On Broken Heels (x 2)
Sean MurphyWASHINGTON, 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…
The Master at 100: Understanding Max Roach
Max Roach, b. Jan 10, 1924 While there is much to admire and recommend in the excellent documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, especially for young creatives or academics who want to better understand--and…
2023: A Creative Recap
Kicking off '23 in Todos Santos From 1455’s Movable Type, Issue 15 (peruse the complete archives, here): The State of the Art, right now, is a sum total of every individual…
2023: A Final Farewell to Some Irreplaceable Icons
Wow, it's sad to look back and see the sheer number of all-times greats we watched depart our planet this year. Of course, these losses are invariably mitigated by the…
Original Poem: Albert Ayler’s Vision
If it’s true a picture is worth a thousand words, this particular image seems able to conjure up entire books, libraries filled with stories of pain and pathos, apathy and…