The first time Benny Goodman heard Bix Beiderbecke play cornet, he recalled, he wondered, “My God, what planet, what galaxy, did this guy come from?” (Skretvedt). Listening to him throughout my life, I’ve had the same feeling. So did hundreds of musicians who heard Bix during his short lifetime, and so have thousands of listeners […]
Like a Girl Saying Yes: The Sound of Bix Read More »
Paul Westerberg of The Replacements famously wrote, “Growin’ old in a bar, ya grow old in a bar” in his 1985 song “Left Of The Dial.” I spent fourteen years of my life proving him right in an effort to become a successful musician. When I first started playing out in clubs, MTV had just
Rock N’ Roll Ghosts Read More »
I saw the danger, yet I walked Along the enchanted way. . . . “On Raglan Road” More than three months now and I just can’t get the music of Van Morrison out of my heart and feet. After five full decades his voice, his songs, his high-art approach to backstreet blue ballads and stonegood
Van Morrison: The Little Giant of Blue-Eyed Soul Read More »
A harmonica? The thing’s only four inches long! All kinds of notes are missing! Harp players have to show up with a briefcase full of different keys, just to play! They’re so tinny and shrill! So why would a serious musician ever choose the harmonica to play music on? Admittedly, this is good question. But
A Full-Tilt Tribute to the 1896 Harmonica Read More »
The marriage of C.K. Ogden’s work with that of I.A. Richards yielded Basic English, an extreme narrowing of the English language whose principal aim was to eliminate misunderstanding due to clumsiness in manipulating the semiotic triangle. Reducing the dictionary to 850 words (with various ancillary vocabularies tailored to specific disciplines) would greatly reduce the possibility
Basic English on Mt. Fuji Read More »
Including Reviews of two of Judy’s Books: Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival, and Strength and The Seven T’s: Finding Hope and Healing in the Wake of Tragedy Judy, I love it that your vocal gifts and training in classical piano never require you to reach for notes—I’ve never heard you reach once—but
A Love Letter to Judy Collins Read More »