“The final flicker of the old flame”
by Marshall Bowden
The music world and cultural doyens of Brazil mourn the death of João Gilberto.
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Category Archives: Musician Profiles
King Crimson: 1981-2019
King Crimson: A 21st Century Guide, Part 3
The Return of King Crimson
1981 brought a new development to the musical landscape that was very surprising and confusing to many music fans: Robert Fripp announced the formation of a new version of King Crimson that would go on tour as well as releasing a new album. While the return of King Crimson was unexpected, it didn’t create the kind of controversy and confusion that the actual band did. Fripp, of course, was the only original member of the band, and he brought drummer Bill Bruford, a member of the group’s 1973-74 model, to the table as well.
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Dr. John: The Doctor Is In
Dr. John has left the stage for the last time, but nothing can dim the beauty of his music and his love affair with the wild, dangerous New Orleans that once was.
Continue reading Dr. John: The Doctor Is In Robert Fripp: Crimson Hiatus 1974-1980
King Crimson: A 21st Century Guide Part 2
If anyone thought that Robert Fripp would have nothing to do after disbanding King Crimson in 1974, they’d have been incredibly wrong. Instead, it seemed as though the guitarist was energized coming off Red and a Crimson tour.
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Joni Mitchell’s Career Retrospective Travelogue
Joni Mitchell’s career has been a long one, with many twists and turns. It was effectively brought to a close by her 2015 brain aneurysm, from which she continues to rehabilitate. 2019 has seen the celebration of Mitchell’s 75th birthday by a stellar group of songwriters and performers. In 2002 Mitchell released Travelogue, a retrospective of songs from throughout Mitchell’s career arranged and orchestrated by Vince Mendoza and produced by Mitchell and Larry Klein. This article discusses Travelogue in the context of Joni Mitchell’s career and its place as ‘Mitchell’s last album’, as she told Rolling Stone in 2002.
Continue reading Joni Mitchell’s Career Retrospective TravelogueIke Quebec
The Forgotten Tenor
by Marshall Bowden
The story of Ike Quebec is in many ways the story of the prototypical working jazz musician who never quite catches a lucky break, but who nonetheless perseveres and is able to earn a livelihood from his art for his entire life.
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