David Adler
On Gerald Ford
In this post from my travelogue in Iraqi Kurdistan, I recounted one Kurd’s rueful mention of the Algiers Accord of 1975. This was a watershed in contemporary Kurdish history — a historic betrayal by the U.S. that presaged the post-Gulf War betrayal of 1991. Christopher Hitchens, much maligned these days as a right-wing hack, makes the best of left-wing cases
Village Voice poll
My colleague Francis Davis has instituted a new jazz critics’ poll at the Village Voice. The results are here; Francis’s overview essay is here. Well worth a look. Note: There’s a typo on my ballot. Liberty Ellman’s album is listed as Ophiuchus (Butterfly Pi). The correct album title is Ophiuchus Butterfly. The record label is Pi.
Happy New Year
Best wishes for 2007. I’m happy to point you toward my debut piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer, a review of drummer Ari Hoenig and his trio.
Fascinatin’ rhythm…
…from Lasse Gjertsen, who cannot play drums (or piano). Enjoy. I don’t anticipate posting much before the New Year. Have a very happy holiday season, and thank you for reading in 2006. On to the next…
Gene Martin R.I.P.
Photographer extraordinaire Gene Martin has died, way before his time (age 55). Early reports suggest it may have been an aneurysm. [Update: Cause of death was a ruptured aorta.] I considered him a friend. He’d send me blurbs for the JJA newsletter — always long, bursting with information on his current exploits. The last time I saw him was on
On “insubordination”
Michael Crowley of The New Republic frets over a remark by Pres. Bush during today’s press conference, in response to a question on whether ordering a troop “surge” in Baghdad may go against the wishes of top military brass. Bush called this “a dangerous hypothetical.” Crowley wonders: “When was the last time even the whiff of military insubordination was in
Jottings on antisemitism
— David T of Harry’s reports that Gilad Atzmon — the UK-based saxophonist and anti-Jewish hatemonger that I’ve dealt with many times before [pdf] — has published a piece emphatically denying that he’s a racist. He’s harmed his case, however, by publishing it on a far-right website called The Truth Seeker, where, among other things, you’ll find the prolific crackpot
“Comrade Mengistu”
Since we’re on the topic of bloody dictators, an Ethiopian court has found the Stalinist mass murderer Mengistu Haile Mariam guilty (in absentia) of genocide. Where is Mengistu? In Zimbabwe, being sheltered by Robert Mugabe. A member of Mugabe’s government ruled out extraditing Mengistu to face justice. Paul Mangwana, Zimbabwe’s acting information minister, told AFP: “Comrade Mengistu asked for asylum