Category Archives: Music

Fenster writes: To my post on the possible demise of jazz, dearieme wrote in to say that the chap to read is Larkin. Larkin being the poet Philip Larkin (subject of this recent article, link thanks to Arts & Letters Daily). … Continue reading →

Fenster writes what he likes about . . . . . . . Michel Camilo’s From Within. That an essentially acoustic trio can rip the roof off better than 99% of amped-up groups overly reliant on the volume knob. Anthony … Continue reading →

Sir Barken Hyena writes: As a youngin’ I was first exposed to music theory in high school. I had a great music teacher, one of those rare souls blessed with contagious enthusiasm. I found, to my surprise, that I had … Continue reading →

Sir Barken Hyena writes: I’ve long found myself frustrated by the musical culture I’ve had to live in, and been drawn to other cultures as a kind of refuge. At home sick for a day recently, I watched three documentaries … Continue reading →

Fenster writes: Ruben Blades’ Primogenio. 1.  The opening section is clever, splendid and musical–especially at higher volumes when the bass and percussion come in.  The piece starts with bagpipes and sounds almost, but not quite, that it is going to … Continue reading →

Fenster writes: Here’s a link to an article by Benjamin Schwartz in The Atlantic on whether jazz remains a vital art form or not.  It takes the form of a review of the book The Jazz Standards, by Ted Gioia. … Continue reading →

The Question Lady writes: What’s the best movie theme music?