John Coltrane Quartet, 1965, Belgium
Nothing finer… Merry Christmas. Happy holidays and thanks for your continued patronage. I love you more…
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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha. All Rights Reserved.
Beyoncé performing Proud Mary at Kennedy Center Honors for Tina Turner.
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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha. All Rights Reserved.
A week prior to his passing, Merlin was allowed out of Wellesley Hospital to wind down his ennobled incarnation. That first evening, Friday, November 10, 1989, we sat in our 20 Amelia Street living room and listened to Vladimir Horowitz as he had requested.
Earlier that week, on Sunday, November 5, 1989, Vladimir Horowitz had passed. Enveloped in our waxing love, our souls were embalmed by Horowitz’s stellar artistry.
Shaman. Genius. Guru. For both Merlin and me, there was no greater combo of these qualities than embodied in Vladimir Horowitz.
The following day, actor, Joe Morton would fly in from Los Angeles for 24 hours to say farewell to Merlin. Though Merlin had not eaten in long weeks, his Candida precluded being able to ingest solids, he pulled up a chair and joined Joe and me as we dined on Chinese take-out.
This one act of Joe’s allowed Merlin to heal from the rejection of having been abandoned by his god-fugly Toronto so-called friends and leave this world void the bile of having been rejected – they chose to act as they did because, at the end of the day, a dog can always be counted on to lick itself and eat its vomit.
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Photo: Vladimir Horowitz. Vladimir Horowitz and Wanda Toscanini.
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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha. All Rights Reserved.
© 1994 Lena Horne music by Duke Ellington & Sidney Russell
The first time I heard this music, I was arrested by the opening chords as I stood still in the middle of my living room on the third/top storey of 878 Gilford Street in Vancouver’s West End. At the end of Lena Horne’s passionate singing, I screamed and laughed uncontrollably with tears running down my face.
I had been standing half naked before getting ready for work and decided that the experience was too great to do something so ridiculously banal as go in to work that day. Naturally, I had been standing with tape recorder in hand – after having just recorded the dreams dreamt. Quickly, I grabbed a new cassette and recorded the newly released song from the CBC FM radio station as Ross Porter had waxed on long enough about the new Lena Horne Jazz recording for me to have pounced into action.
I spent the rest of my stay in Vancouver listening to this recording at least four times weekly.
This is the music that let’s you leap off into truly sublime dream experiences.
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© 2013-2026 Arvin da Brgha. All Rights Reserved.
© 1982 Thriller © 1982 Michael J. Jackson © 1982 MJJ Productions Inc. The most glorious human being who imparted his creative genius musically in the 20th century. I love you more Michael. Here’s to the most beautifully realised child-ego state and creative genius! Sweet and blissful dreams, as ever. _____________________________________________________________________ © 2013-2026 Arvin da […]
Scream © 1995 Michael J. Jackson © 1995 MJJ Productions Inc. One of my favourite MJ videos/songs; it perfectly reflects what it is like being focussed in the waking state and being Black and having every little bigoted shitwit projecting their racially predatory shrapnel onto you… Alas, such moments for moi are ever only fleeting […]
One of the most beautifully phrased duets in the Jazz, if not any, idiom. Simply exquisite. Ray Charles & Betty Carter set the standard for the Jazz duet. _________________________________________ Ray Charlie and Betty Carter © Recorded 1961, Frank Loesser lyricist. Because it really is damn cold out there! _____________________________________________________________________________ © 2013-2025 Arvin da Brgha. All […]
Kathleen Battle and The Wynton Marsalis Septet. Merry Christmas dreamers… you are the best kind of people going! ___________________________________________________________________ © 2013-2025 Arvin da Brgha. All Rights Reserved.
This is the music of dreams… happy belated birthday Daddy, who, had he lived, would have been 97 yesterday… such sweet rapture to dream of you! I love you more… ____________________________________________________________________________ © 2013-2025 Arvin da Brgha. All Rights Reserved.
Filmed lived performance of Duke Ellington and orchestra with the inimitable Billy Strayhorn in the audience. Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: Cat Anderson, Rolf Ericson, Herbie Jones, Cootie Williams – Trumpet Lawrence Brown – Trombone Buster Cooper – Trombone Chuck Connors – Bass Trombone Jimmy Hamilton – Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone Johnny Hodges – Alto […]
