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Polanski and etc.
“Do successful artists get a pass for their moral failings or crimes?” asks the NYT Room for Debate blog in regard to the Roman Polanski affair. Gee, ya think? Not only do they get a pass for their moral failings — they’re often celebrated for their moral failings, which are too easily mistaken for virtues. At the most recent Oscars,
On the Fat Cat Big Band
My feature on guitarist-composer Jade Synstelien and the Fat Cat Big Band, in the October 2009 issue of Jazz Times.
Sonny Rollins front-page spread
I was finally able to scan my Sonny Rollins Inquirer feature from the other day, a nice front-page spread [pdf] in the Tuesday Magazine section. I’m not sure if Sonny has elsewhere discussed the possibility of a trio studio session with Christian McBride and Roy Haynes, so I won’t claim it’s a scoop, but let’s hope he goes that way.
Mourning our dear Margot
Less than a month after the passing of our greyhound Angus, I am sick with grief to report the passing of his life companion Margot, our sweet yellow mutt, whose mounting depression in the last few weeks turned out to be something extremely serious. We’ll never know what it was exactly — probably an aggressive cancer that had been lurking,
On Oliver Lake
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Oliver Lake Organ QuartetSun., Sep. 27, 8pm. $12. International House, 3701 Chestnut St. 215.895.6546 www.arsnovaworkshop.org If you think of the jazz avant-garde as insular, a world apart, consider alto saxophonist Oliver Lake, whose work with Björk, Mos Def, Meshell Ndegeocello and others has set an all-embracing example (particularly for his sons, drummer Gene and turntablist
On Sonny Rollins
My feature on Sonny Rollins, in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer.
The week on disc (53)
In case you missed the last one… Danny Grissett, Form (Criss Cross) Jason Marsalis, Music Update (Elm) Luis Bonilla, I Talking Now! (Planet Arts) Fernando Benadon, Intuitivo (Innova) Yaron Herman Trio, Muse (Sunnyside) John Beasley, Positootly! (Resonance)
Support for greyhounds
My sister has put up a beautiful tribute page to our late greyhound, Angus, and she’s devoting her September profits to the organization from whence he came, We Adopt Greyhounds. Go check it out.