One sign of good fortune is having friends who recommend good music. They share links. They loan LPs. They call out across the store when you’re digging through the crates and they find that record you have to hear. My friends James and Steve go above and beyond. A promoter and club owner, they have set up countless shows for the musicians they most admire. They’re well versed in the jazz classics, but it’s the contemporary scene they celebrate most eagerly. They’ll tell you we live in a golden age of jazz, and they back it up. And whenever they ask, “You don’t know her/him/them?”, it’s not a judgment. It’s an invitation. There was an extra charge in their voices when they first told me about trumpet player jaimie branch.
Morning Bites: Adapting “Brave New World,” Mairead Case, Boy Band Histories, Colin Dickey, and More
In our morning reading: adapting “Brave New World,” an interview with Colin Dickey, and more.
Afternoon Bites: Niviaq Korneliussen, Jeff Parker Interviewed, Mark Hollis Remembered, Ken Liu, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on books from Niviaq Korneliussen and Ken Liu, revisiting “To Sleep With Anger,” and more.
Afternoon Bites: J.S. Breukelaar’s Playlist, Aruna D’Souza, Justin Grimbol Interviewed, Autoclave Reissued, and More
In our afternoon reading: a playlist from J.S. Breukelaar, terrifying cartoons, an interview with Justin Grimbol, and more.