The Last Waltz, At Last: RIP, Garth Hudson
Sean MurphyEvery group (athletes, artists, executives) requires at least one MVP who is willing (and, often, needs) to cede the spotlight, be content to stay out of the fray, avoid the…
Sam Moore, RIP
Most of the obits will talk about "Soul Man" (as they should), but Sam & Dave dropped so many gems, many ripe for (re)discovery. As a young pup, my introduction…
2025: Focus on Sanity
Obviously I think the world would be a more enlightened, happy, and peaceful place if more folks listened to jazz, and I'm content to convert as many lost souls as…
Peter Sinfield, Prog Rock Visionary
There are few rock bands I've written about more than King Crimson (check it out here, here, here, and here -- and there's more if you need it: just Google…
On Broken Heels (x 2)
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 04: Muscian Sonny Rollins arrives at the 34th Kennedy Center Honors held at the Kennedy Center Hall of States on December 4, 2011 in Washington, DC.…
Born in the U.S.A. at 40: The Boss Before, During, After
i. Before Deliver Me From Nowhere Perhaps because of what followed—the next album, the acclaim—Springsteen’s decision to make the ultimate lo-fi album seems even more prescient, appropriate, and perfect. If Darkness…
In the Garden of Eden: Doug Ingle, RIP
RIP to Doug Ingle, singer and organist on Iron Butterfly's epic (or insufferable -- and for my money these are not mutually exclusive) "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," a song that for many young…
Murphy’s Laws: 54 Infallible Observations on the Occasion of Turning 54
“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.…
“The Way We Were” at 50, and David S. Ware
On This Day, 50 years ago: On February 2, 1974, a sweet, soft ballad by a 31-year-old Barbra Streisand knocks Beatle Ringo Starr down a notch on the Billboard Hot 100. Streisand’s…
Original Poem: The Charles Mingus Sextet in Europe, 1964
I continue to appreciate the team at Jerry Jazz Musician for celebrating America’s unique art form, and showcasing not only the sounds, but the words around the sounds. For my fellow old…