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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.
Philadelphia haps, cont’d.
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: New Directions Chamber BrassWed., Sep. 16, 9pm. $5. With Elliott Levin/Charles Cohen Duo. Tritone, 1508 South St. 215.545.0475 www.tritonebar.com The Avant Ascension series eases into its second year with a set from this genre-oblivious unit, which is led by trumpeter Thomas Madeja and happens also to include AA co-curator and trombonist Larry Toft. What a
Glenn Beck, historical illiterate and thug
One of the most hopeful things about the Obama administration is a renewed commitment to the arts, and particularly renewed support for the National Endowment for the Arts. It is all the more imperative, then, that the White House not take its personnel cues for the NEA from screaming right-wing cable TV idiots like Glenn Beck. Apparently Beck has brought
Digging Sonny
I’m interviewing Sonny Rollins later today for a Philadelphia Inquirer feature to run on Sunday, September 20. So I’ve been trawling YouTube and loving this 1963 clip in particular, with Don Cherry on cornet, Henry Grimes on bass, Billy Higgins on drums. They’re playing Monk’s “52nd Street Theme,” which is rhythm changes in C. So, high bebop meets half of
9/11
From Godspell. Watch to the end. Positively creepy.