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New York vs. Philadelphia
For the first time since 1950, the Yankees and the Phillies — New York and Philadelphia — will face off in the World Series. My two cities. For that reason, I’m declaring some version of neutrality and just planning to take in the intensity of it all. I’m pretty far from a sports guy, but postseason baseball brings me back
Racists on parade
Pat Buchanan in the U.S., Nick Griffin in the UK. Partly in response to Buchanan’s infamous tripe, Andrew Sullivan quotes a reader on the black string-band tradition and a truly awesome group, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, whose Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind I’ve spun quite a lot.
Rohde cont’d.
From part three of David Rohde’s harrowing account, “Held By the Taliban”: It was a universe filled with contradictions. My captors assailed the West for killing civilians, but they celebrated suicide attacks orchestrated by the Taliban that killed scores of Muslim bystanders. Thank you, someone’s finally saying it, and who better than Rohde. Once again: According to the Human Rights
“As a Jew”
Three words that have come to make my hair stand on end. Here is Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books (via Norm): “I’m unambiguously hostile to Israel because it’s a mendacious state. They do things that are just so immoral and counterproductive and, as a Jew, especially as a Jew, you can’t justify that.” And then, this:
The week on disc (55)
In case you missed the last one… David Binney & Alan Ferber, In the Paint (Posi-Tone) SFJazz Collective, Live 2009: The Works of McCoy Tyner (SFJazz Records) Joe Morris, Colorfield (ESP-Disk’) Ben Monder & Bill McHenry, Bloom (Blue Music Group) Harris Eisenstadt, Canada Day (Clean Feed) Joey DeFrancesco, Snapshot (HighNote)
Held by the Taliban
David Rohde’s extended account of his hellish seven-month-plus captivity in Afghanistan and Taliban-held Pakistan is running this week in the NYT. Part one is here. It’s about as gripping a narrative as you can possibly imagine, and a testament to the man’s extraordinary bravery and sacrifice. Rohde took a risk in interviewing a Taliban commander because he felt duty-bound as
On Christian McBride
My feature on Christian McBride, in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer.
On the Industrial Jazz Group
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Industrial Jazz GroupFri., Oct. 16, 7:55pm. $5. With Agent Moosehead, Gina Ferrera. Green Line Café, 4426 Locust St. 215.222.0799 www.industrialjazzgroup.com Soon after Keith Jarrett famously cursed out photographers in Italy, Andrew Durkin orchestrated the whole tirade for the singers and players of his acoustic 16-piece Industrial Jazz Group. That’s Durkin’s specialty: arch, knowing humor delivered