Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Links, Vol. 3

David Adler keeps busy with his JazzTimes/PW/ Inquirer freelancing with three show reviews (all of which I couldn't attend for various reasons): Charles Lloyd, Fred Hersch and Tiger Okoshi + a PW preview of Columbian harpist Edmar Castaneda + a new JazzTimes lead review of the two new Chris Potter CDs on Sunnyside/Universal Music France/Emarcy. (This multiple label licensing thing is clearly getting confusing. I am trying to figure out what it all means through a contact at Universal. Stay tuned on that if interested. For all intents and purposes, just look for it on Sunnyside Records if you're in the US. I will soon blog about these releases. I think it's needless to say that I like them. "Pop Tune #1" and "Togo" are close favorites.)

Larry Blumenfeld riffs on the Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, NY which was just placed on the National Historic Register

Sam Adams' Citypaper review of the new Bob Dylan fantasy biopic starring Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Adrien Brody and Julianne Moore among others + Shaun Brady's review from the same paper of the much-heralded new Noah Baumbach film, Margot at the Wedding (both of which I still need to see).

Also on the movie front, the one new flick I saw over the Thanksgiving break was No Country for Old Men, which was a very well-shot and choreographed saga - not the Coen Brothers best work - I still prefer Miller's Crossing as far as drama and The Big Lebowski as far as dark satirical comedy. If No Country lacked for an ending, it made up for it in the beautiful panoramic shots of Western Texas with long silences punctuated by thunderous gunshots. I found out afterwards that they shot on the same location where the Coens' first picture Blood Simple was filmed.

Howard Mandel on the AACM in New York.

Slate's Dana Stevens on the plentiful archives of The Daily Show available now online.

Peter Margasak on buying specialty world music from your computer.

The music critics of the NY Times on this weeks recorded nuggets (no, not part of the psych rock/garage series of box sets). Note Nate Chinen's review of Loren Stillman - a very underrated altoist.

Bob Karlovits of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on mp3 devices versus the old school - and how the market for said devices has changed.

Various holiday box set and musical gift guides from: USA Today, New York Times, Nashville City Paper, Oakland Tribune/Contra Costa Times/East Bay Express, San Jose Mercury News.

And finally AP on Marian McPartland's latest chapter.