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Castro’s latest
Via Jack Shafer’s Twitter feed, this AP story on Fidel Castro’s decision to fill three of the eight scant pages in the party-controlled newspaper Granma with nonsense from 9/11 Truther and Bilderberg conspiracy theorist Daniel Estulin. AP writer Will Weissert does a nice job detailing how Estulin’s work actually draws on the thinking (rather, “thinking”) of the extremist right. I’m
“America has disgraced itself”
I agree with this strongly worded assessment of the Cordoba controversy by Peter Beinart. Key point: Once upon a time, the “war on terror” was supposed to bring American values to Saudi Arabia. Now Newt Gingrich says we shouldn’t build a mosque in Lower Manhattan until the Saudis build churches and synagogues in Mecca—which is to say, we’re bringing Saudi
In support of Cordoba House
I’m proud that the president of my country, and the mayor of my city, have spoken out forcefully against the bigoted campaign to block the construction of a Muslim community center on Park Place in lower Manhattan. This is a phony issue ginned up by the right, in fact part of a wider outburst of xenophobia that actually has little
The week on disc (77)
In case you missed the last one… Alex Brown, Pianist (Sunnyside) Michael Dease, Grace (Jazz Legacy) Nick Rosen, Into the Sky (Porter) Michael Gregory Jackson, Clarity (ESP-Disk) Stephen Gauci/Kris Davis/Michael Bisio, Three (Clean Feed) Julian Argüelles Trio, Ground Rush (Clean Feed)
On Guillermo Klein
My review of Guillermo Klein’s brilliant new album Domador de Huellas, in this week’s Time Out New York. Klein and his group Base de Nave are at the Village Vanguard August 17-22.
Plagiarism is plagiarism
As a new professor, I’m not sure what’s worse — plagiarism or the new wave of pseudo-intellectual argument justifying plagiarism, as explored in this NYT piece: “This generation has always existed in a world where media and intellectual property don’t have the same gravity,” said Ms. Brookover, who at 31 is older than most undergraduates. “When you’re sitting at your
New York @ Night: August 2010
Below, from the August 2010 issue of All About Jazz-New York. (Check the new AAJ-NY website, the result of its split from AllAboutJazz.com.) — There was one sure way for tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger to heighten the freewheeling melodic onslaught of his quintet gig at Smalls (July 1st): add alto saxophonist Loren Stillman to the frontline. Ornette Coleman’s music was
Six Picks: August 2010
My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in All About Jazz-New York, August 2010: Jamie Begian Big Band, Big Fat Grin (Innova) Willie Jones III, The Next Phase (WJ3) Jacám Manricks, Trigonometry (Posi-Tone) Bernardo Sassetti Trio, Motion (Clean Feed) Roland Vazquez Band, The Visitor (ind.) Sean Wayland, The Show Must Go On (Seed)