Jazz is full of strange characters. Strange in a good way but strange nonetheless. One of the strangest and most interesting is Thelonious Monk. Known for his ostentatious sense of style, Monk often wore unique hats and and sunglasses. Continue reading
In post-Katrina New Orleans, in the year or so after the storm, there was little to look forward to. The city wasn’t itself yet. That all changed when the musicians came home. One such musician was Trombone Shorty Troy Andrews. Continue reading
Jazz is a musical style that just wont die. It may go away for a little while but it always comes back around. Its a cycle, whats old is new again, what was played out is cool again.
In the early 2000s there was a resurgence in the jazz scene, it followed the resurgence in the swing music. Jamie Cullum first started making waves in The UK around this same time. In 2002 Cullum released :Pointless Nostalgic”. It was 2003’s “Twentysomething” that brought Jamie notoriety here in the US.
It was the blend of pop and and classic rock with jazz that first drew me to Jamie Cullum who has since become one of my favorite artists.
Days 5’s song that inspires me is the theme from the film Gran Torino.
Not every one of the people I share with you will be a legend just yet. But at 22 years old Nikki Yanofsky is well on her way. With a voice that comes from another time and a style that hearkens back to legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Sara Vaughn, Nikki Yanofsky mixes pop and jazz like no one before. Continue reading
Jazz is lived. Jazz is a part of you. It comes from someplace inside your soul deep down. Its a place that when you can tap into it, can open amazing windows into the soul. Often that place is dark and scary but that’s what makes it beautiful. Continue reading
I’m not sure what my first jazz influence was exactly. I do remember however the first time I thought Jazz was something I could relate to. It was when I heard Dr. John for the first time. The song was what Dr. John called “I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say” and was a cover of a Jellyroll Morton tune Buddy Bolden’s Blues. Continue reading
I started out with a goal. I wanted to write a love letter to Jazz. But not just any jazz; New Orleans Jazz. I thought I would write something about Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday and the Mardi Gras Indians and how it all ties back in with jazz history. Continue reading
After months of speculation and a stream of glib, defensive sarcasm on part of WWE fans, we all have to finally admit that Daniel Bryan has retired from professional wrestling.
There’s a finality to that reality that wrestling fans simply aren’t used to. Such closure is uncomfortable, a squirming feeling that comes from an inability to tune in next week and see what happens next.
As fans wrestling fans we’re trained from the beginning to expect a payoff to come later. There’s always next week. A new episode of RAW. A new cycle to begin; a never-ending parade of emotion, fisticuffs, and twenty minute promos.
Perhaps that is why so many people were insistent that Bryan’s retirement had to be a story line. After all, everything else has been up for grabs as story material, even the “death” of Vince McMahon.
Alas, the show is over and the American Dragon has left the spotlight for the last time. Continue reading
This week on NXT, plot lines advanced, characters developed in intriguing ways, and the road to Takeover: Dallas rolls on. Let’s check it out:
Welcome to another NXT review! Last week we built up to this week’s main event, a triple threat match to determine the Number One Contender for the NXT Championship. All three Superstars involved have valid claims to challenge champion Finn Bálor, but which one will prove himself superior? We will find out later.
Also on this episode, tag team action, the return of a Superstar on the injured list, storyline progression and much more.
Let’s get to it. Continue reading
Backlog Adventures 