George Shearing's Piano Artistry
George Shearing recently passed away at the age of 91. I have listened to his music off and on over the years, but it was only after his death that…
Toru Takemitsu: More Like Painting than Music
I recently revisited some of Toru Takemitsu’s work, which I first heard in college with a recording called “Coral Island.” It was way too far out for me then. But listening…
Discipleship, Indian-Style
I recently listened (again) to a classic raga by the late Ali Akbar Khan called “Chandranadan”. Actually it wasn’t really a raga, since it was just 21 minutes long, much…
Architecture as "Frozen Music"
When I told people a few years ago that I had taught at SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute Of Architecture), people inevitably asked, “What’s music got to do with architecture?” To me…
Yuja Wang, Tiger Moms, and the Ascendency of China
I recently got the latest Rachmaninov album by the 23-year-old piano sensation, Yuja Wang. On it she tackles two great Russian warhorses, his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 and Piano…
Nina Simone and Miss Mazzy
Nina Simone (b. Eunice Kathleen Waymon; 1933) is beloved and remembered by millions across the world for her brilliant singing, incisive lyrics, and her fearlessness. But what isn’t always known…
The Black Keys: That Old Dangerous Sound
The 1950s were a time of both very tame and very dangerous-sounding music. The tame were names like Pat Boone, Patti Page, Perry Como, and 101 Strings. The dangerous were…