poet, interviewer, musician, traveler
Legendary Brazilian composer Moacir Santos died August 6. Do yourself a favor and pick up his recent 2-CD collection Ouro Negro. You can get it with the link below. Santos was a real genius, and a big favorite of mine when I hosted Traffic Jam and played “The Latin Set” each day. Here’s an obituary from All About Jazz.
Comments closedTonight I went to see LEONARD COHEN I’M YOUR MAN again, this time in the company of my wife Jennifer. If anything, it was even better tonight. Jen and I looked at each other with tears running down our cheeks during several of the songs, including Antony’s transcendent version of “If It Be Your Will” and the blood-rushing “Anthem” as sung by Julie Christensen and Perla Batalla. GO SEE THIS FILM!
Comments closedAdmittedly, that ain’t saying much, but Tasini is even better than that. I’ve supported him financially, and I encourage you to do the same.
Tonight, I had the most affecting experience I’ve had in a movie theater in a long time. I went to see LEONARD COHEN I’M YOUR MAN during its one-week run at the Little Theatre in Rochester.
Part concert film, part documentary, LEONARD COHEN I’M YOUR MAN features a tribute concert from Sydney, Australia interspersed with interviews with Cohen and others. The concert is awe-inspiring, and the lineup tells you why: Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Kate and Anna MacGarrigle, Nick Kave, Antony, Beth Orton, Teddy Thompson, Linda Thompson, Jarvis Cocker, U2 and many more. Cohen’s words and music are so sharp and beautiful that I found myself laughing by the end as a reaction to the emotion that just built and built throughout the film.
If this film is playing anywhere near you, go see it. You’ll find a list of cities at the film’s Web site.
Comments closed…is now available! Listen to Show #4: Hank And The Dragon today!
Comments closedComedian Lenny Bruce died 40 years ago today of a drug overdose. He was a true comedic genius and social satirist. If you’re looking for a good overview of his work, and you don’t mind parting with a few bucks, allow me to recommend:
Comments closedLast year, I posted this entry about my great-grandmother Louise Lay’s arrival on these shores on this date in 1897. The date has arrived again, so Happy Arrival Day! Here’s a drawing of the Kensington, the ship on which she sailed:
What a nail-biter at PAETEC Park tonight. The Rochester Rhinos played the New England Revolution of MLS in the U.S. Open Cup, the oldest continuous cup competition in any sport in the U.S. After 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime, the score was tied at 0-0. It was on to penalty kicks. Rhinos goalkeeper Scott Vallow saved the first TWO penalty kicks, which in almost any game means that’s all she wrote. Then two Rhinos players missed their shots, and we ended up losing to the Revolution. Oy!
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My good friend and longtime co-conspirator Kevin Baird sent me this little gem, titled Kissing Hank’s Ass. It’s a wonderful satire on the even more wonderful world of organized religion.
As an added public service, here’s a PDF version which you can download and put up in your cubicle or on your front door or in your church bulletin. Wherever seems appropriate.
Comments closedIf you know me at all, you know I’m a media whore. With that in mind, I’ve added a new PRESS section to the site. It’s over there on the right side of the screen, and it contains articles about yours truly for your reading pleasure.
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In addition to this site and The Jason Crane Show, I also run a site (with my friend Pat Domaratz) called SignWall.com. SignWall.com is dedicated to preserving local history through photographs of wall signs, painted advertisements, and engravings on buildings.
Today, SignWall.com was featured in Rochester’s daily newspaper, The Democrat & Chronicle.
Comments closedThe Daily Show exposes the idiocy of Senator Ted Stevens, particularly his ignorance about the Internet … which he is in charge of regulating:
And then John Hodgeman skewers him again:
Finally, once you’ve watched those, there’s this.
Comments closed…is now available at thejasoncraneshow.com. Here’s the description:
In which our hero hip-mo-tizes the listener with an 8th-grade mind trick, and the relative lack of cooperation between two groups is investigated.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
My good friend Kevin Baird is a composer, computer code writer, geek, and all-around hip guy. About a decade ago, he used a speech by George H.W. Bush on the eve of the Gulf War to create a wonderful audio piece called “Just Two Hours Ago.” I came across the audio of the original speech recently, and I asked Kevin if I could post his version on the site. He agreed, so here you go:
I went with my friend Gary tonight to see A Scanner Darkly, the animated adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1977 novel. The film was directed by Richard Linklater, and was made with the same rotoscoping process used in Linklater’s film Waking Life. Whether or not you’re a fan of Dick’s writing, this is a film worth seeing, both for its wonderful acting and insightful commentary on American society.
Standouts in the cast include Keanu Reeves — no, that’s not a misprint — as the protagonist and Robert Downey, Jr. as one of his cohorts. The film is playing at several locations here in Rochester, including one of our independent theaters, the Little Theatre on East Ave.
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