Oreo.

Oreo

Acrylic on Canvas

126 x 100.5 cm

© 1988 Jean-Michel Basquiat

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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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.

Snow Storm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps.

Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps exhibited 1812 by Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775-1851

Oil on Canvas

146 x 237.5 cm

C. 1812 J. M. W. Turner.

Provenance: Tate Museum, London, England.

http://www.tate.org.uk/

Today, thanks to Mike Leigh’s deft and masterful vision, as if in a lucid astral plane dream spanning the spiral arms of time, I vicariously drank of William Turner’s very soul.  What a gloriously fitting work of cinematic art is Mr. Turner.  And what a rich artistic era, too, working with a cadre of giants like, John Constable et al.  More than that, thanks to his creative genius, Timothy Spall thoroughly ensouled his role; his truly was a masterful turn.  Joshua McGuire’s performance was riveting.

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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.

Exu.

Exu 1988

Acrylic, Oil Stick on Canvas

199.3 x 254 cm

© 1988 Jean-Michel Basquiat

Provenance: Private collection

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

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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.

Night In Tunisia.

© 1953 Live The Quintet At Massey Hall, Toronto.

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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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.

Mood Indigo.

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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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved. 

Corner Pocket.

© 1962 Corner Pocket, Count Basie Orchestra Live Performance.

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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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.

Butterfly.

© 1974 Herbie Hancock, Butterfly, Thrust.  Columbia Records.

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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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.

Groovin’ High.

© 1953.  Groovin’ High, Live Performance, Verve Records

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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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.

Impressions.

© 1963 Impressions, John Coltrane Quartet, Impulse Records

Tenor Saxophone: John Coltrane

Piano: McCoy Tyner

Bass: Jimmy Garrison

Drums: Elvin Jones

Feature Portrait: David Lloyd Glover

Nothing beats ‘Trane’s focus!

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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.

Soulful.

© 2009, Roy Hargrove Quintet.

Trumpet: Roy Hargrove

Piano: Jonathan Baptiste

Bass: Ameen Saleem

Saxophone: Justin Robinson

Drums: Montez Coleman

Pushing Black High Art forward!

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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha.  All Rights Reserved.