passings
Ellis Marsalis, pianist, composer, educator, father, November 14, 1934-April 1, 2020
Ellis Marsalis (piano), Branford Marsalis (tenor saxophone), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Delfeayo Marsalis (trombone), Eric Revis (bass), Jason Marsalis (drums), “Tell Me” (E. Marsalis), live, New Orleans (New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival), 2019
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday morning, Chicago
alone
Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou (b. 1923 [Ethiopia], piano), live, Jerusalem (where she moved in 1984), c. 2014
*****
More.
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
like nobody else
How about time-traveling to 1961 Paris?
Blossom Dearie (1924-2009, vocals, piano), “C’est le Printemps” (“It Might as Well Be Spring,” R. Rodgers, O. Hammerstein II; adaptation, J. Sablon), “Plus je t’embrasse” (“Heart of My Heart,” B. Ryan; adaptation, Max François), live, Paris, 1961
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lagniappe
art beat: other day, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Isa Genzken (1948-), Rose II (2007)
*****
reading table
The youth walks up to the white horse, to put its halter on
and the horse looks at him in silence.
They are so silent they are in another world.—D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930), “The White Horse.”
passings
Charles Wuorinen, composer, June 9, 1938-March 11, 2020
Flying to Kahani (2005); Orchestra of the League of Composers (C. Wuorinen, cond.), live, New York, 2016
In 2011, jazz composer Carla Bley called Mr. Wuorinen ‘the greatest composer working.’ And the proudly poly-stylistic composer John Zorn, who has worked in forms ranging from klezmer to punk rock, recently called Mr. Wuorinen ‘a true artist whose intense and uncompromising vision produced work of remarkable beauty and drama.’ ‘He never wrote an insincere note in his life,’ Zorn continued. ‘He was a powerful role model and I loved him dearly.’
—Tim Page, obituary, Washington Post, 3/14/20
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lagniappe
random sights
early yesterday morning, Oak Park, Ill.
Want to be swept away?
Alexander Scriabin (1871-1915), Etude in D-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 12 (1894); Daniil Trifonov (1991-, piano), live, Berlin, 2019
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
And I Was Alive
by Osip Mandelstam (1891-1938),
translated from Russian by Christian Wiman
And I was alive in the blizzard of the blossoming pear,
Myself I stood in the storm of the bird-cherry tree,
It was all leaflike and star shower, unerring, self-shattering power,
And it was all aimed at me.
What is this dire delight flowering fleeing always earth?
What is being? What is truth?
Blossoms rupture and rapture the air,
All hover and hammer,
Time intensified and time intolerable, sweetness raveling rot.
It is now. It is not.
more
John Coltrane Quartet (JC, 1926-1967, tenor saxophone; McCoy Tyner, 1938-2020, piano; Jimmy Garrison, 1934-1976, bass; Elvin Jones, 1927-2004, drums), live (“Vigil,” Naima,” “My Favorite Things”), Belgium (Comblain-la-Tour), 1965
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, New York
*****
radio
Today WKCR (Columbia University) celebrates the birthday of cornetist Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931)—all Bix, all day.
*****
reading table
In the dark we disappear, pure being.
—Stanley Plumly (1939-2019), from”Wight”
passings
McCoy Tyner, pianist, December 11, 1938-March 6, 2020
John Coltrane Quartet (JC, 1926-1967, tenor saxophone; MC, piano; Jimmy Garrison, 1934-1976, bass; Elvin Jones, 1927-2004, drums), “Impressions” (J. Coltrane), live (TV show), San Francisco, 1963
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lagniappe
art beat: other day, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Henri Matisse (1869-1954), Dance (I), 1909; Jeannette, c. 1910
*****
radio
Today, Ornette Coleman’s birthday (b. 1930), it’s all Ornette all day on WKCR (Columbia University).
never enough
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat major; Alfred Cortot (1877-1962, piano), 1929
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langiappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Error is boundless.
Nor hope nor doubt,
Though both be groundless,
Will average out.—J. V. Cunningham (1911-1985), from “Meditation on Statistical Method”
what’s new
One-word review: Wow!
Omar Sosa (piano), Yilian Cañizares (vocals, violin), “Dos Bendiciones” (Two Blessings), live (studio), New York, 2/18/20
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
sounds of New York
Herbie Nichols Trio (HN, 1919-1963, piano; Al McKibbon, bass; Art Blakey, drums), “The Third World” (H. Nichols), 1955
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lagniappe
random sights
other morning, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
musical thoughts
Thank you all for listening. Your open ears, open minds, and open hearts are essential to resisting the gathering darkness of our times.
—composer John Luther Adams, 2/18/20 email
