Featured ReviewsThe Breakdown of Cartesian Metaphysics (1987) - Richard A. Watson (Grade:A) Cool Hand Luke (1965) - Donn Pearce (Grade:A+) The Radetzky March (1932) - Joseph Roth (Grade:A+) MOVIE REVIEWS: Groundhog Day (1993) - Harold Ramis (Grade:A) Brothers Judd DailyBrothers Judd QuasiDaily Bookmarks: Ornette Coleman (1930) was born in Fort Worth, TX on March 19, 1930. The great music writer Robert Palmer profiled him in this piece Ornette Coleman and the Circle with a Hole in the Middle (Robert Palmer, December 1972, Atlantic Monthly). Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) first Christian to sneak into Mecca & translator of the Arabian Nights, was born in Devonshire, England, on March 19, 1821. Read Orrin's review of To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971)(Philip Jose Farmer) (Grade: B+) Philip Roth (1933-) was born in Newark, NJ on March 19, 1933. Read Orrin's review of American Pastoral (1997)(Philip Roth 1933-) (Grade: B+) John Updike (1932-) was born in Shillington, Pennsylvania, on March 18, 1932. Read Orrin's review of Rabbit, Run (1960)(Grade: C) William Gibson (1948-) was born in Conway, SC on March 17, 1948. Read Orrin's review of Neuromancer(1984) (Grade: C+) Penelope Lively (1933-) was born in Cairo, Egypt on March 17, 1933. Read Orrin's review of her Booker Prize Winner, Moon Tiger (1987)(Grade: B-) St. Patrick died on March 17, 493 A.D. Visit The Irish in America at PBS March 17th, 1919 is the birthday of Nat "King" Cole (1919-1965). Although best remembered today as a pop singer from the 50's and 60's, he was, in fact, an influential jazz pianist (and later vocalist). In addition to recording with his own trio...consisting of piano, guitar and bass... which was unique in its time for not having a drummer, he also recorded with such jazz greats as Lester Young, Buddy Rich and Dexter Gordon. In the mid-50's, Cole became the first African American to have his own network TV show (on NBC), which was groundbreaking for the number of black artists who appeared as guests and for the frequent pairing of Cole with white singers and musicians. Despite good ratings, the show was cancelled after one season, leading Cole to crack "Madison Avenue must be scared of the dark." Check out "The Lester Young Trio"; and "The After Midnight Session" James Madison, author of the Constitution and 4th President of the United States, was born in King George County, Virginia, on March 16, 1751. March 16th is the birthday of the late, great jazz pianist, Tommy Flanagan (1930-2001). Born in Detroit, Tommy started playing professionally at 15 with other Motor City teenage stars-to-be such as Milt Jackson, Elvin Jones, Thad Jones and Kenny Burrell. By the mid-50's he was considered one of the leading bebop pianists, a position he enjoyed for the rest of his life. In the late 50's, he played on 2 of the most influential and popular albums of all time: Sonny Rollins's "Saxophone Colossus" and John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." Tommy was Ella Fitzgerald's accompanist and music director for many years, but spent the 80's and 90's as a headliner with his own trio (often with some combination of George Mraz or Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash or Kenny Washington on drums). His melodically sophisticated, swinging style is well-represented on his 1997 album "Sea Changes." On March 15, 44 BC Julius Caesar forgot to "Beware the Ides of March" and was assassinated. Read Orrin's review of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (1599)(William Shakespeare 1564-1616) (Grade: A+) Baseball became a professional sport on March 15, 1869. The Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first pro team. Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was born in Waxhaw, SC on March 15, 1767. Read Orrin's review of The Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson and America's First Military Victory (1999)(Robert V. Remini 1921-) (Grade: B+) Sylvester (Sly) Stone (1944-) was born on March 15, 1944. Brothers Judd recommends Anthology by Sly and the Family Stone. John Steinbeck's (1902-1968) great novel The Grapes of Wrath was published on March 14, 1939. Read Orrin's review Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879. Adolph Ochs was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 12, 1858. He grew up to be a newspaperman & bought the The New York Times in 1897. Douglas Adams (1952-) was born in Cambridge, England on March 11, 1952. Read Orrin's review of Last Chance to See (1990)(Douglas Adams (1952-) and Mark Carwardine) (Grade: A-) Lawrence Welk bubbled forth in Strasburg, North Dakota on March 11, 1903 Bix Beiderbecke (1903-) was born in Davenport, IA on March 10, 1903. Read Orrin's review of Young Man with a Horn (1938)(Dorothy Baker) (Grade: B-) If two New Hampshire men aren't a match for the Devil, we might as well give the country back to the Indians. -Stephen Vincent Benet (1898-1943), The Devil and Daniel Webster |
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