Friday, February 27, 2009

Talking eminent domain

Jeff Benedict, author of the newly released book “Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage,” will participate in a panel discussion March 4th about the legacy of the eminent domain court fight and the effort to develop the Fort Trumbull peninsula.

The [New London] Day-sponsored forum will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at New London High School. The event is free and audience members will get the opportunity to ask questions and make comments.

Other participants include Susette Kelo, lead plaintiff and owner of the pink house that became synonymous with the controversy; Tom Londregan, city attorney and an advocate for the use of eminent domain to generate economic development; former New London Mayor Beth Sabilia; and Dana Berliner, attorney with the Institute of Justice, which provided legal representation to the homeowners.

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Sales of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged Triple

The Ayn Rand Center reports that sales of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” have almost tripled over the first seven weeks of this year compared with sales for the same period in 2008. This continues a strong trend after bookstore sales reached an all-time annual high in 2008 of about 200,000 copies sold.

Michelle Malkin reports the appearance of a new bumper sticker:

(Hat tip: Wizbang)

I read Atlas Shrugged in college. It has remained an influence on me to this day, although I've come to regard it as a so-so novel with long speeches. In light of current events, it's starting to look like prophecy.

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Friday, February 20, 2009

Student Rebellion Fail

JammieWearingFool comments on the failed Silver Spoon Revolution at NYU. Long story short: students take over cafeteria, hilarity ensues.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Brunch concert with Boris Garcia & Eddy Lawrence

Sunday, March 1st, 12:00 noon

Boris Garcia with special guest Eddy Lawrence
Live at the WPKN studio

Bands happen because they're meant to be...because they contain an energy that simply must find expression. To be clear, Boris Garcia isn't a person, it's a band. Inspired by their predecessors: The Grateful Dead, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Railroad Earth and Yonder Mountain String Band, Boris Garcia has cleverly twisted the free form spirit of the Jam Band scene with folk, jazz, blues, and the joyous fluidity of bluegrass music to forge their own sound: Jam Grass.

Eddy Lawrence is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with nine solo albums to his credit. Dirty Linen calls his album, “Inside My Secret Pocket”, “a pure delight”, and says “With a cynical eye and wry sense of humor, Lawrence exudes a world-weary attitude that is reminiscent of John Prine at his smarmy best.”

In concert, Lawrence is known for his humorous way with a story and his fluid flatpicking and fingerstyle guitar work. He is accompanied by his wife Kim, who plays upright bass. The Lawrences have recently released a new all-acoustic album of original songs, “My Second Wife’s First Album”.

The performance begins as 12 noon and everybody is invited. Admission is free. For directions or reservations, call (203) 331-9756.


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Monday, February 16, 2009

RIP Louie Bellson

We regret to announce the unexpected passing of Louie Bellson on Feb 14, 2009.
Tenative plans are for an L.A. area funeral, followed by funeral and burial in Moline, Illinois, his boyhood home. Details forthcoming.

Referred to by Duke Ellington as “not only the world’s greatest drummer...(but also) the world’s greatest musician!”, Louie Bellson has expressed himself on drums since age three. At 15, he pioneered the double bass drum set-up. At 17, he triumphed over 40,000 drummers to win the Gene Krupa drumming contest.

He has performed on more than 200 albums with such greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Woody Herman, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, James Brown, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Wayne Newton and Bellson’s late wife Pearl Bailey.

In March 2007, Bellson and 35 other jazz greats received the Living Jazz Legends Award from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. In June 2007, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers inducted Bellson as a Living Legend in the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame ceremony, Jazz at the Lincoln Center, New York City.

His new big-band CD with trumpeter Clark Terry, "LOUIE & CLARK EXPEDITION 2" was released in early 2008.

Here's Louie on the Tonight Show playing "Don't Get Around Much Any More."



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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Playlist, February 15, 2009

Set One
Nellie McKay; Ding Dong; Get Away From Me (2004 Sony)
Isaac Hayes; Theme From Shaft; Shaft Original Soundrack (1972 MGM)
Frank Zappa; The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution; Sleep Dirt (1991 Barking Pumpkin)
[mic break 10:22 a.m.]

Set Two
Hal Galper; Blue in Green; Art-Work (2009 Origin)
Buddy Rich; Boucin' With Bud; Time Out (2007 Lightyear)
Sonny Rollins; I Want to Be Happy; Sax Symbol (2007 Proper)
Miles Davis; Joshua; Seven Steps to Heaven (2005 Sony)
Nicholas Payton; Drucilla; Into the Blue (2008 Nonesuch)
Art Blakey; Lady Bird; The Prime Source (2007 Proper)
[mic break 11:11 a.m.]

Set Three
The Rocco John Group; Bach to Bird; Devotion (2009 COCA)
Don Braden; Speed Ball; Gentle Storm (2008 HighNote)
Vince Norman/Joe McCarthy Big Band; Tadd's Delight; Words Cannot Express (2007 OA2)
Vince Norman/Joe McCarthy Big Band; South of Capricorn; Words Cannot Express (2007 OA2)
Deep Banana Blackout; Breakfast at Volo's; Live in the Thousand Islands (1994 Artkin Touchya)
Deep Blue Organ Trio; Cafe Regio's; Deep Blue Bruise (2004 Delmark)
[mic break 11:55 a.m.]

Live Music: Caravan of Thieves

Set Five
McCoy Tyner; Mellow Minor; Quartet (2007 Half Note)
McCoy Tyner; Amberjack; Guitars (2008 Half Note)
Bob Sneider/Joe Locke; Black Dahlia; Nocturne For Ava (2009 Origin)
Boris Garcia; Scootch; Once More Into the Bliss (2008 Dig)
[mic break 1:47 p.m.]
Steely Dan; Everything Must Go; Everything Must Go (2003 Reprise)
[2:00 p.m.]


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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Live music on the air!

Sunday, February 15th, 12:00 noon

Stretching the parameters of acoustic swing, Caravan of Thieves has been winning immediate praise for their new and unique brand of gypsy flavored song writing and their high intensity show. The vocal harmonizing, acoustic guitar spanking husband and wife duo Fuzz and Carrie have now extended their family to include fiery violinist Ben Dean and double bass madman, Brian Anderson to complete their colorful vision. Our live broadcast at the WPKN studio is free and all are welcome.

Coming up on Sunday, March 1st:
12:00 noon - Boris Garcia - A self-styled "jamgrass" band with some great songwriting and playing
1:15 p.m. - Eddy Lawrence - This Alabama-born, New Jersey-based songwriter creates wry and insightful songs with an urban but Southern sensibility.

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Sunday, February 08, 2009

Playlist, February 8, 2009

Set One
Grateful Dead; Crazy Fingers>The Other One>Sage and Spirit; One From the Vault (2007 Rhino)
Lisa Sokolov; Lush Life; A Quiet Thing (2008 Laughing Horse)
Frank Zappa; Bacon Fat>Stolen Moments>Murder By Numbers; Broadway the Hard Way (1989 Barking Pumpkin)
Liam Sillery; Prana; Outskirts (2009 OA2)
Benny Powell; Best People; Nextep (2008 Origin)
[mic break 10:52 a.m.]

Set Two
Sonny Rollins; Blossom; Road Trips Vol. 1 (2008 Doxy)
Marc Rossi Group; Fatwa in Carbondale; Hidden Mandala (2008 Gravity)
McCoy Tyner Trio; Passion Dance; Guitars 2008 Half Note)
Louis Armstrong; West End Blues; King Louis (2005 Proper)
Mark Rapp; 'Nuff Time; Token Tales (2009 Paved Earth)
Miles Davis; Orange; Aura (1989 Columbia)
[mic break 11:39 a.m.]

Set Three
Miles Davis; Walkin'; Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1963-1964 (2005 Columbia)
Miles Davis Quintet; It Never Entered My Mind; The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions (2006 Concord)
Larry Coryell; Like Sonny; Early Trane: The John Coltrane Songbook (2008 HighNote)
Frank Morgan; Monk's Mood; Reflections (2006 HighNote)
Denise Perrier; You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To; The Second Time Around (2008 Chez Perrier)
Jack Walrath; Blues in the Guts; Gut Feelings (1991 Muse)
[mic break 12:29 p.m.]

Set Four
Ray Levier; Song for Nury; Ray's Way (2009 Origin)
Buster Williams; Prism; Crystal Reflections (1976 Muse)
John Stetch; Sanford & Son; TV Trio (2008 Brux)
Gary Peacock & Ralph Towner; Flutter Step (1994 ECM)
Rockapella; Here Comes the Sun; Smilin' (2002 Shakariki)
Six13; The Miami Mix; Encore (2007 Sameach Music)
Nico Muhly; The Devil Appear'd in the Shape of a Man; Mothertongue (2008 Bedroom Community)
Urszula Dudziak; Papaya; Urszula (1975 Arista)
Pamela Luss; Bewitched; Magnet (2008 Savant)
The Clayton Brothers; The Jones Brothers; Brother to Brother (2008 Artist Share)
[mic break 1:27 p.m.]

Set Five
Boris Garcia; Other Side; Once More Into the Bliss (2008 Dig Music)
Clifford Jordan Quartet; Lush Life; Live at Ethell's (1993 Mapleshade)
BD Lenz; Here and Now; Straight Up (2007 Apria)
Steely Dan; Bodhisattva; Countdown to Ecstasy (1973 MCA)
[2:00 p.m.]

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Monday, February 02, 2009

Hamas insanity on display in Minnesota

Check out this video report of a rally on the steps of the state capitol in St. Paul. Hamas and Fatah struggle for control of the rally and Rep. Keith Ellison is shouted down. The war between Hamas and Fatah has reached the United States. 



(Hat tip: Power Line by way of Little Green Footballs.)


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Sunday, February 01, 2009

Israel Matzav: Gaza's 'great food shortage'?

Carl in Jerusalem has a brief photo essay about Gaza's "great food shortage".

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Playlist, February 1, 2009

Set One
Andreas Öberg; Funky Tango; My Favorite Guitars (2008 Resonance)
The Derek Trucks Band; Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni; Songlines (2006 Sony)
Lake Street Dive; Dupont; Promises, Promises (2008 Fyo)
Tim Warfield; Oasis; One for Shirley (2008 Criss Cross Jazz)
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band; Punta Del Soul; Act Your Age (2008 Immergent)
[mic break 10:35 a.m.]

Set Two
Don Braden; Willow Weep for Me; Gentle Storm (2008 HighNote)
Joe Baione; Bag's Groove; Oh Yeah! (2008 Joe Baione)
Clayton Brothers; Walking Bass; Brother to Brother (2009 Artist Share)
Chicago Jazz Philharmonic; Vice Versa; Collective Creativity (2008 3Sixteen)
[mic break 11:08 a.m.]

Set Three
Art Blakey; Nica's Dream; The Prime Source (2007 Proper)
Frank Sinatra; East of the Sun (and West of the Moon); All or Nothing at All (2006 Proper)
Chris Potter 10; Estrellas del Sur; Song For Anyone (2007 Sunnyside)
McCoy Tyner; Slapback Blues; Guitars (2008 Half Note)
[mic break 11:38 a.m.]

Set Four
Ernie Watts Quartet; Hot House; To the Point (2007 Flying Dolphin)
Frank Morgan; Equinox; Early Trane: The John Coltrane Songbook (2008 HighNote)
Colleen McNabb; For All We Know; Don't Go to Strangers (2008 Zucca)
Sherrie Maricle & the DIVA Jazz Orchestra; Andalucia; Live (2008 DIVA Jazz)
Denise Perrier; 'S Wonderful; The Second Time Around (2008 Chez Perrier)
[mic break 12:11 p.m.]

Set Five
Fats Waller; I Got the Ritz From the One I Love; The Complete Recorded Works Vol. 2 (2006 JSP)
Art Tatum; It's the Talk of the Town; Piano Grand Master (2003 Proper)
The John Hicks Legacy Band; After the Morning; Mind Wine (2008 Savant)
John Stetch; The Flintstones; TV Trio (2008 Brux)
Henry Kaiser; Meet the Flintstones; Lemon Fish Tweezer (1992 Cuneiform)
Henry Kaiser/Wadada Leo Smith; Miles Star; Yo Miles! Sky Garden (2004 Cuneiform)
David "Fathead" Newman; Shakabu; Song for the New Man (2004 HighNote)
[mic break 12:59 p.m.]

Set Six
Harvie S; Darn That Dream; Now Was the Time (2008 Savant)
Karrin Alllyson; Help Me; Wild for You (2004 Concord)
Herbie Hancock; Court and Spark; River: The Joni Letters (2006 Verve)
Frank Zappa; Outside Now; Broadway the Hard Way (1989 Barking Pumpkin)
[1:30 p.m.]

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