Van Morrison, “the only gazillionaire rock star to be a pandemic-denier besides Eric Clapton”

The pandemic seems to have deprived Van Morrison of his karma. Or maybe he already was running low. Musically, the new album isn't unpleasant at...

My year in music, at least so far

I remain wedded to the CD format, but these days I stream music first, then purchase the physical discs of those new releases that...

On the late James Levine

The conductor and pianist James Levine died earlier this month, and yesterday's obituary in the The New York Times is here. Levine was renowned,...

A pint of bitter, please, because it’s The Dubliners at the The Wheeltappers and...

In which three fascinating Anglo-Irish topics collide amid my frequent references to the adjective "elegiac." It's the mid-1970s lineup of the Irish folk band The...

Big bands: A book about Bunny Berigan, his life and times

Originally this was an "ON THE AVENUES" column from July 25, 2017. It has been lightly updated.  I was born in 1960, and grew up...

Latest article

The Songs for a (P&u) Departure (1): “These cameras never lie”

We're told that Nov. 15 will be the last day for Pints&union in New Albany prior to the pub decamping for the Highlands: Here’s the...

Speaking of epitaphs, a wonderful song called “Get Out and Stay Out”

"Get Out and Stay Out" was recorded for the 1979 Quadrophenia film soundtrack and wasn't part of the original album in 1973. That's Kenney...

Here’s the epitaph: “In the end, Pints&union didn’t deserve New Albany”

It usually surprises people to learn that I’ve lived in Floyd County, Indiana my entire life, and in New Albany since the early 1990s....