Orrin Keepnews: Hero for America’s Music
Sean MurphyRevisiting a piece from exactly 10 years ago, celebrating an unjustly obscure, sadly under-appreciated hero for American Culture. March 20, 2015 Orrin Keepnews frequently talked about jazz the way war…
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.…
This Apostle’s Creed: East Broadway Run Down
Fall '83 and, as if weekly church services weren't insufferable enough, the Sacrament of Confirmation required mandatory tutelage, also once a week, on Sundays, which meant our soccer games (and…
Why Wayne Shorter Matters
Wayne 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…
Jeff Beck: The Guitar Grandmaster
As impossible at it is to believe Jeff Beck has died (aged 78), it’s just as difficult to fathom that he was with us in the first place. If you’re…
THE BLACKENED BLUES, One Poem at a Time: Sonny Rollins’s Bridge
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…
Original Poem: Sonny Rollins’s Bridge
Gratitude to the wonderful Burningword Literary Journal for publishing this poem. (And thanks again to them for publishing my poem "Charlie Mingus's Miracle, and nominating it for a Pushcart Prize.)…
10 for NYC by 10, on 9/11
New 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…
10 for NYC by 10, on 9/11
New York City would be unimaginable without jazz, and vice versa: here's a tribute for --and by-- several musicians who help define and celebrate the cultural mecca of our known…
10 for NYC by 10, on 9/11
New 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…