Oreo.

17.03.201504.01.2026 Arvin da BrghaLeave a comment

Acrylic on Canvas

126 x 100.5 cm

Provenance: Private Collection as of 2005.

One of my favourite pieces in the current Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition at the AGO. The reviewers in both the Globe and Mail and NOW magazine haven’t a fucking clue what they are talking about; certainly, in the case of the latter it is the sort of sly invidiousness that one can ever expect of Canadians in their cool animus towards Blacks and the Black artistic aesthetic. Later for the likes of sphinctered, snow-driven dreck comme lui…

Of course, all that glorious fecund green serves as a good enough reason to say, Happy St. Patrick’s Day. As James Joyce so deftly illustrated, we are all Irish for being possessed of imagination… we are all dreamers – I certainly am. I love you more!

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Exu.

12.03.201504.01.2026 Arvin da BrghaLeave a comment

Acrylic, Oil Stick on Canvas

199.3 x 254 cm

Provenance: Private collection

Today, I shall see this show for the fifth time.

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Night In Tunisia.

28.02.201504.01.2026 Arvin da BrghaLeave a comment

Night in Tunisia composed: Dizzy Gillespie & Chano Pozo.

Trumpet: Dizzy Gillespie

Alto Saxophone: Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker

Bass: Charles Mingus

Piano: Bud Powell

Drums: Max Roach.

It begins and ends with Dizzy!

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Mood Indigo.

28.02.201504.01.2026 Arvin da BrghaLeave a comment

Duke Ellington and Orchestra.

Nothing like some Ellington after a truly sublime dream. These are our high-priests. Happy Black History Month!

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Corner Pocket.

28.02.201504.01.2026 Arvin da BrghaLeave a comment

Various artists. I dare you listen to this without hitting the repeat button at least twice. Music is life – what in the hell do you know about living talking jive ’bout “Jazz has its roots in klezmer.” Shit is so not cool!

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Butterfly.

28.02.201504.01.2026 Arvin da BrghaLeave a comment

Fender Rhodes/Clavinet/Arp Synths: Herbie Hancock

Bass: Paul Jackson

Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute: Benny Maupin

Drums: Mike Clark

Percussion: Bill Summers

A brief lover of mine, in Vancouver, always played this album when he was in the mood. Such memories!

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Groovin’ High.

28.02.201504.01.2026 Arvin da BrghaLeave a comment

Alto Saxophone: Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker

Trumpet: Herbie Williams

Bass: Jimmy Woode

Piano: Rollins Griffith

Drums: Marquis Foster

Bebop is where it is at. Bird knows how to fly-without-moving.

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Maple Leaf Rag.

28.02.201504.01.2026 Arvin da BrghaLeave a comment

1899 Maple Leaf Rag, Scott Joplin

Piano: Scott Joplin.

This is such a favourite of mine. I include here as it is not traditional Jazz; however, as Scott Joplin would be reincarnated and be even more famous, I have chosen to include him here. That, of course, is because the reincarnated Scott Joplin is the performer, Prince with whom Merlin was completely and utterly besotted and obsessed – the only performer about whom he felt this way.

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