What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?
Thelonious Monk’s piano. What I'd heard was titled Misterioso, with a [Giorgio] De Chirico painting on its jacket. I was just 21 years old...
Saturday is Record Store Day, which provides an excellent opportunity for patronizing local establishments that still sell vinyl. Among my faves are Normal's in Waverly, Trax on Wax in Catonsville,...
What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?
The cover to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew. It was the first time I saw music—the feel of the sounds—represented in imagery that seemed...
The CityLit Festival, an essential event on the cultural calendar, takes place at the Pratt's Central Library today and features readings and talks by the likes of Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Busch,...
What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?
There are so many, but the ones that stick out in my mind are the following: hearing Charlie Parker's Verve Recordings; watching Spike Lee...
Tonight, saxophonist Carl Grubbs premieres the reinvention of his Inner Harbor Suite as a jazz/classical hybrid. He's added a string section led by BSO violist Peter Minkler, and the resulting band...
What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?
John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” made me aware of what was necessary to learn—scales, chords and rhythms—in order to perform jazz music at a...
The Gary Thomas-curated Jazz at the Hopkins Club series continues tonight with saxophonist Russell Kirk and his band, The Path, which includes Grammy-winning drummer Terry Lynne Carrington. Shows...
What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?
Verona Rag, a solo recording by Andrew Hill, and specifically the title track. How can one piano piece contain the universe? Somehow this...
The most ambitious and spirited show I've seen in a long time took place Saturday afternoon at City Neighbors High School. The average age of the performers was about 13, and the hour-long concert...
