A variety of media around the country--and particularly in New England--are offering significant coverage of the April 19 celebration of the “shot heard ‘round the world.” This year perhaps ironically the party at the bridge marks the 250th anniversary of our first major action toward a true democracy. The irony is that the way things are going it is quite possible that we will prove we were not able to keep it; having replaced our democracy with an autocratic theocracy, Trump and his cronies/puppets are using the Project 2025 document as a guide book to this new autocracy for the rich at the expense of the rest of us. To push that agenda forward on the ground, they are using the Hitler-Goebbels playbook to ensure that opposition is silenced and democracies elsewhere are bullied. Trump’s $25-40 million (best estimate because the administration refused to offer the true amount) monarchy parade on his birthday is just business as usual. Fortunately the “No Kings” rallies around the country overwhelmed the Trump DC party. In other words, there is hope. Of course, as long as the autocratic psychopath in the White House continues his unhinged behavior--such as committing an act of war against Iran without Congressional approval, abducting innocent U.S. residents using masked vigilantes and caging those resident here and abroad (without significant dissent among Congressional Republicans), and appropriates allocated Congressional funds and applies them to his personal financial advantage--it seems that there is little citizens and Congressional Democrats can do until the next elections in 2026. But the huge “No Kings” and Juneteenth rallies are inspiring. We need more of those.
But the trouble continues, and more and more observers are concerned about the obsequious Supreme Court (which does not seem to worry about its impending demise), the gutless GOP lackeys, and the mostly ineffectual Democrats (thank goodness for Clark, Warren, and Markey). Editor William Falk made as clear an assessment of the current political situation in the U.S. with his editorial page comments in the July 4 issue of The Week:
Dennis Warren got his stuff together in Boston and now is based in Springfield. But he does manage to bring his FMRJE to Cambridge on almost an annual basis. If you miss his music as I do, he performs online streaming and with AV materials available online also. His groups are impressively political, foe example, supporting Ukraine with recordings and tours. As you can imagine, FMRJE has much to say about dangerous politics in the U.S. In late April Dennis, with the help of members of the FMRJE and others, produced FREE JAZZ PROJECT 2025 - CONCERT MOVIE - 2001 TO 2025 IN A FLASH, a stunning art work that documents and manipulates the insanity of the first quarter of this horrific century. I recommend it to anyone who cares about our predicament and art in general. The sound track of the work is available at https://denniswarren.bandcamp.com/album/free-jazz-project-2025-live?utm_source=album_release&utm_medium=email&utm_content=fanpub_fnb&utm_campaign=denniswarren%2Balbum%2Bfree-jazz-project-2025-live
You can see and hear the production for free at youtu.be/HNBu-wbw8h4
If
you go to Dennis’ YouTube channel you can find a ton of his audio and AV
material: youtube.com/fmrje
Band members on the CONCERT
MOVIE - 2001 TO 2025 IN A FLASH include Vance Provey (trumpet, flugelhorn), Eric Zinman (electric keyboard), Tor
Snyder(electric guitar), and Dennis Warren (drums, timbales, Alesis
MultiStrike, KAT Pads via SC VL-88).
Enjoy.
6/25 - JEF: Contemporary Jazz for Humans and Their Friends at 7 p.m. (MP) – Three Jeffs apparently are full of positive energy, and there's no piano, meaning that the great tradition of the sax-strings-drums trio continues. And with some fine veterans. The group includes Jeff Robinson (Tenor Sax), Jeff Song (Cello and Bass), and Jeff Allison (Drums). . It happens at the Lily Pad where Pandemic regulations apply $10)…
7/8 - Point01Percent presents a duo and a quintet starting at 7:30 p.m. (PA) – First up is a duo of unusual instrumentation for this club: Ted Reichman (accordian) and Lautaro Mantilla (guitar). Then at 7:30 there is Blink: Jorrit Dijkstra (sax), Eric Hofbauer (guitar), Gabe Boyarin (guitar), Nathan McBride (bass), and producer Eric Rosenthal (drums). Show up and have sonic fun at the Lily Pad where pandemic regulations apply ($15)...
Every Monday – Monday night at the Lily Pad returns with Jerry Bergonzi, Phil Grenadier, guest bassist, and Luther Gray. Then The Fringe Duo, John Lockwood and George continuing the fire no doubt inspired by the memory of Bob Gullotti. It begins around 8:30 pm and continues forever ($15 per group; $10 students)…
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