Commentary
Few things more clearly attest to the endurance of the human spirit and the drive for creativity than the uninterrupted and unstoppable torrent of brilliant new jazz albums we’ve already seen this year.
Tyshawn Sorey tops the Frances Davis Jazz Poll at mid-year, spurring a reflection on signal vs. noise in a crowded jazz landscape.
Fitting the past into the present: the year (so far) in rara avis (reissues/archival)
Every bookshelf becomes a latent crime scene: China’s all-too-familiar totalitarian playbook to encourage self-censorship.
A skeptical listener finds phrasing, groove, and quiet authority in an 85-minute Boston set.
A sprawling 250th‑anniversary display sidles up to hot‑dog branding and influencer playfulness.
A court-ordered reset in Washington and a self-inflicted rupture in Boston expose deeper failures of leadership, transparency, and trust.
A reconsideration of the Kennedy Center’s unrealized national mission—and what its future could yet hold.
When corporate thinking dominates cultural institutions, the art often pays the price.
Arts Commentary: The Orchestra Gap — Europe vs. the US
The widening chasm between European and American orchestras is not just a matter of polish, but of style, inheritance, and musical conviction.
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