As a child, few things were more sublime than a bowl of cereal eaten leisurely while reading the Sunday comics. My sisters and I would each scheme to be the first to grab the newspaper. Newspaper comics, in color, happened only once a week, and scarcity made them more cherishedContinue Reading
Roy Hargrove was one of the “young lions,” jazz musicians who formed a vanguard of talented newcomers to the jazz scene in the 80s and 90s. Being partial to trumpets, I came across his music while browsing the bins at Tower Records. It’s hard to pin down his style, butContinue Reading
Like gardening and photography, my artistic efforts, especially painting, have taken a hit in the last two years. I don’t pretend to be an artist, but I have seen encouraging progress since I started in the summer of 2020. Unfortunately, my efforts have been in spurts. Typically, a few weeksContinue Reading
As I remember, Wednesdays were when we had our weekly music class in fourth grade. We had songbooks, and the class was conducted via radio. We would listen to a lady who would tell us about a song, and then we would sing along as she played. For some reason,Continue Reading
Simplicity is one of the aspects of Cezanne’s work that I most admire. His paintings have a quiet, contemplative demeanor in which vibrantly hued fruit casually rests amid linen waves. The groupings are often haphazard as if spilled or gently dumped on the table for inspection. Oddly, the linen foldsContinue Reading
Bill Evans made beautiful music. Among jazz greats, he is near the top. Jazz pianists can be lauded for technical skill, lyricism, and innovation. All the greats show evidence of each, but usually, one area stands out. For me, Bill Evans stands out for his lyricism and the subtle intimacyContinue Reading
Any sufficiently large wall space seems to be a magnet for those who wish to leave a memento of their presence. Usually, it’s barely readable scrawls in the form of broad strokes of paint. Symbols are common (few of which I recognize). Under this overpass, the typical expressions areContinue Reading
Once again, I am torn between color and black and white. For months I had seen images of this rhino head but had no idea where it was. My initial impression was the sculpture was in Old Fourth Ward Park. After walking around the park and asking passersby, no oneContinue Reading
For my early adult years, cafe sitting was not a part of my social life. Cafe sitting is not the same as simply eating outside, like, for example, on a patio. No, cafe sitting requires being right there on the street next to people strolling by. It’s being part ofContinue Reading
As a child, I lived in a small southern town. Just outside of town was a Royal Crown bottling plant, and it also produced the Nehi line of soft drinks (we called it “pop”). A relative worked at the plant, so occasionally, I got a free grape Nehi. Grape NehiContinue Reading
