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Booker’s Newark
Interesting piece in the NY Times today about the smear campaign underway against Newark mayor Cory Booker. Among the mayor’s most vocal detractors is Amiri Baraka, long ago a vital artist and music critic, now a crackpot of the worst sort, but one who retains his sycophantic following in jazz circles. Anyhow, note that according to one Baptist reverend, …many
Six Picks: July 2007
My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in All About Jazz-New York, July 2007: The Nels Cline Singers, Draw Breath (Cryptogramophone) Kahil El’Zabar’s Infinity Orchestra, Transmigration (Delmark) Victor Goines, Love Dance (Criss Cross) Myra Melford & Tanya Kalmanovitch, Heart Mountain (Perspicacity) Enrico Pieranunzi, Live In Japan (CAM Jazz) Vinson Valega, Awake (Consilience)
Vision Festival ’07
My review of the first two nights is at Jazz Times online. The festival continues through this Sunday. I neglected to mention the rare performance by South African drummer Louis Moholo, which will close the festival on the 24th. I’m happy to report that Moholo will appear in Philadelphia as well, on June 29. [Update: A reader notes that Moholo
The veil
A piece in the NY Times today concerns the wearing of the niqab, the full face veil, by Muslim women in Britain. The issue has drawn plenty of controversy, in other countries as well. Here in Philadelphia, go run an errand and you’re likely to come across at least one woman covered head to toe in black — very much
On Howard Fishman
Howard Fishman, the unclassifiable singer-songwriter and guitarist, is bringing his Basement Tapes show to Philly tomorrow night (Friday, June 22). I have a feature preview in the current Philadelphia Weekly.
Sir Salman Rushdie
I’d like to take a moment to applaud the UK for knighting Salman Rushdie, one of the most brilliant artists of our time. I’d also like to denounce the outpouring of hate and igorance from Pakistan and other places. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam, “Salman Rushdie has tried to insult and malign Muslims through his writings….” As
Chick Corea, Béla Fleck
Chick Corea and Béla Fleck played Philly on Friday night. My review, in today’s Inquirer.
Hajdu vs. Zorn
In the mood for some cognitive dissonance? Read these two pieces back to back: first guitarist Marc Ribot’s attack on the marginalization of creative music; then critic David Hajdu’s attack on John Zorn, king of the New York avant-garde. Both have valid things to say, though I’m far more sympathetic to Zorn than Hadju is.