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…
They Will Rock You, They Are The Champions: The Consummate American Bands (Revisited)
October ’08. In the spirit of two quintessentially American inventions (obsessions, really), baseball and rock and roll, it seemed like a swell idea to merge the two in a lighthearted…
ALL HAIL THE QUEEN
Everyone is posting this (and why shouldn’t they?), and I’m happy to join the crowd—with love, respect, and appreciation. I’m sure, when I first saw this, age 10-ish, I’d heard…
RIP Walter Becker, Your Work Here is Done
RIP Walter Becker. Not many musicians were involved in a run as productive and consistently sublime as Steely Dan's. My life, in short, would make much less sense without his…
Art vs. Life and Death, Again (Revisited)
Wow, look at the New York Times, today, on the complicated legacy of Roberto Bolano, here. Money quote(s): Few writers are more acclaimed right now than the Chilean novelist Roberto…
In Defense of Good Sax, Part Two
Wherein five jazz saxophonists "slum" and make truly indelible contributions to five well-loved and much-played rock songs. Considering one of the all-time ALL TIME greats (Sonny Rollins) is on this…
In Defense of Good Sax, Part One
A writer whom I respect recently made an offhand observation that I'd like to challenge --not because his opinion isn't valid but rather because it seems representative of a casual…
Art vs. Life and Death, Again (Revisited)
We were saying? Wow, look at the New York Times, today, on the complicated legacy of Roberto Bolano, here. Money quote(s): Few writers are more acclaimed right now than the…
They Will Rock You, They Are The Champions: The Consummate American Bands (Revisited)
October ’08. In the spirit of two quintessentially American inventions (obsessions, really), baseball and rock and roll, it seemed like a swell idea to merge the two in a lighthearted…
In Defense of Good Sax, Part Two
Wherein five jazz saxophonists "slum" and make truly indelible contributions to five well-loved and much-played rock songs. Considering one of the all-time ALL TIME greats (Sonny Rollins) is on this…