Duke Ellington (1899-1974).Music: After conquering the world of popular music, bandleader Duke Ellington began branching out in more ambitious directions for the concert hall. In 1943, his suite Black, Brown and Beige had its premiere at Carnegie Hall, and in subsequent years there would be a landmark recording of the work with the great gospel singer … [Read more...]
Film review: Tarantino’s ‘Basterds’ distinctive, but also idiotic
Brad Pitt in Inglourious Basterds.By Hap ErsteinWith a regard for history as erratic as his spelling, Quentin Tarantino brings us his idiosyncratic -- and occasionally idiotic -- vision of World War II, Inglourious Basterds, a fitfully amusing, frequently brutal spin on war movie clichés.The title, swiped from an obscure 1978 Italian film, refers to a small group of … [Read more...]