Michael Erick Robinovitza Longhi (Michael Robinson) Writings About Music
"I enjoyed reading your words. They flowed like good music does." (Marty Morell) "Your words and music essay is BRILLIANT and thought provoking. You, Paul Desmond and Roger Ruggeri, former principal bassist with the Milwaukee Symphony as well as wonderful composer and arts administrator are top members of my HIGH I.Q. Club." (David Amram) "Tell him his write-ups are absolutely beautiful and I really enjoyed reading them and re-listening to Bill Evan's great music!!" (Chick Corea) "Brilliant. I was going to attempt to describe Curry as art instead of basketball, but your eloquent portrayal has left me speechless. A thousand recommends." (NY Times commenter) "After reading several of your well reasoned, interestingly written, revelatory comments here, I would like to thank you for expanding the understanding and clarifying the limitations of Wesley Morris's piece. "God bless you please, [Mr] Robinson." And may the New York Times give a column to you one day." (NY Times commenter) "KILLER READING!!" (Jerry Sharell) "This is really good!" (Swapan Chaudhuri) These writings, over 300 to date, have been quoted by Carnegie Hall and MIT publications, used for classes at NYU, CalArts and UC Berkeley, and quoted by historian Simon Schama on twitter. The Bob Dylan Archive in Oklahoma procured entire essays for their collection. An Assistant Director of Jazz Studies where Michael Robinson lectured stated these writings deserve to be compiled in books. Writing about music is an important learning experience for myself, being part of the creative process as a composer and pianist. Hearing how others enjoy and learn from these writings is wonderful. Special thanks to Joel Chadabe, the person who originally advised me to begin writing about my recordings, gradually expanding into covering myriad aspects of music. I love doing so as part of self-realization. (Michael Robinson) |
Index for writings about music by Michael Robinson
2024
White and Black Together Make Music Good
Louis Armstrong with Tillie and Mr. Karnowsky in New Orleans
Germany and Austria to America by Way of India
Scenes from Tanglewood and Central Park: Lenny, Michael and Lee
Not Included In Jazz Books To Date
Opposing the Absence of Alternatives
2023
Not Like Before: Michael Robinson's Jazz Without Borders @ All About Jazz
Approaching What May Be Daunting
2022
A Momentous New Form of Modern Jazz
Manhattan and Los Angeles Inventions
Benny Goodman Is An Equally Important Influence on Lee Konitz
Improvised Translucent Mosaics
Profound Spiritual and Intellectual Love
Infinite Varieties of Shringara Rasa
Sonny Stitt Influencing John Coltrane
When Count Basie Met Queen Elizabeth
Equinox and the Moonlight Sonata
Musical Moksha For Two Dollars
While Visiting India with his Mates
Riding Planets and Star Clusters
Gatra Vina Presaging Pianoforte
American Alap From Hoboken, Hamlet and Crown Heights
Gathering Jazz Spirits With A Lapis Lazuli Ganesh
Prismatizing Standards with Jazz and Raga Amalgams, Polymodality and Equal Temperament Tuning
The Person I Would Most Like To Meet Now
Riding On His Wings: the Beatitude of Barney Bragin
2021
The Inspirational Merritt Butrick
Like So Many Birds In A Forest
Mathematical and Spiritual Exaltation
Standards Proving To Be A Jazz Phoenix
Gould Bringing Schoenberg To Life
From One to One Hundred and Fifty-Five
Song of the Day - Delayed Response by Michael Robinson
Knight and Day: Music Before and After John Coltrane
Loving and Rerigging La Monte Young's Tuning
That Gleam That Flows With Grace: Duke Ellington and his Orchestra with Frank Sinatra
Upon Being Asked For A Tribute To Bach
Lee Konitz Pictures on the Wall
Opposing the Absence of Alternatives
Momentous Counsel from Reggie Johnson
Well Worth Paying Attention To
Concise Discographies for 22 Artists with new commentary
Related Links for 16 Composers with new commentary
546 Page and 59,329 Note Music Odyssey
2020
From Sea of France to Morning-Star: Missing Discreet Music with Dean Suzuki
With George: George Harrison and Michael Robinson
Next To A Mountain: Jimi Hendrix, Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha
Year of the Monkey 1920: Ravi Shankar, Charlie Parker and Dave Brubeck
An Indian Poet Writes About Music
It's Mine: Buoyed by Grainger, Wild & Stravinsky
Always Within and Never Without You
Labor Day Thoughts on Clavichord, Piano, Chess and Raga
What John Cage Was Really Getting At
Incarnation of Stockhausen Zodiac Timbre
Refined Resplendence: Johnny Magnus
Frank Sinatra Reveals the Secret of Music
Pointers Becoming An Appreciation
Building on Foundations of Freedom
Harpsichord and Indonesian Skin Drums
The Magic of A Liberated Sound
He Was A Music Titan: Lee Konitz
On Being Asked To Listen To The Berlin Philharmonic
Louis Prima and John Coltrane By Way of Benny Goodman
Composer Morning Hair and A Painter
Year of the Monkey 1920: Ravi Shankar, Charlie Parker and Dave Brubeck
2019
With Three Teachers: Steve Reich, Zakir Hussain & Lee Konitz
Vocal-Lee: Lee Konitz Sings Jazz Standards
Eyes of Night: Sinatra Does Tangerine
One Dot World: Eleanor Academia
Ted Gioia New Music Recommendation: Spirit Lady
Invitation To Hear My Thoughts
Post-Music: SWALLOWED BY THE SKY (textura)
Above the World: Manhattan in June with Lee
How High the Moon: Eliot Zigmund and Bill Evans
The Musician's Show featuring Michael Robinson
Gift of a Lifetime from Earl Wild
2018
Sharing A Paragraph With Brian Jones
Divine Influence: Anindo Chatterjee
For My Teacher, Leonard Bernstein, On His 100th Birthday!
Beyond Forgetting: Stan Getz Ascends
Melody of Rhythm: Ravi and Dmitri
From A Danish Princess to Winter Fantasy
And Now She's In Me, Always With Me
2017
Meruvina: Composition and Performance Coalesce
Climbing Rocks and Colored Stones
Exemplars from Konitz and Tristano by Way of India
John Lennon's Musical Intuition
2016
Refracting Musical Light Through Time and Place
A Musical Hypothesis: Liberace and Bill Evans
Our Collective Solitude and Beyond
Shakti's Chanteuse: Joni Mitchell
Nautical Moccasin Elusive Blues
Thoughts So Sublime: Helen Vendler Invents
Keeping the History of Jazz Real
Phantom Puppet Poetry: Vladimir's Vicissitudes
Two Not One and Sacking A Miscue
Astonishing Auditory Auteur: Silence Is Emboldened
Steph Curry, the Prophet of Basketball
Songs by a Malibu Musician Saint
2015
For Tangerines, Oranges and Mangos @ textura
Luminous Ecstasy: the Music of Bill Evans
When a Negative Brews a Positive
Painting Raga Composition Junction
Rapturous Resonance: Phil Lives
Janis Joplin and the Houseguest
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You Unsentimentally
Manhattan Smoke and Miracle Mile Incense
Six Seas: Conlon, Charles, Claude, Charlie, Chick and Chirico
Mesmeric Mantra Enchants Even Ravens
Sinatra and Shiva: Unexpected Connections Abound in Music
Deploying Energy: About Composition
Pristine Atmospheres: the Music of Dizzy Gillespie
Land of Pancakes: Walking Miracle Mile and More
Finding Nazir: The Precious Generosity of Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy
2014
White Jade Floating: Time in Music
Into a Newborn Day: Words Inspiring Jazz
You Say Hindustani I Say North Indian - Let's Call the Whole Thing woOff and warp
Silhouetted by the Sea: Bob Dylan in Mississippi
Transcendental Consolidation: The Music of Stan Getz
Indian Summer in Forests of Azure: Time and Thyme with Ray Manzarek
Two of a Kind: Bob Dylan and Charlie Parker
2013
Bird and Dizzy's Music Blitzkrieg: the Influence of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
Lips and Music Wed: Songstress Judy Collins
Reconstructing Ratzo's Reflexivity
Seraphic Surge: Conguero Poncho Sanchez
Batiked by an Apsara: Catharine Buchanan
That Rhythm Dance You Into Sunlight: The Music of Michael Jackson
Conflagrating Rag and Tal: Jackie McLean and Jack DeJohnette
Ethereal Ebony: The Majesty of Red Garland
Human Counterpoint: The Music of NBA Basketball
Advocating Ad: The Paintings of Ad Reinhardt
Lee and Leonard: Konitz Figures In West Side Story
2012
East West Side Story: Ravi Shankar and Leonard Bernstein
Wellspring of Joy: Rollan Masciarelli
Light the night: The Music of Laura Nyro
Mellifluous Marv: Homage to Marv Albert
The Preeminence of Winter: Johnny Winter
Three Suns: Swapan, Anindo and Zakir
2011
The Search For A New Instrument
2010
Michael Robinson, John Cage and Digital Music
Saptaka Sea: Sailing In The Melakartas of Karnatica
Sam Cooke: The Mystery of the Beatles' Musical Origin Solved
2004
Meruvina: Composition and Performance Coalesce
2003
Shivkumar Sharma: Spiritual High
2002
Charukeshi In Lahaina: An Evening With George Harrison
Pandit Jasraj: The Perfect Notes
Zakir Hussain: The Instrument Is Alive
Composing With the Raga Form and Technology
2001
Ali Ahmad Hussain: Weaving A Cosmic Rug
2000
1998
Shivkumar Sharma: Painting With Mallets and Strings
Lee Konitz: The Miracle of Improvising
1997
Special thanks to Joel Chadabe for suggesting writing liner notes for my albums, subsequently expanded to addressing myriad music subjects.