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Oil for Blood
In this post from June of last year, I remarked on how oil smuggling finances the Iraq insurgency. Journalist Lisa Margonelli has started a new NY Times blog called “Pipeline,” focusing on oil and politics. If you have access to Times Select, it’s worth reading. Here she riffs on the popular movie “Blood Diamond” and shows that “conflict oil” wreaks
Dewey Redman memorial
At St. Peter’s Church on 54th and Lexington (NYC) last night, there was a memorial concert for the late saxophonist Dewey Redman — an event I almost missed and am so glad I didn’t. Barely had I removed my coat before I was watching Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Jack DeJohnette play “The Bat,” a classic Metheny ballad. To hear
Troop surge: the devil in the details
This coming week, President Bush will announce his plan for a “surge” of some 20,000 U.S. troops in Iraq — an absolutely futile, last-ditch attempt to secure order in the country. Prime Minister Maliki is expected to match the U.S. troop increase, but here’s a little-noted point: [U.S. officials] said two-thirds of the promised Iraqi force would consist of Kurdish
Six Picks: January 2007
My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in All About Jazz-New York, January 2007: Omer Avital, The Ancient Art of Giving (Smalls) Brian Groder w. Sam Rivers Trio, Torque (Latham) Nicolas Masson, Yellow (A Little Orange) (Fresh Sound-New Talent) Albrecht Maurer & Norbert Rodenkirchen, Hidden Fresco (NEMU) Miles Okazaki, Mirror (self-released) Ximo Tebar & Fourlights, Eclipse (Omix/Sunnyside)
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.