Julian Priester: Help Him, Help Yourself
Sean MurphyNeedless to say, if I had my way jazz musicians would be famous, well-paid and appreciated. This is not a selfish desire: I would make no money in the venture,…
Finding Grace in Beautiful Places (Revisited)
In a piece I recommend you reading @ the reliably awesome Rumpus, writer Amber Sparks, a non-believer, discusses matters of faith, spirituality and art (check it here). The piece is…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All hope is not lost. At least enough people are still making --and listening to-- jazz that we can even attempt to initiate what hopefully becomes an ongoing occasion. In…
Dave Brubeck, R.I.P.
Another great one goes away. (Read THIS.) We knew he wouldn't live forever, but damned if he didn't try. 91 years old. The first jazz musician to move a million…
Pete La Roca, R.I.P.
It will be an ongoing, and very somber, progression, watching so many old-school jazz musicians (many of whom recorded on the epic Blue Note label during the glory years of…
The 30th Anniversary Of A Digital Dinosaur: An Appreciation
Wow, look who turned 30 this week! Our beloved (and/or quaint, prehistoric, irrelevant) CD player was "born" in 1982, right around the time video killed the radio star (allegedly). Pretty interesting…
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 our known universe.…
Finding Grace in Beautiful Places
In a piece I recommend you reading @ the reliably awesome Rumpus, writer Amber Sparks, a non-believer, discusses matters of faith, spirituality and art (check it here). The piece is entitled "Seeking…
When I have fears that I may cease to be…* (Revisited)
I. Til Love and Fame to nothingness do sink When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has glean’d my teeming brain, Before high…
Before we discovered the Higgs Boson we had Max Roach
I talk about Max Roach as often as I can, because. I talk about Max Roach because Max Roach needs to be talked about. The last time I gave him…