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CD reviews
I’ve got three CD reviews in the Sept. ’07 issue of Jazz Times: Nublu Orchestra Conducted by Butch Morris (Nublu)Sulphur by Steuart Liebig’s Minim (pfMentum) Inamorata by Bill Laswell’s Method of Defiance (Ohm Resistance)
Pike on Pilger
Far-left polemicist John Pilger is very happy to report that boycotting Israel is an idea that is catching on. Only problem is his evidence — he cites a group, Independent Jewish Voices, whose founding author is flatly opposed to the boycott. Pilger is either inept, dishonest or both. Jon Pike of Engage comments. More on Pilger here and here.
Anoushka Shankar/Karsh Kale
My review of their Tuesday night Philly show, in today’s Inquirer.
Free Aung San Suu Kyi
With Sean Penn and other celebs supporting a budding autocracy in Venezuela, it’s nice to see Jim Carrey making a dead-serious appeal for the freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi. [P.S. – Demonstrations have been flaring up in Rangoon in recent days. Take a moment to appreciate the incredible bravery of the Burmese opposition, whose members are being rounded up
Katrina, two years on
My friend and colleague Larry Blumenfeld has an informative piece in Salon.
The week on disc (2)
In case you missed the last one… Bruce Eisenbeil, Inner Constellation (NEMU): A 27-part free suite (just over 45 minutes), followed by three shorter pieces. Simpatico quintet featuring Nasheet Waits on drums and Aaron Ali Sheikh (curator of this important concert series) on alto. Eisenbeil sounds great on electric and acoustic guitars. James Carney, Green-Wood (Songlines): The graffiti-style cover graphic
The buck stops … where?
It’s an unfolding investigation, with many conclusions still to be drawn, but the implications of this story are absolutely huge. It’s about thoroughgoing corruption in the procurement of weapons for the Iraqi armed forces. We’ve already heard about how the U.S. “cannot fully account for about 110,000 AK-47 rifles, 90,000 pistols, 80 items of body armor, and 115,000 helmets reported
Black Sugar Transmission
Andee Hinds — singer, songwriter, guitar-shredder and not least of all, my good friend — has a new intiative he calls Black Sugar Transmission. It’s fist-pumping, melodic and highly destructive dance-rock, and there are some new tracks mastered by Greg Calbi up at the BST MySpace page. Have fun. More from Andee at Andee’s Vault.