While scanning through Da Capo Best Music Writing 2006,
Elizabeth Mendez Berry’s “Love Hurts” (PDF format) caught my attention with her clever introduction: “Before going to sleep, many little girls pray for a new Barbie, an Xbox game, or a trip to Disney World. At age 7, Vanessa Rios asked only that “Papi would stop hitting Mami.”

Papi is no other than the late rapper Big Pun who whipped the shit out of his wife with a lead pipe just because she forgot to change his beeper’s battery. I never had much respect for Pun as a rapper, and now I have none for the dead man. Berry then chronicles various domestic violence against women among rappers including Biggie, Dre and Busta. Like I said, I enjoy rap’s vivid lyrics, but that’s just on-the-mic bullshitting, and didn’t expect these misogynists actually stayed true to their words in real life. As much respect as I have for Biggie as a lyricist, I despise his cruelty toward women. He used to say, “More money, more problems.” More money comes more power. And more power, more bitches to slap. His murder case still remains unsolved, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was gunned down by a woman.

I am hooked on Art Pepper’s hypnotic rendition of “Tin Tin Deo,” thanks to the addictive rhythm section of Miles Davis’s sidemen: Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Pepper’s sweet and sensual alto soars like a bird with wounded soul over the magnetizing Latin groove. Just like what my man Rakim said every time I rock this tune, “I get a craving like I fiend for nicotine, but I don’t need a cigarette, know what I mean?”

Dieu Huong’s sweet and sentimental “Xin Mai Con Ben Me” struck my guilty chord. She reminds me that I have taken my mother’s presence for granted. Being with her everyday is a blessing, yet I sometimes forget to acknowledge it. Before heading out the door into the real world this morning, I kissed my mama on her cheek and said, “I love you, mom.” And all I got from her response was, “OK.” I sighed, “Just ok?” She smiled and went on, “If you don’t know it by now, what more can I say?” I gave her a joyful look as I was thinking to myself, “Thanks mom for the unconditional love and a wonderful blog post.”

In addition to Subtraction, here are a few sites with great use of type:
TMX Communications
The Morning News
Coudal

And a few of my own:
German Studies
Jewish Studies
Field Work

As a remarkable orchestral jazz composer, Duke Ellington’s deep, rich, and imaginative tone on the piano used mostly to create the “Ellington effect.” He only plays his part when necessary to accomplish the overall mood, and rarely showcases his solo improvisation. Yet when he’s by himself, Ellington’s artistic vision and ingenious skill revealed. From the unorthodox arrangement to the intricate atonality to the mastery of rag style in “The Clothed Woman,” Ellington demonstrated his skill as a solo jazz pianist as well.

The following verbatim paragraph comes from William Zinsser’s On Writing Well:

For writers and other creative artists, knowing what not to do is a major component of taste. Two jazz pianists may be equally proficient. The one with taste will put every note to work in telling his or her story; the one without taste will drench us in ripples and other unnecessary ornaments. Painters with taste will trust their eye to tell them what needs to be on the canvas and what doesn’t; a painter without taste will give us a landscape that’s too pretty, or too cluttered, or too gaudy—anyway, too something. A graphic designer with taste knows that less is more: that design is the servant of the written word. A designer without taste will smother the writing in background tints and swirls and decorative frills.

Word!

Visualgui.com returns to the bare bone with the least amount of colors and zero graphic. After all, “Web Design is 95% Typography.” Khoi Vinh’s Subtraction sure is a perfect case study.

Our man HmL—who needs no further introduction if you’re a regular visitor to Visualgui.com—will be biking for the Break Away from Cancer, a ride to “benefit the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship and The Wellness Community to support free programs and services that help people living with cancer,” on Sunday, November 12th, 2006 in D.C. area. So let’s give him our support not because he’s a wonderful guy, but for goodness sake.

Get past the monotonous vocals and you’ll be to enjoy her move. Vy drops it like it’s hot in “Musicality.”

Although I still have issues with his bitch-ass voice, I have to give him the props for his powerhouse rendition of Nguyen Anh 9’s “Buon Oi, Chao Mi.”

Nguyen Khang’s rough and raspy quality suits my ears more, and his performance on Huynh Nhat Tan’s “Se Khong Con Yeu” is hard to match. He also takes me on a trip down to memory lane with “Dem Nho Ve Sai Gon.”

Enjoy your weekend, folks!

They say white men can’t swing. Not Benny Goodman. He was the king of swing who held down the Savoy’s dance floor nights after nights. Goodman had a lovable sound and fluid flow on the clarinet. His live performance of “Runnin’ Wild” is both sweet and swing. His drummer Gene Krupa drops quite a few “bombs” (snare and bass combo) up in the joint.