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“For the love of Kermit”
Bassist Kermit Driscoll has third-stage Lyme Disease and is struggling. There’s a benefit coming up to raise funds for his medical expenses: Monday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m., Tonic, 107 Norfolk Street, near Delancey Street, Lower East Side, 212-358-7501, tonicnyc.com; cover, $25. Slated to perform: Bill Frisell, John Zorn, John Patitucci, John Hollenbeck. Tax-deductible donations can also be made payable
Iraq malaise PS
A quick response to the comment here, for clarity’s sake before the State of the Union Address: I’m sorry to say, but your comments here look like a watered down version of the Bush administration’s “blame the Iraqis” strategy. As I said in the post, the “blame the Iraqis” rhetoric is common among Dems and Repubs, pro-surge and anti-surge. What
Sharia law in Kurdistan?
See below… — Please send letters to support our campaign to remove Article No. 7 from the proposed constitution for Kurdistan. To all women’s group, secularist organisations, trade unions and political activists, we need your help to prevent Islamic Sharia law being implemented in Kurdistan. In December, we declared a campaign to repeal Article 7 from the proposed constitution of
The Iraq malaise
A reader named Gary has inquired about my position on troop withdrawal, “redeployment,” what have you. Yes, I support a troop withdrawal. The U.S. mission in Iraq is riddled with internal contradictions. American troops are shoring up a Shia-dominated regime that they’re simultaneously doing battle against, in various ways. The Maliki government wants the U.S. out, so it can turn
T.O.P.
Pianist Jacky Terrasson, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Leon Parker, that is. I have no trouble declaring that this is one of the best jazz trios of the past 20 years. And they’re back — playing at Iridium in New York through this Sunday. They played the Jazz Standard last year, just after I returned from Iraq. I was in
On Alice Coltrane
Pianist/keyboardist/composer Alice Coltrane, widow of John Coltrane, died over the weekend. I attended her concert in Newark, NJ in October 2006, which was part of a short and much celebrated tour. My reaction was a bit less enthusiastic than that of Bill Milkowski (who sat next to me at the show). Ben Ratliff of the NY Times sounded a more
On Michael Brecker
Tenor sax giant Michael Brecker, who has just died at age 57 of a rare blood disease, was far and away one of the most important figures in my early development as a musician and a jazz listener. I spoke with him only once, on the phone, while doing research for a Downbeat piece on drummer Ralph Peterson in 2002.
Sad news
I just received a note that pianist Alice Coltrane and tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker have both passed away. I had the good fortune to hear both perform within the past year. More comments later.