Commentary

The 19th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll: Now and Then and Then and Now — A Top Ten List From Its Namesake

January 10, 2025
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Here’s my Top 10 presented with the understanding that I didn’t hear as many albums as in other years, or concentrate on those I did hear and enjoy as if I had nothing else on my mind.

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The 19th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll: The Nuts and Bolts

January 10, 2025
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There is a lot of extraordinary jazz out there that few of us are noticing, myself included.

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Book Commentary: “Taming Silicon Valley” — Man Over AI

December 17, 2024
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The kinds of regulations Gary Marcus proposes, however well-intentioned they may be, would — in practice — only end up further disenfranchising the masses.

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Theater Reviews – A Musical Mixed Bag on Broadway

November 25, 2024
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Capsule reviews of five new musicals that opened this month on Broadway.

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Concert Review: Horizon Ensemble Ushers in a Festive Autumn

November 23, 2024
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There wasn’t much autumnal despondency in this Horizon Ensemble program; it was dedicated to the upside of the season, an invitation to enjoy all its warmth, friendship, and festivity.

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Classical Concert Commentary: The Boston Symphony Orchestra Takes On the Contemporary

October 23, 2024
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It is only a month into the current season, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra has offered three pieces that have either been heard for the first time in Symphony Hall or given that more rare honor that evades most premieres — the deuxième performance.

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Arts Commentary: Internet Archive Under Attack — Cultural History Under Threat

October 17, 2024
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The Internet Archive’s struggles highlight the challenges faced by nonprofit organizations operating in a digital world dominated by commercial and geopolitical interests.

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Book Review: “The Miró Worm and the Mysteries of Writing’ — Pursuing Creative Inwardness

October 16, 2024
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The ascendancy of digital life is acknowledged as unshakable, but in these essays Sven Birkerts offers useful insights into how serious writers can carry on.

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Arts Remembrance: Maggie Smith

October 1, 2024
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Maggie Smith’s finest and most memorable roles drew on her genius for dramatizing the emotional complexity of outsiders.

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Arts Remembrance: Saxophonist/Composer/Arranger Benny Golson –“I Remember Benny”

September 24, 2024
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Benny Golson’s accomplishments were enormous and lasting.

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