August 26, 2002: Nine Ways of Looking at Nine Years
Sean MurphyI had the opportunity to deliver the eulogy at my mother’s funeral (which, incredibly, occurred only a few months after this photo was taken, at my cousin’s wedding in June 2002).…
Bill Evans: The Definitive Bill Evans on Riverside and Fantasy
The way the piano was played, like almost everything else in jazz, changed during the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. With a new crop of young virtuosos churning out one…
What’s It All About, Then? Part Four: Jazz, Featuring McCoy Tyner
It occurs to me that I've said little, on the record, about McCoy Tyner. This is a shame, since he is one of my all-time favorite musicians and a case…
No One Has Ever Done Anything as Well as John Coltrane Played the Saxophone (Revisited)
The question isn’t, really, about who might be interested in this documentary; it is about who might not be. For fans who already know everything, or those indifferent to jazz…
Interpolating A Poem: As Opposed To Prayer*
I. Nervous and unnerved this evening, alone: Searching for solace, something not unlike prayer, A hope that the past will not repeat itself, Progress: a preemptive strike, this procedure (They…
Three For J.C.
It's a big day for J.C. In the spirit of Christmas, I'd like to celebrate J.C. with some...J.C. I'm speaking, of course, about John Coltrane. And I'll try to resist…
You Don’t Need To Be A Fan of Star Wars or Christmas (or Christ) To Appreciate This
'Tis the season. Which is to say, the time of year for finding excellent, non-traditional renditions of overly familiar "traditional" holiday music.
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,…
Ten Songs For My Mother
Happy birthday, mama. Stevie Wonder, "You are the Sunshine of my Life": John Coltrane, "Naima": Booker Little, "Strength and Sanity": Janis Ian, "Tea and Sympathy": Abdullah Ibrahim, "Water…
Summertime is Reggae Time (Revisited)– Part Four: ‘The Same Song’ by Israel Vibration
The cardinal rule for any serious appraisal of art involves a necessity to separate all discussion of the artist from the artifact. Mostly this is essential because so many unsavory…