Why Wayne Shorter Matters
Sean MurphyWayne Shorter is, for my money, possibly the most underrated genius in any genre of music. To be sure, he certainly received plenty of props within jazz circles and the people…
THE BLACKENED BLUES, One Poem at a Time: Booker Little’s Deliverance
I’m happy to announce that my first poetry collection, The Blackened Blues, is available wherever you buy books (yes, *wherever*, so you don’t have to put more money in Rocket Man’s…
Beethoven at 250
Beethoven at 250. Aside from the two other points in the eternal triangle, Bach and Mozart, has any artist contained such multitudes, expressed so much in ways that are ceaselessly…
Murphy’s Laws: 49 Infallible Observations on the Occasion of Turning 49
“With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.” That, from the ever-quotable Oscar Wilde. Does age impart wisdom? Maybe. It definitely provides opinions. Some of them, perhaps, are worthwhile.…
Murphy’s Laws: 47 Infallible Observations on the Occasion of Turning 47
“With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.” That, from the ever-quotable Oscar Wilde. Does age impart wisdom? Maybe. It definitely provides opinions. Some of them, perhaps, are worthwhile.…
“On This Day” or, Take My Life, Please
The author, en fuego in '09 Remember when Facebook was still new? The novelty of being able to keep tabs on everyone, like e-mail on amphetamines, with pictures (and now,…
Murphy’s Laws: 46 Infallible Observations on the Occasion of Turning 46
“With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.” That, from the ever-quotable Oscar Wilde. Does age impart wisdom? Maybe. It definitely provides opinions. Some of them, perhaps, are worthwhile.…
Victory and Sorrow: Bright Moments from Three Masters (Revisited)
HOW TO TALK ABOUT JAZZ MUSIC? Well, perhaps it’s better to determine how not to talk about jazz music. Hearing is believing. That’s all there is to it. And if…
Under the Influence: The Story of My Life, Cont’d
Q: What did Holden Caulfield do when he grew up? A: He got a job. That is the elevator pitch of my novel Not To Mention a Nice Life, reduced…
Wagner at 200 or, Get Your Götterdämmerung On (Revisited)
Or, If Loving Wagner is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Reich. (More on one of the most complex and controversial composers ever, who was born 200 years ago today,…