In Lonely on the Mountain (Bantam, 1980), Western novelist Louis L’Amour wisely noted that “there will come a time when you believe everything is finished, that will be the beginning.” Instead, as Nicholas Copernicus’ heliocentric model posits, our universe is infinite; there is no real end. The concept of continuity is not truly foreign to […]

A city that prides itself on being both outside of the status quo (“Keep It Weird”), and the Live Music Capital of the World, it should come as no surprise that Austin, Texas, has a fascinating avant-garde musical community. One central figure in that ecosystem has been Chris Cogburn. The percussionist – whose musical interests […]

In a 2021 interview, Henry Threadgill noted his belief that “[Marshall Allen] should have the highest award that can be bestowed on any artist for performing one-nighters at age 97. They should make up an award for such a person… he’s going unrecognized. It is a travesty. Can you imagine doing one-nighters at 97 years […]

Concepts of genre are odious as they defy human reality. Even the most ardent adherent to stylistic norms, if they are being honest, draws influence from elsewhere. While categorical boundaries may help in the marketplace, they fail to address the complexity of art or individual expression. One of the most blatant of these dividing lines […]

Scholarly analyses of the Blues tend to emphasize a specific style born of the African American experience, developed from spirituals, field hollers, and work songs. They focus on twelve-bar chord progressions with flatted notes and call and response. However, such narrowly defined conceptualizations of the Blues miss the music’s full significance. The great Blues masters […]

With the Quran largely silent on the matter, there have long been debates on the role of music in Muslim life. Some scholars have cited verses from their holy book and hadiths, including some where Muhammad destroyed musical instruments, to argue for the prohibition of music as something that can mislead people away from the […]

An artistic spark leads humanity to create wonders of beauty. Philosophers will debate the origins of this creative impetus.  Some credit a higher, more divine power. But, regardless of its source, it is indisputable that there is a force that drives toward creation, one that transcends cultural norms, stylistic restrictions, and temporal limitations. Consider how […]

Mired by poverty and the global rise of fascism, the 1930s is far too often seen as a wholly bleak era stuck after the Roaring ‘20s and leading into a tumultuous global war. But, in reality, the era was also full of bright spots of optimism enveloped in a world of morosity. One need look […]

It is sometimes easy to compartmentalize the internal and the external world. One can perceive personal thoughts as entirely an expression of spirit, removed from their surroundings. However, there is no sturdy wall between inside and out, only a permeable membrane. One’s personality and emotions will inevitably be shaped by experiences encountered during their life, […]

A popular saying holds that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The quote is often attributed to Oscar Wilde, without evidence he uttered it. In reality, the Irish playwright was far less flattering to mimickers. Specifically, Wilde correctly called emulation “the homage which mediocrity pays to that which is not mediocre.” True creativity – […]