Philosophy
George Shearing has died at 91. A master pianist, Shearing was an early member of the cool movement which provided a contrast to the frenetic bebop of the times. Combining a strong sense of melody with the thoughtfulness of bebop, he created magic for decades.
There is perhaps no better epitaph than the heartfelt tribute of Kerouac in On the Road:
- Feast Of Saint Foster
My Comedist Brethren, This week brings us the feast of Saint Foster. This would be Foster Brooks' 99th birthday. Beginning work as an announcer and news reporter, he began doing stand-up. Steve Allen and Perry Como launched his career, but it was...
- It Wasn't An Election, It Was An Intervention
Rest of the world, it's o.k., we're back on our meds. The prodigal nation has returned. Random thoughts about the election: Obama won in large part because he ran a different sort of campaign in so many ways: (1) No drama. Discipline. The focus...
- What Is The Difference Between Hip And Cool?
An interesting conversation today that tried to distinguish between being hip and being cool. One could be utterly unhip, but a very cool person. To be hip, it was argued, requires being hip to something, it means being on the cutting edge, being more...
- James Brown, Rip
The Godfather of soul, the hardest working man in show business, soul brother number 1, the one and only Jaaaaaaames Brown has left us. In addition to his own magnificent works, he had a lasting effect on popular music. Brown's work putting the accent...
- Gruesome Dwarf Herbivores...the Pegomastax
"Bizarre Species of Miniature Dinosaur Identified" by John Noble Wilford October 3rd, 2012 The New York Times Not every dinosaur grew up to be a mighty predator like Tyrannosaurus rex or a hulking vegan like Apatosaurus. A few stayed small, and some...
Philosophy
RIP George Shearing
George Shearing has died at 91. A master pianist, Shearing was an early member of the cool movement which provided a contrast to the frenetic bebop of the times. Combining a strong sense of melody with the thoughtfulness of bebop, he created magic for decades.
There is perhaps no better epitaph than the heartfelt tribute of Kerouac in On the Road:
Dean and I went to see Shearing at Birdland in the midst of the long, mad weekend. The place was deserted, we were the first customers, ten o?clock. Shearing came out, blind, led by the hand to his keyboard. He was a distinguished-looking Englishman with a stiff white collar, slightly beefy, blond, with a delicate English-summer?s-night air about him that came out in the first rippling sweet number he played as the bass-player leaned to him reverently and thrummed the beat. The drummer, Denzil Best, sat motionless except for his wrists snapping the brushes. And Shearing began to rock; a smile broke over his ecstatic face; he began to rock in the piano seat, back and forth, slowly at first, then the beat went up, and he began rocking fast, his left foot jumped up with every beat, his neck began to rock crookedly, he brought his face down to the keys, he pushed his hair back, his combed hair dissolved, he began to sweat. The music picked up. The bass-player hunched over and socked it in, faster and faster, it seemed faster and faster, that?s all. Shearing began to play his chords; they rolled out of the piano in great rich showers, you?d think the man wouldn?t have time to line them up. They rolled and rolled like the sea. Folks yelled for him to ?Go!? Dean was sweating; the sweat poured down his collar. ?There he is! That?s him! Old God! Old God Shearing! Yes! Yes! Yes!? And Shearing was conscious of the madman behind him, he could hear every one of Dean?s gasps and imprecations, he could sense it though he couldn?t see. ?That?s right!? Dean said. ?Yes!? Shearing smiled, he rocked. Shearing rose from the piano, dripping with sweat; these were his great 1949 days before he became cool and commercial. When he was gone Dean pointed to the empty piano seat. ?God?s empty chair,? he said. On the piano a horn sat; its golden shadow made a strange reflection along the desert caravan painted on the wall behind the drums. God was gone; it was the silence of his departure. It was a rainy night. It was the myth of the rainy night. Dean was popeyed with awe. This madness would lead nowhere.Rest in peace George Shearing.
- Feast Of Saint Foster
My Comedist Brethren, This week brings us the feast of Saint Foster. This would be Foster Brooks' 99th birthday. Beginning work as an announcer and news reporter, he began doing stand-up. Steve Allen and Perry Como launched his career, but it was...
- It Wasn't An Election, It Was An Intervention
Rest of the world, it's o.k., we're back on our meds. The prodigal nation has returned. Random thoughts about the election: Obama won in large part because he ran a different sort of campaign in so many ways: (1) No drama. Discipline. The focus...
- What Is The Difference Between Hip And Cool?
An interesting conversation today that tried to distinguish between being hip and being cool. One could be utterly unhip, but a very cool person. To be hip, it was argued, requires being hip to something, it means being on the cutting edge, being more...
- James Brown, Rip
The Godfather of soul, the hardest working man in show business, soul brother number 1, the one and only Jaaaaaaames Brown has left us. In addition to his own magnificent works, he had a lasting effect on popular music. Brown's work putting the accent...
- Gruesome Dwarf Herbivores...the Pegomastax
"Bizarre Species of Miniature Dinosaur Identified" by John Noble Wilford October 3rd, 2012 The New York Times Not every dinosaur grew up to be a mighty predator like Tyrannosaurus rex or a hulking vegan like Apatosaurus. A few stayed small, and some...