Not an habitué of nightclubs, boîtes, or other dens of musical iniquity -- I have played 4 times at New York's Le Poisson Rouge since it opened. In case you didn't know, this is the "it" place of the new millenium. A club (in the expensively refurbished premises of the former Village Gate) where music, high-toned classical, alt classical, and bands comingle, and drinks are served. It's caught the attention of the Establishment. Countless mentions … [Read more...]
Where can artists learn?
Where do artists learn best? In the midst of a bucolic landscape -- with no urban distractions? Or, is "natural" beauty distracting? Is there an ideal environment for making art? Perhaps, different arts come from different places? Pianist Russell Sherman writes: "The large cities of the world provide a treasure trove of culture and its artifacts, of concerts, theaters, museums, and libraries nurturing the forces of creation and … [Read more...]
Tale of Two Cities
Taipei Yesterday, I was eating the best beef noodles in Taipei with Lun-Yun and his family -- genuinely extraordinary food, in the beef, the taste of the wood used to cook it, the unctuous broth with chopped green pickle mixed in. Before, we had small pieces of pork spareribs cooked in a steamer with rice groats and a hint of spicy pepper -- a Taiwanese reading of what I thought was a Shanghai dish, that I used to eat with Jacob Lateiner at the … [Read more...]