked about. The last time I gave him…
A Week of Americana. Part Two: Mingus Ah Um
If we're going to talk about America, we've got to talk about Mingus. It's really that simple. As readers of this blog know, while I don't go out of my…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day
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…
Introducing Aram Bajakian
My review of Aram Bajakian's remarkable debut Aram Bajakian's Kef dropped yesterday at Popmatters. (check it out here). It's not too early to predict that this will end up as one of…
Aram Bajakian: Aram Bajakian’s Kef
Aram Bajakian’s Fractured Folk Tales You need to spend some time with this music. Fortunately, you will want to spend time with it. There are at least two excellent reasons…