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Sensual Tenor Stan Getz
Brought Bossa Nova to the Mainstream
By: - Mar 29th, 2016There were so many ups and downs, mood swings that his pal, Zoot Sims, fellow tenor player from Woody Herman's Four Brothers ,called Stan Getz a great bunch of guys. He peaked in the 1960s with gold records and Grammy awards for his Boss Nova sound with the foremost Brazilian artists.
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Niagara Falls
Spray and Pray
By: - Mar 28th, 2016Niagara Falls became a destination for Hudson River Artists seeking to paint the American Sublime. It was our first destination for many travel adventures.
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Nugent Women
Rockport's Irish Ladies
By: - Mar 27th, 2016The youngest of a landed Irish family, raised with bad habits, Patrick Nugent was given a one way ticket to America. He settled on Beaver Dam Farm in Rockport, Mass. His hard working peasant lass, Mary, bore a clan of twelve. The better to work the land. He made it an odd 13 by her sister.
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Chateau Frontenac
Overlooking St. Lawrence River
By: - Mar 27th, 2016Although defeated by the British in 1759 Quebec City has retained its uniquely French culture. The skyline is dominated by the grand Chateau Frontenac which soars massively above the cliff overlooking the broad St. Lawrence River.
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Zoot Sims
Hipster's Schmatta Stigmata
By: - Mar 26th, 2016We got to know Zoot Sims through club dates at Lulu White's in the South End. He was pals with Music America host Ron Della Chiesa on WGBH. Zoot was part of the legendary Four Brothers, three tenors and baritone, with Woody Herman's 1940s bop band The Third Herd.
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Blossom Dearie
Pixie Voiced Cabaret Singer
By: - Mar 26th, 2016No jazz singer was more influential yet mysterious than the legendary master of scat, King Pleasure. In 1952 the enigmatic cabaret artist, Blossom Dearie, recorded with him the iconic "Moody's Mood for Love." When I asked her about him there wasn't much to say. She had been hired for the session and beyond that day knew nothing about him.
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London Calling
March Madness
By: - Mar 25th, 2016March madness, that spring break in London first with Astrid. She had visited as a kid but it was new to her. Nothing like a week of art and theatre in my favorite city.
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Carmen McRae
Life Is a Cabaret
By: - Mar 24th, 2016During intimate club gigs you got to hang out with legendary artists like jazz singer Carmen McRae. She was open about sharing the insights and secrets of her unique craft as a compelling cabaret artist. Even in concert halls she conveyed a feeling of reaching out to every individual in the audience.
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Jazz Singer Betty Carter
Digging on Scatology
By: - Mar 22nd, 2016Scat, a jazz version of vocalise, was first recorded by Louis Armstrong with the Hot Five in the 1920s. Of course Jelly Roll Morton claimed that he had invented it along with jazz itself. Scat took off in the post war bop era. Its greatest exponent, Betty Carter, was know as Betty Bop. Twisting and turning she cold blow the roof off a tune.
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Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder
Blind Faith at Yankee Stadium
By: - Mar 21st, 2016During Soundblast '66 at Yankee stadium they pulled one blind brother, Stevie Wonder, off stage for another, top billed Ray Charles.
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Jazz Diva Sarah Vaughan
Sassy to the Maxy
By: - Mar 21st, 2016During the 1930s and 1940s, when sing was king, a remarkable number of now legendary women fronted big bands. There were so many great artists. Among jazz aficionados the dialogue often focuses on Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. When Bop and small combos broke up all but a few of the big bands there was a style shift, Artists like Vaughan were repackaged into the mainstream of top forty radio. In the late years Vaughan defaulted back to jazz.
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Ella Fitzgerald
First Lady of Song
By: - Mar 20th, 2016As a teenager Ella Fitzgerald broke out in Harlem during Talent Night at the Apollo Theater. That led to fronting the big band of drummer Chick Webb and her first hit. From then she conquered the world as the First Lady of Song.
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Lazarus
Time After Time
By: - Mar 17th, 2016That dark land from which no traveler should return.
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Jimi Hendrix RIP and Read
Me and the Devil Traveling Side by Side
By: - Mar 16th, 2016The harrowing Amy Winehouse documentary made me think of Jimi Hendrix also cut down at just 27. I first heard him as Jimi James with Curtis Knight and the Flames at the Cheetah in the '60.
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Amy and Tony Body and Soul
Whom the Gods Love
By: - Mar 15th, 2016We were devastated by the harrowing Oscar winning documentary of the brief, brilliant life and career of the British singer Amy Winehouse. In particular we were astonished by glimpses of her last studio session a duet with Tony Bennett. On every level with Body and Soul they created a masterpiece.
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Polish Rider Jerzy Kosinski
Flawed Masterpieces
By: - Mar 11th, 2016While upgrading and downsizing archives I rediscovered and enhanced images from a chance encounter with the Polish born author Jerzy Kosinski. He was handsome and successful at the time chatting with a woman in Manhattan. Digging deeply into that frozen moment it seems that he was not what he appeared to be,
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Ancient Oracles
Horror Vacui
By: - Mar 09th, 2016In the mid 1960s while working in the basment of the Egyptian Department of the MFA ancient oracles were packed into a dense drawing. It was sold during my second exhibition. I used the money to buy an Alpha Romeo. While organizing files I recovered that vintage image.
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Lady Day
Queen of Jazz Royalty
By: - Mar 04th, 2016That amazing Carnegie Hall concert, fresh out of the slammer, voice cracked and broken but with impeccable swing the great Lady Day.
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Super Tuesday
When Mom Ran for Town Council
By: - Mar 01st, 2016When Mom called to tell me she was running for Brookline's Town Council I asked about her qualifications. She slammed down the phone. But really, I argued, you shouldn't vote for somebody just because the candidate is your mother! Today being Super Tuesday here in Massachusetts I recalled that intimate political encounter.
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Making the Berkshires Great Again
It's Going to Be Just Terrific
By: - Mar 01st, 2016This summer we're going to make the Berkshires great again. It's going to be just terrific. The tourists and money are going to be pouring in. It's going to be incredible.
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Scat Singer Annie Ross
Sings a Song of Basie
By: - Feb 28th, 2016The trio of Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and the British Annie Ross set blistering fast lyrics to the instrumentals of Basie standards. Boston Latin School classmate Ken Freed and I caught their gig at the Jazz Workshop in the 1950s. The nerdy Bill Sirril begged to tag along. He blew our cover and the waitress carded us. Now in her 80's Annie long ago returned to London.,
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Bobby Blue Bland
Memphis Blues Master
By: - Feb 27th, 2016Smooth and slick they compared the Memphis Blues master, Bobby Blue Bland, to Sinatra and Nat King Cole. What that killer horn section he blew the house down.
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Black Star
Ground Control from Major Tom
By: - Feb 27th, 2016Just before he died David Bowie released the dark, profound and haunting Black Star. This music from the beyond proves to be rock's first great requiem. The poem was inspired by am image from a stadium tour that has been pixelated and deconstructed. It evokes the abstracted disintegration of a once radiant pop star. Ashes to ashes.
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The Provenance Hotel
From the Merit of Light
By: - Feb 26th, 2016This is a poem revised and edited from his book The Merit of Light by Stephen Rifkin. The book was illustrated by his artist wife Wilma.
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Beckett for Just Three Bucks
Endgame at Williams '62 Center March 10 to 12
By: - Feb 25th, 2016Here is an offer you cannot refuse. Tickets are just three bucks for a student production of Beckett's Endgame. Such a deal! It is presented March 10 to 12 at the '62 Center in Williamstown. Theatre of the absurd is a challenge for actors as well as the audience.
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