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Empire of Sin

Here is Walter Isaacson’s review of Gary Krist’s Empire of Sin. Storyville’s sporting houses became cribs for jazz. Like most of the creative culture of New Orleans, this new style of music was spawned by the town’s diversity. Flowing together on the street corners were the sounds of marching brass bands, church spirituals, plantation blues, Creole…

The Moviegoer – quotes and extracts – 8

Until recent years, I read only “fundamental” books, that is, key books on key subjects, such as War and Peace, the novel of novels; A Study of History, the solution of the problem of time; Schroedinger’s What is Life?, Einstein’s The Universe as I See It, and such. During those years I stood outside the…

The Moviegoer – quotes and extracts – 7

She refers to a phenomenon of moviegoing which I have called certification. Nowadays when a person lives somewhere, in a neighborhood, the place is not certified for him. More than likely he will live there sadly and the emptiness which is inside him will expand until it evacuates the entire neighborhood. But if he sees…

Fats, Dave and Mac

Good to see that Fats and Dave were able to attend this showing as per my last post. Here are some lovely shots of the three maestros, Dave ever irrepressible; Fats the quiet one. The best extended research on Fats and Dave is in the excellent book Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of…

Fats, Dave and The Big Beat

Glad to hear that this documentary has come to full fruition. Below is the blurb from the film’s Kickstarter page. The early years (1949-62) of the Fats Domino / Dave Bartholomew collaboration and its roots in the culture and music of New Orleans. ….On the day in 1948 the unlikely paths of Antoine “Fats” Domino…