10 for NYC by 10, on 9/11
Sean MurphyNew 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,…
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…
Whispered Words (Revisited): For Holly
(2009) How long will it take? I did not ask, because I wanted to make every second count. It would be over quickly enough; it was already happening entirely too…
Thoughts on the Olympics, Improvisation and Jay Adams
The Olympics, particularly the two most popular sports from each season—the gymnastics and figure skating—sells itself, accurately, as an embodiment of competition and tension, complete with a touch of voyeurism.…
Got Mars?
So this is pretty neat, huh? Look at us Earthlings, getting our Mars on. It's too bad Ray Bradbury did not live long enough to see this, as he surely…
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…
Bright Moments*
Question: 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…
Five Songs to Welcome Spring
The incomparable John Fahey with the appropriately titled "When The Springtime Comes Again": Janácek's String Quartet "Intimate Letters", 3rd Movement: John Coltrane: "Equinox": Bob Marley, "Natural Mystic": Jethro Tull: "March,…
September 15, 1963 (Revisited)
On Sept. 15, 1963, four black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, in the deadliest act of the…