dev
The Saddam hanging
I’m late in commenting, but wanted to note I found it interesting that Saddam Hussein should be put to death at the very moment when the state of New Jersey began seriously to consider abolishing the death penalty as contrary to “evolving standards of decency.” I’ve long based my opposition to capital punishment on the argument that no government in
CDs reviewed
A couple of my recent CD reviews for Jazz Times are available online: So There by bassist Steve Swallow and the late poet Robert Creeley, with Steve Kuhn on piano; and History of the Micros, a reissue of all four albums by the Microscopic Septet. In December ’06 the Micros reunited to play Joe’s Pub. Alas, I was out of
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