The New Leader is closing after 80 years of publication. “The New Leader has a circulation of roughly 12,000, down from a peak of about 30,000 in the late 1960’s, and like most magazines of its kind, it runs at a loss – some $400,000 a year in this case. Back in the 50’s, it was said to receive occasional support from the C.I.A., but it has been more reliably sustained by contributions from, of all places, an institute financed by Tamiment, the famous Poconos resort and proving ground for the likes of Sid Caesar and Danny Kaye.”
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McCoy Tyner On Top
“At 67, pianist McCoy Tyner plays solos that can be as intense as they were when he was part of the fiery music the Coltrane quartet conjured on a nightly basis. But he has also grown more subtle and more reflective over the decades. No matter his stylistic approach to the keyboard at any given moment, Tyner remains downright magisterial. Sometimes spiritual, sometimes whimsical and often both, he makes powerful jazz.”
An Indian Artist Takes World Stage
Tyeb Mehta is India’s most successful artist. “Mehta’s career has mirrored the changing fortunes of contemporary Indian art over the last six decades, from the intellectual fervor of its birth at Indian independence in 1947, to a lifetime of aesthetic and financial struggle, to the improbable rise of the Indian art market in the last few years.”
Lincoln Center Jazz Venue Gets Mixed Review
It’s been a year since Lincoln Center’s new jazz venue opened. “Fans of the three new stages applaud the acoustics and aesthetics and say the new building – with its can’t-miss-it marquee and snazzy marketing – has raised the profile of jazz as an art form nationwide. But the very qualities that make some people consider the new Jazz at Lincoln Center a raging success are those that others say amount to a disappointment.”
The Mozart Connection (Maybe)
“Does Mozart still speak to us? The fact that we are celebrating his 250th birthday this month suggests so, and for some fraction of the elite culture, he surely does. Judging by concert halls, it’s an old and shrinking fraction, but there are still a fair number of teenagers learning the “Turkish Rondo,” so who knows?”
Louisville Orchestra Musicians To Play Opera, Ballet
Musicians of the Louisville Orchestra say they’ll continue to play for the city’s opera and ballet companies through the rest of this season even if the orchestra itself goes out of business. The musicians are locked in a contract dispute with management.
Turkey Drops Charges Against Writer
A Turkish court has dropped charges against a prominent writer for “insulting Turkey” after the government declined to accept the charges. “Brussels had described the case as a litmus test of Turkey’s EU membership credentials. The European Union’s Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the court’s decision to drop charges was “good news for freedom of expression in Turkey”. But he warned that Ankara must tackle loopholes that restrict freedom of speech in other cases.”
New Protests Against Springer Tour
Jerry Springer, The Opera is about to begin a UK national tour, but theatres are bracing for protests. “Pressure group Christian Voice, which orchestrated 55,000 complaints when the BBC screened the musical a year ago, is planning a string of demonstrations.”
On The Edge Of A TV Revolution
Google’s deal last week to acquire dMarc Broadcasting for up to $1.24 billion is a good signal about where the TV industry model may be headed. In one scenario, viewers ought to be able to get any programming they like whenever they want, however they want it…
A Plan To Fix Hollywood: Make Fewer Movies
So movie theatre attendence is down. Hollywood’s financiers have noticed, and have a plan to do something about it. “The major media companies are significantly reducing their financial commitment to the motion picture sector. Substantially fewer films will be produced over the next year or two. And a significant portion of the production costs of the reduced slate will be borne by hedge funds and other investment groups.”