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Music Profile: Violinist, Teacher, Composer, and Arranger Mimi Rabson — Making a Life in Art

February 26, 2021
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The life of a working musician is not a second-class life, and Mimi Rabson’s is Exhibit A: “I try to get past the limits of the definitions and get to the joy.”

Book/Film Interview: Leslie Epstein on “Casablanca” and “Hill of Beans”

February 25, 2021
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An interview with Brookline’s own Leslie Epstein on his new novel, the inexhaustible freshness of Casablanca, and the need for truth in historical fiction.

World Music Album Review: Michael Wimberly’s “Afrofuturism” — Journeying Forward Through Diversity

February 25, 2021
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We need more recordings like this. This is a diverse and imaginative album that draws on a wide range of influences: rap, old-school funk, Afropop, traditional West African music, and R&B jam sessions.

Jazz Album Review: Kemp Harris’s “Live at The Bird SF” — An Infectious Hybrid

February 24, 2021
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This live performance recording showcases the Boston-based singer/pianist Kemp Harris’s merrily eclectic approach — it is a thought-stirring and animated musical excursion.

Television Review: “It’s a Sin” — Poignant Remembrance of the AIDS Era

February 23, 2021
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Despite its inevitable darkness, It’s a Sin never loses sight of the joys of existence.

Visual Arts Review: Trump Likes Minimalism? Really?

February 23, 2021
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All four budgets that Donald Trump and his sycophants sent to Congress had nada for the arts and humanities.

Book Review: “Second Time Around: From Art House to DVD”

February 23, 2021
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The book’s conceit is that D.A. Miller watches films he’s seen earlier in life with enhanced perception because of the possibilities offered him through the DVD lens.

Rap Album Review: slowthai’s “Tyron” — A Rapper of Two Minds

February 22, 2021
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This is a sophomore album that showcases an artist’s desire to grow beyond his initial success.

Film Review: “Billie” — A Fascinating Spotlight on a Jazz Legend

February 22, 2021
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Billie is a stunning new documentary about Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz vocalists of the 20th century.

Music Interview: Prizing the Peculiar – “The Ivan Variations” Performed by the Chandler Travis  Philharmonic

February 22, 2021
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“The Ivan Variations is kind of a departure for me, though some would argue that my whole career is a departure, and I hope they’re right!”

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