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Top shows 2009
This list is somewhat skewed, given the degree to which new fatherhood slowed my gig attendance in 2009. Nonetheless, I managed to attend roughly 120 shows. Here are my top 30. 1. David Sanchez with Lage Lund, Orlando Le Fleming, Henry Cole Village Vanguard, March 20 2. Peter Bernstein solo guitar Smalls, July 15 3. John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble Painted
The fire this time
NYT: LAHORE, Pakistan — Militants set off two bombs on Monday night in one of the busiest markets of this eastern Pakistani city, then sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing at least 30 and wounding more than 100 others, Pakistani authorities said. It was the latest in a litany of militant attacks against Pakistani civilians.
Top 25 of 2009, plus
My list of faves for 2009, now up at the Jazz Journalists Association website. I realize there are overlaps in the supplemental categories (a debut disc might also be a large ensemble disc and vice versa, for instance). But listing them this way seemed to make the most sense. Also bear in mind that I have about 100 more CDs
Cringe of the day
From Claire Cain Miller and Miguel Helft’s NYT story on iPhones as musical instruments: “And a big-band jazz group called Large Ensemble used smartphones as instruments during a recent performance in New York.” Um, that’d be John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, which I previewed here.
Scahill’s heyday
[Previous post on Jeremy Scahill here.] Given the troubling involvement of Blackwater in the current Afpak campaign, we’ll probably be hearing a lot more from Jeremy Scahill, described by Spencer Ackerman as Blackwater’s “most dogged journalistic pursuer.” One thing to keep in mind about Scahill is that he’s actually quite sympathetic toward gun-toting, unaccountable thugs who threaten civilians as part
My thoughts exactly
Well, not exactly, but close. Yesterday, from Andrew Sullivan: I think this strategy is doomed. But then I think any strategy that does not pledge to colonize Afghanistan, pour trillions of dollars into it and stay for a century is doomed. So why do I end up this morning feeling rather similar to my colleague, Jim Fallows, who simply sighs:
The slander begins
[Cross-posted at Harry’s Place. See Gene’s earlier post on Malalai Joya.] Malalai Joya at Comment Is Free makes valid points about corruption under Karzai but then writes: Like many around the world, I am wondering what kind of “peace” prize can be awarded to a leader who continues the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and starts a new war in
The speech
I have a lot to do today besides read seven million reactions to Obama’s speech, but I’ll wade back into the water soon. For now, I think this is the most principled military decision we could reasonably expect from an American president in these circumstances. It was not “the easier option,” as Bob Herbert opined yesterday. A majority of Americans