Author: Julian Black

Jazz: A Stolen Music

Posted on by Julian Black
Jazz: A Stolen Music

Billie Holiday & Louis Armstrong circa 1946 Deep in the heart of New Orleans, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band was in the second chorus of Louis Armstrong’s riveting cornet solo. In the back of the club, Nick LaRocca, a young, white jazz cornetist from the Big Easy watched Satchmo in amazement, hoping one day to sound like him. Later on, LaRocca got his wish, and went on to become one of the founders of The…

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The Evolution of a Friendship Most Unlikely

Posted on by Julian Black
The Evolution of a Friendship Most Unlikely

It is human nature to create and maintain a connection with another human being, no matter who the person is or what the circumstances are that surround him. In the novel The Soloist, author/journalist Steve Lopez recounts the story of an “unlikely friendship which results from his attempts to befriend a homeless, schizophrenic musician named Nathaniel Ayers. Nathaniel, who has been homeless since his 20’s, plays in the tunnels and on the streets of Downtown…

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