Halloween on our block (0)

Posted 31 October, 2008 in Albany, Family

Photos from Halloween 2008:

Studs Terkel, RIP (0)

Posted 31 October, 2008 in Obits, Politics & Activism

Studs Terkel died today at 96. Here’s the obit from the New York Times.

Thanks for everything, Studs!

Birth of the Cool (0)

Posted 31 October, 2008 in Jazz, Politics & Activism

Thanks to the wonderful blog BAGNews Notes for the link

DJ Z-Trip’s Obama mixtape (0)

Posted 29 October, 2008 in Music, Politics & Activism

Do yourself a favor and go download DJ Z-Trip’s Obama mixtape. Then turn the volume way up and groove your way to a better day!

POEM: My Birthday Poem (0)

Posted 29 October, 2008 in My poems, Poetry

My sister, mom, dad and friend Kevin at my 2007 birthday shindig.

Here’s a poem I wrote in 2007 after celebrating my birthday with friends and family at Thali, our favorite Indian restaurant in Rochester.

Birthday
by Jason Crane

This is my birthday poem:
Stuffed full of Chicken Makhani,
Squeezing the plastic skull
With its bulging brains.

This is my birthday poem:
Grumpy-faced children
Fight off the smiles
That take over their faces.

This is my birthday poem:
Moving from one end of the
Long table to the other,
A timeline with forks and knives.

This is my birthday poem:
A box of old feelings
Hidden away in the closet,
Buried with new garments.

This is my birthday poem:
Pedaling slowly to Barrington Street,
My young son beside me,
Dodging the potholes.

This is my birthday poem:
Enchiladas and rice
And a dusty courtyard;
Beyond — and old bookstore.

This is my birthday poem:
“Daddy wants jam and bread.”
And knees in my back
Keep me awake in the small hours.

This is my birthday poem:
Tucked in, supine,
Balancing a notebook
On my stuffed belly.

(September 2007)

Takin’ It Back With Barack, Jack! (0)

Posted 28 October, 2008 in Jazz, Politics & Activism

(Thanks to poet and jazzer David Budbill for the links!)

The Jazz Session #48: Marcin Wasilewski (1)

Posted 27 October, 2008 in Jazz, Music, The Jazz Session

Jason Crane interviews Polish pianist and composer Marcin Wasilewski. His new recording, January (ECM, 2008), features his own compositions alongside those of Gary Peacock, Carla Bley, Ennio Moricone and … Prince. Wasilewski’s trio is very much a part of the new European piano trio renaissance, featuring inventive material played democratically.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

CONTEST! The Marcin Wasilewski Trio starts a U.S. tour on November 1 in Seattle, with stops in San Francisco, LA, Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Columbus. I’ve got two tickets to Marcin’s show at the Jazz Bakery in LA on Monday, November 3. To win, be the first person to send an e-mail to contest@thejazzsession.com with “Marcin” in the subject line. Listeners who have won in the past 30 days need to sit this one out. Everyone else — good luck!