Bob Marley: 68 Years and Going Strong
Sean MurphyBob Marley was born February 6, 1945, which means he would be turning 68 today. A few years back I chose what I consider five reggae albums that are lesser known,…
What’s It All About, Then? Part Two: Jazz, Featuring Wayne Shorter (Revisited)
Wayne Shorter is about to turn 80. He continues to record, play and inspire. Of the many musicians I admire and seek in some way to emulate (as artists, as…
A Combination of Santa Claus, Superman and Peter Pan (Revisited)
So, it was slightly more than three years ago (ensconced in phase 2 of "Snowpocalpyse 2010") that I wrote the mash note, below. Two things: I totally stand by what…
Don Cornelius: Rest in Peace, Love and Soul (Revisited)
2/2/12. This hurts. A genuine American icon has left the planet. (NYT obit here.) People born during or after the '80s might know Don Cornelius mostly from name-checks in interviews,…
Spanish Donkey: Almost As Good As Being There
It pays to have friends in high places. Or at least on Facebook. Jamie Saft, whose beard is cooler than anyone you know (more about him HERE), understands that all…
George Saunders: This Is His Time
Earlier this month, the New York Times magazine featured the guy pictured above in a cover story entitled "George Saunders Has Written The Best Book You'll Read This Year". Check it out here. Who is…
Dr. Strangelove, A Half-Century (Almost) Later
Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove was released 49 years ago, today. In a longer piece entitled "Making the Case for Kubrick", I assessed his remarkable career (find that HERE). Here is some…
In Praise of Porn…Music: A Primer on Obscure Italian (and German) Soundtrack Bliss (Revisited)
This story begins, as so many of them do, with porn. Sort of. Back in 2004, my boy Serf came back from a trip to Thailand with a treasure trove…
The Problem With the Homeless Problem (Revisited)
Who was he? I think the same question each time I see him (every day: the same man in the same spot, holding the same sign that tells everyone who…
Beethoven & Barenboim: The Power of Music*
Awake, alive. Alone. Never forget this feeling. That evening, halfway through high school, watching the snow fall outside your window. Lights out and that music playing: Beethoven. The sonatas, with…