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Kindergarten crisis
Bassist Ben Allison and his daughter Ruby are prominently mentioned in this NY Times article about the lack of available space in public school kindergartens this fall — a situation brought on by increased construction of high-rises in Manhattan, a consequent rise in population, and apparently no plan on the part of the city to expand school capacity accordingly. Just
Six Picks: May 2009
My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in All About Jazz-New York, May 2009: Diego Barber, Calima (Sunnyside) Nathan Eklund, Trip to the Casbah (Jazz Excursion) Julian Lage, Sounding Point (Decca/Emarcy) Joe Lovano’s US Five, Folk Art (Blue Note) Akiko Pavolka & House of Illusion, Trust Aqua (Tone of a Pitch) Corey Wilkes & Abstrakt Pulse, Cries from Tha
Burma whitewash
There is a strange article on Burma in today’s New York Times, bylined “The New York Times,” which purports to show the beginnings of a political opening in that country, mainly in the form of increased government cooperation with foreign aid and relief organizations. If the junta has loosened its grip somewhat in that regard, good. But there’s a whiff
On Branford Marsalis
My review of Metamorphosen by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, in the current Time Out New York. Branford is at Jazz Standard May 5-10.
On Reptet/Kevin Valentine
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: ReptetMon., May 4, 8pm. $10. Chris’s Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131 www.chrisjazzcafe.com The six-piece troupe from Seattle posts plenty of video at reptet.com — a good move for a band this much into masks, funny hats and so on. It’s a jokey, visual experience but the music has a core seriousness. Drummer John Ewing,
Learn a song, own a song
A commenter asks if I’m serious about one of my favorite song picks at Normblog. One hundred percent serious. Video below. Check the Wurlitzer comping at the start of the B section. The way the backing vocals outline the ravishing modulations. The guy rocking the tambourine. But let’s also admit the clarinet is sharp on the intro and the bass
“Liberators”
Here at Lerterland we take a dim view of Israeli human rights abuses, and are annoyed by those who excuse them. We’re equally miffed by the tendency on the left to excuse Hamas’s antisemitism and vicious terror attacks, and to ignore altogether its clear record of violence against Palestinians themselves. The indispensable Human Rights Watch, all too often attacked for
My profile on Normblog
Norman Geras, the fine UK blogger, asked me to participate in his ongoing Normblog profile series and of course I said yes. Thank you, Norm!