Open Letter to the Hartford Courant re: Jazz Riffs
In response to the recent news that Owen McNally’s Jazz Riffs column is slated for cancellation
Continue ReadingI Want You to Know
Have you ever made the statement “you can tell me anything” to someone else? This is a well-intentioned statement and we usually perceive it to be genuine. But do we really mean it? And more significantly, are our actions really embodying it? Even when it’s difficult for us, possibly even making us feel bad about negative impacts of our own actions? Hmmm . . .
Continue ReadingWord and Deed
Do you have to go to beauty school to learn consistency of word and deed? Not if you’re stuck with me as a teacher . . .
Continue ReadingTop 10 Favorite Cedar Walton and Billy Higgins Tracks
Wrapping up my Cedar tributes (and my lists, having recently devoted Top 10s to each of these men without the other), here are 10 highlights among the dozens and dozens of tracks these two collaborated on that have been essential to the development of my own musical conception.
Continue ReadingTop 10 Favorite Billy Higgins Tracks (non-Cedar Walton division)
We’ll get to Billy Higgins plus Cedar Walton soon; in the meantime here are 10 of my favorite Billy sides without Cedar. What a great excuse to listen to one of the greatest drummers in jazz history.
Continue ReadingTop 10 Favorite Cedar Walton Tracks (non-Billy Higgins division)
This is the first of 3 related Top 10 lists – stay tuned for a Billy Higgins list and one featuring the work of Cedar and Billy together.
Continue ReadingTop 10 Favorite Marian McPartland Tracks
Last week marked Marian McPartland’s passing. Her warmth is what I will always remember most, but her musical legacy is tremendous.
Continue ReadingStay On the Path (Thanks Cedar)
In tribute to the incredible musical legacy of Cedar Walton (1934-2013) I am currently preparing a series of my Top 10 lists. In the meantime, though, I wanted to share a personal anecdote of how a seemingly innocuous encounter with him shaped my life.
Continue ReadingA Shot At Redemption
What is it with me and philosophical revelations that occur at 5-5 in the third set? This time it incorporates disability, tragedy, Paul Simon and the potential for triumph of the human spirit and beyond.
Continue ReadingTop 10 Paul Simon Tracks
10 among my many faves by Mr. Simon . . . as a solo artist, without the tall guy.
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