Commentary
The aftermath of a terrorist act becomes an opportunistic event for those selling us a certain bill of partisan geo-political goods… while simultaneously diminishing our latitude as citizens.
Our financial establishment is being hijacked in a car driven by a greedy, vengeful man, his industry cronies and a doormat Congress cowering meekly in the back seat.
Donna Jean Godchaux changed the Grateful Dead – adding a Southern accent and feminine energy to this rough-hewn psychedelic troupe – and the Grateful Dead changed Donna Jean Godchaux – elevating her from session singer footnote to jam-scene royalty.
Jack DeJohnette – who died this week at age 83 of congestive heart failure – lorded over his entire kit with loose but incisive strokes to tightly tuned drum heads and cymbals.
Perhaps asking that Judy Chicago’s exhibition not come was a necessary strategy in the short term, to help end Israeli brutality. But the lesson her show teaches us is necessary in the long term, so that Israelis will stop glorifying that very same brutality.
If it is possible for people to express a deep personal regard for one another through musical collaboration, that is what happens between John Scofield and Dave Holland in their upcoming release.
Through the efforts of the Boston Public Art Triennial, the City of Boston’s civic life and built environment have been enhanced and strengthened. Bravo!
Raise a glass to Lenny Bruce, champion for—and martyr to—Americans’ First Amendment right to free speech. October 13, 2025, is the hundredth anniversary of his birth in Mineola, New York.
Now is a time for artists and arts organizations to stand shoulder to shoulder with other fields and disciplines that produce care in our communities.
Jazz Commentary: The Enduring Enigma of Chet Baker
I take a look back at the compelling documentary “Let’s Get Lost” because of the recently released “Chet Baker Performs and Sings: Swimming by Moonlight”, 15 unreleased studio recordings made by the trumpeter.
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