Britt Robson You might discount her new, blues-oriented disc (aptly titled Into The Blues) for its pallid genre clichés, but notice that even on this misguided collection a few tunes still shimmer with Joan Armatrading’s trademark emotional hum. For decades now, she has bared her soul with pride and erudition instead of pretense and self-pity, capturing the … Read more
Even the irrepressible Wynton Marsalis merits no better than third in the current family pecking order after brothers Delfeayo and Branford put out resplendent discs—“Minions Dominion” and “Braggtown,” respectively—in 2006. Now Delfeayo (the trombonist, for those without a scorecard) is kicking off the Minnesota Orchestra’s Sommerfest program with a Duke Ellington tribute by an all-star … Read more
Okay folks, it really couldn’t have turned out much worse for the Timberwolves in the lottery tonight. True, the Wolves got the #7 choice, which was their mathematical likelihood in terms of record and ping-pong balls. But more importantly, the two top studs in the draft, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, will be playing for … Read more
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Detroit Pistons (1) If I had any guts, I’d call the Cavs in 6 or 7. That is what my gut tells me–the same gut that said the Bulls would need no more than 5 or 6 games to knock off these same Pistons. Obviously, there is something about Detroit–the overwhelming … Read more
San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. Utah Jazz (5) This will be a war, very physical, but don’t for a moment believe it will be boring. Neither the Spurs nor the Jazz are a plodding team, both feature creatively intelligent big men and freakishly athletic ‘tweeners. The war will be in two places: on penetration and … Read more
If there is one team among the NBA’s likely four semifinalists that is flying beneath the radar, it is the Cleveland Cavaliers. That the Cavs are unbeaten is six playoff games thus far is undercut by the reality that they have yet to face even a mediocre low-post presence among Washington and New Jersey. Is … Read more
With Houston and Utah still to be decided by a 7th game, my predictive powers on first-round series stands at 6-1, with the Golden State upset the lone blemish (and if you read what I wrote, I knew the Warriors would give the Mavs plenty of problems). In the East, I even had the number … Read more
The way you folks have been keeping the comments coming despite my inactivity (I’m still tied up on something and this will be a quick hit) has been superb and deserves many kudos. I’ll have something up on the second-round playoff games, hopefully before they start, but if I don’t, the bottom line is Bulls … Read more
1. Warriors in Command The big news of the first round of the NBA playoffs is obviously Golden State’s 3-1 lead over 67-win Dallas, a series that would have any neutral observer pulling hard for the Warriors even if he/she didn’t know they were enormous underdogs. Golden State epitomizes the coming out of FUN in … Read more
Alexander is a throwback to the halcyon days of hard-bop battle royals, when a man could walk into a club with a tenor saxophone and blow the house down. Just thirty-eight, Alexander knows how to stoke a barn-burning solo until the patrons are hollering even before the climaxes. But he also burnishes his supple, muscular … Read more