March 2008 Archives

I was saddened to hear of the passing of one of the great bassists and true innovators of modern music, Israel "Cachao" López, at 89. You can find an obit by Enrique Fernandez, from the Miami Herald here And here's a column I did for the April issue of Jazziz that talks about some seminal tracks.

The NBA all-star game brought "I love this game" excitement, much-needed out-of-state money and laudable good will campaigns (wherein 7-footers in windbreakers hammered nails, read to schoolkids, and showcased the many worthy nonprofit efforts around town). I guess I was remiss in not posting this piece of mine, which ran in the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

Links between basketball and jazz run deep
By Larry Blumenfeld

One striking absurdity of the National Basketball Association is this fact: The team from Utah wears the jerseys emblazoned with "Jazz."

That name originated in New Orleans, of course, where the Jazz played its first five seasons in the late 1970s. Back then, the shirts made fundamental sense -- and not just as a nod to the city's iconic art form.

(read on or click here to link)