Category: AJBlogs

My Mother’s Art of Places
  All my life, my mother has been showing me the power of art to create the places where we love to go, the places that stick with us, the places that create memories. She’s … read more
AJBlog: The Bright Ride Published 2017-05-14

Who pays The Ferryman? It’s complicated.
Paddy Considine and Laura Donnelly. Photo: Johan Persson   The hottest new play in London has got the maximum 5-star rating from half a dozen of the national newspapers; its West End transfer was assured … read more
AJBlog: Plain English Published 2017-05-12

Ordinary heroine
In today’s Wall Street Journal I review the world premiere in New Haven of Amy Herzog’s Mary Jane. Here’s an excerpt. * * * Plays whose subjects can be summed up in one word—abortion, divorce, … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2017-05-12

Next Week’s Bellwether Auctions: Guarantees, Investor Pleas, Uncertainties
Ahead of next week’s major Impressionist, modern and contemporary art auctions, both Sotheby’s and Christie’s are assuring possibly skittish buyers that there are “signs of strengthening”  in the market … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-05-11

Catching Up With You
From time to time, Rifftides asks readers to send information about the music they turn on, and vice versa. It has been more than five years since we canvassed you about what you’re hearing. It’s time. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2017-05-11

 

New York City Ballet premieres a New Ratmansky Work
Alexei Ratmansky’s Odessa for New York City Ballet.
New York City Ballet’s 2017 Spring Gala is a testament to the acumen acumen of the company’s supporters. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2017-05-10
 

Monday Recommendation: Fay Claassen
Fay Claassen, Luck Child (Challenge)
With exceptions, the Dutch singer departs from her incomparable interpretations of standard songs to explore contemporary pieces. They include the title tune written by guitarist Leni Stern, … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2017-05-08

 

Don’t Make People Think About Guns, If You Want to Fund the Arts
Excellent news this week as Congress said ‘NO’ to the President’s request to eliminate funding for the arts. How did that happen? With a lot of heavy lifting. Every time we fight this fight (and … read more
AJBlog: The Bright Ride Published 2017-05-07

Pushing the Past Forward
The Limón Dance performs at the Joyce Theater, May 2 through 7. Members of the Limón Dance Company (L to R): Elise Drew Leon, Jesse Obremski, and Kathryn Alter in José Limón’s Concerto Grosso José … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2017-05-07

Cost disease does not explain everything
In my last post I wrote about cost disease, the powerful analysis of economic shifts that results from labor-saving technological change occurring at different speeds in different sectors of the economy. This is an addendum: … read more
AJBlog: For What it’s Worth Published 2017-05-06

Songwriting’s Roots in Poetry and Prose
GENERALLY, I’m skeptical of the glib and automatic denoting of any intelligent or articulate musician as “a poet.” But the connection between popular song and literature go back, in the Anglo-American tradition, at least … read more
AJBlog: CultureCrash Published 2017-05-05

Songwriting’s Roots in Poetry and Prose GENERALLY, I’m skeptical of the glib and automatic denoting of any intelligent or articulate musician as “a poet.” But the connection between popular song and literature go back, in the Anglo-American tradition, at least … read more

AJBlog: CultureCrash Published 2017-05-05

Weekend Extra: Billy Hart Seen And Heard At the Portland Jazz Festival earlier this year, photographer Mark Sheldon captured a splendid image of drummer Billy Hart in action. There was no opportunity to use the picture in our Rifftides … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2017-05-05

Shortening Sondheim In today’s Wall Street Journal I review an off-Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures. Here’s an excerpt. * * * Whenever John Doyle stages a Stephen Sondheim musical, you can always count on being … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2017-05-05

What’s that strange music you hear? In today’s Wall Street Journal “Sightings” column, I write about a new book on film music. Here’s an excerpt. * * * Because I’m a trained musician, I always notice film music, in much the … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2017-05-05

Cost disease in the arts: what does it mean?
Professor William Baumol, one of the greatest living economists, has died at the age of 95. … Readers of artsjournal.com know him best for his conception of cost disease, done jointly with William Bowen. … Let’s expand on that a bit, and ask what it means for arts policy. … read more
AJBlog: For What It’s Worth Published 2017-05-04

Defying Trump, Bipartisan Deal Would Boost Funding for NEA and NEH (with strings attached)
The strong efforts of arts-and-humanities advocates appear to have (at least temporarily) overcome the pernicious, fallacious notion that the National Endowments of the Arts and Humanities are preserves of the elite and therefore unworthy of government support. But … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-05-04

Schmooze & Peruse: My Storify on the Frieze Art Fair in New York
I thought I’d give it another try by attending the preview for Frieze Art Fair (to May 7), but I still find that, for me, art fairs are a a good way to network with art-world luminaries but a poor way to view and absorb art. … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-05-04

 

Evaluating Engagement
I am developing a training program for people interested in enhancing their skills in guiding organizations toward more effective community engagement. Several small groups have completed or are in the process of helping me … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2017-05-02

NY Historical Society’s Renovation Opens a Debate
Is more always better? Is it better when it comes to seeing art and artifacts? That’s the question I’ve been pondering since last week, when the New-York Historical Society* opened its new fourth floor. … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2017-05-02

So This Horse Came from India …
A production of From the Horse’s Mouth celebrates Indian dance at New York’s 14th Street Y. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2017-05-02

The Lou Harrison Centenary
If you asked me who composed the best American violin concerto, and who composed the best American piano concerto, I would answer with the same name: Lou Harrison. … read more
AJBlog: Unanswered Question Published 2017-05-02

“Everybody dance now!”
Last night I was at a birthday party for a kid in Rafa’s class … Three [moms] were on their phones, looking at the summer concert schedule at Wolf Trap. Big performing arts center in the DC area, for anyone who doesn’t know it. These were educated, professional women, age around 40, I’d guess. And they were going wild over this show: … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2017-05-01

Whatever happened to International Jazz Day?
April 30 — yesterday — was celebrated as the sixth annual International Jazz Day with a global webcast from Havana, hosted by Will Smith, headlined by pianist Herbie Hancock and including a couple of dozen top notch musicians from six countries. Did you know? … read more
AJBlog: Jazz Beyond Jazz Published 2017-05-01

Monday Recommendation: Charlie Haden Speaks
Woodard and Haden: Conversations With Charlie Haden (Silman-James)
Interviews transcribed from tape recordings and transformed into print are often boring substitutes for writing. With judicious editing, however, the technique can be illuminating. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2017-05-01