Tag Archives: Voices and Freedoms: A History of Jazz

Ralph Ellison: Survival Blues

During my long career, I’ve been lucky to meet many writers. Somewhere in the mid-70’s, for example, I met Peter Matthiessen shortly after I’d read his great non-fiction book The Snow Leopard and used it in one of my classes.  … Continue reading

Posted in Black Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Three Story Sandbox

Three Story Sandbox—the new release from jazz veterans Scott Robinson, Janice Borla, and Jack Mouse (left to right below)—manages to sound ancient and electronic, avant garde and traditional, world-musicky and rock-solid American all at once, and without sounding like a … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz History, Music & Meaning | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering Julian Bond

Julian Bond (b. 1940) passed away this past August 15, 2015.  He led an extraordinary life of  service, especially in the cause of Civil Rights: one of the founders of SNCC (The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee), first president of the … Continue reading

Posted in Music & Meaning, Social Change | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment