Just back from Toronto and an enjoyable conference of the IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education). Friday’s panel on blogging was moderated by Neil Tesser, who engaged me, Darcy James Argue, David Ryshpan and Carl Wilson in an hour of fun and productive discussion. Lots of schmoozing later with the good folks of the Jazz Journalists Association — one of
In case you missed the last one… Jill Scott, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol. 3 (Hidden Beach): I don’t much care for “Hate on Me,” which lacks the harmonic interest of Scott’s best work, and at first I was put off by the simplified Mahavishnu sample on the title track. But the album gets under your skin and
From his pivotal Iowa speech: I will send, once more, a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says: You matter to us. Your future is our future. May it come to pass. Here for his Iowa victory speech.
My cover story [pdf] on Keith Jarrett appears in the January/February issue of Jazz Times, now on newsstands. Does he talk about the Umbria flap? Oh yes he does.
I’ve posted a few photos from my recent Paris trip here.
Happy New Year! My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in All About Jazz-New York, January 2008: Andy Bey, Ain’t Necessarily So (12th Street) Chris Gestrin, After the City Has Gone: Quiet (Songlines) Frank Kimbrough, Air (Palmetto)Moutin Reunion Quartet, Sharp Turns (Blujazz) Tyshawn Sorey, That/Not (Firehouse 12) Daniel Yvinec, The Lost Crooners (BEE Jazz)
My review of Mickey Roker at Ortlieb’s, in today’s Inquirer.
Juan Cole has a list of top-ten myths about the Iraq war, well worth reading. Top myth: The surge is working. This mantra is being repeated on every network news broadcast. Nothing in Iraq is that simple. P.S. – There are things of Cole’s to take issue with. He’s right to note that Kurdistan can no longer be regarded as