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On Mark Weinstein & Omar Sosa
My review of Mark Weinstein & Omar Sosa’s Tales from the Earth, in the current Time Out New York. Sosa’s Afreecanos Quartet plays the Highline Ballroom this Sunday.
Obama’s Nobel
What do I think? It doesn’t matter what I think. As a fairly militant supporter of President Obama, I’m biased. Has he racked up a term’s worth of accomplishments? No. Has he changed the tone of world diplomacy radically for the better? Yes. So I’m happy this news annoys rightists who’ve been painting Obama as Hitler-Stalin-Satan. I’m also happy it
Remembering Margot
Once again, my sister has put up a beautiful tribute page — this one in memory of our Margot. All October profits from nawtydog.com go to the ASPCA.
“Just a Guy Who Knows”
That’s the title of a documentary-in-progress about saxophonist Sonny Simmons. Trailer below. Dan Scofield and Mike Ercolini are seeking funding to expand it to feature-length from its current 21 minutes. I love the fact that Simmons doubles on English horn. His latest collaboration, with Norway’s Crimetime Orchestra, Atomic Symphony, is not to be missed. JUST A GUY WHO KNOWS trailer
The week on disc (54)
In case you missed the last one… Chuck Owen & The Jazz Surge, The Comet’s Tail: Performing the Compositions of Michael Brecker (MAMA Records) Joris Teepe Big Band, We Take No Prisoners (Challenge) Digital Primitives, Hum Crackle & Pop (Hopscotch) Steve Davis, Eloquence (Jazz Legacy) Dafnis Prieto, Si O Si Quartet: Live at Jazz Standard NYC (Dafnison) Keith Jarrett, Testament
Pakistan WFP bombing PS
I like The Rachel Maddow Show, and I especially admire Maddow’s tenacious reporting on right-wing astroturf efforts to stymie health care reform. She’s getting through to a mass audience with a hugely important point: that in politics, all is not as it seems. Always look behind the curtain. For that very reason, Maddow’s comment last night on Afghanistan-Pakistan was frustrating.
Philadelphia haps, cont’d.
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: EllipsisWed., Oct. 7, 9pm. $5. With Oud Blues. Tritone, 1508 South St. 215.545.0475 www.tritonebar.com Drummer Justin Leigh and pianist John Stenger head up Ellipsis, and their continuing residency at Tritone has entailed full-album renditions of Björk, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley and others (first Wednesday every month, free downloadable sets at ellipsismakesmusic.com). But Ellipsis
Slaughtering humanitarian workers
A word of sympathy for the employees of the UN World Food Program who were viciously killed today in a suicide bombing in Islamabad. People on the antiwar left who voice outrage at U.S. drone attacks might want to say something in condemnation of this completely senseless, unprovoked and premeditated atrocity. Just a thought. The WFP, needless to say, is