Al Gore talks with Charlie Rose about his book The Assault on Reason and his political stand. How many think the Former Vice President should run again?

From Terry Gross, host of NPR’s Fresh Air.

80 is the new 20

Gary Giddins on Hank Jones:

Jones is perhaps the most venerated of contemporary jazz pianists, and not just because he has outlived so much of the competition. Jazz taste oscillates between decorum and expression, usually favoring the latter. In the years when jazz piano was dominated by obdurate, percussive modernists like Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor, Jones was often perceived as a genteel professional, and admired more for the reliability of his technique than for his wit. In today’s more ecumenical musical climate, in which pianists like Bill Charlap and Jason Moran tend to mediate percussive dynamics with lyricism, Jones’s approach seems almost prophetic.

Azia Kim was caught after eight months of pretending to be a Stanford student. What’s her motive? According to the article, “…many speculate that she felt pressure from overbearing parents to attend Stanford—regardless of whether she was admitted.”

From Memorial Day cookout. Isn’t my cousin’s kid adorable?

I didn’t call this guy “a jazz freak from Seattle” for nothing. He got me hooked on Time Out and now he got me kicking back to Dave Digs Disney, a refreshing cover of children tunes that even adults could enjoy. What makes the album so damn additive is the contrast between Dave Brubeck’s arpeggios and Paul Desmond’s simultaneous flow, in which one leaves potholes for the other to fill in while drummer Joe Morello and bassist Eugene Wright drive the rhythm section. Their rendition of “Some Day My Prince Will Come” had attracted not only the listeners, but also the jazz musicians.

Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Someday Soon Sweet Samba“

Fuck Global Warming. R. Kelly’s heavy-sexualized Double Up is hotter than hell and more polluting than any climate crisis on earth. The days of bump and grind are long gone. Fellows, he’s done with fucking your wife and being trapped in the closet. Ladies, he’s no longer interested in just sticking his key into your ignition, but your girlfriend’s as well. As declared on the title track, he’s about to double up with two chicks, one in each joint.

Kelly is one sick motherfucker, but he doesn’t give a fuck. With his sultry voice lyricizing graphical contents over rousing beats, the R&B singer never fails to touch the G-spot. Even after he was caught on camera boning and pissing on a minor, and although he could face serious jail time if proven guilty, he still makes mad freaky recordings. On “The Zoo,” he boasts, “Girl, I got you so wet like a rain forest.” He sure rained on her with his urination. Then on “Sex Planet” he claims to touch your soul once he entered your black hole. Would you trust this pedophile? Sure you would.

On one side, Kelly could make inspirational records if he wants to. His mega hit for the Space Jam soundtrack, “I Believe I Can Fly,” was selected as a theme song for my class in high school. On the new album, he wrote, “Rise Up,” a heartfelt tribute to the Virginia Tech tragedy as well as “Havin’ a Baby,” a joy of being a father. On the flip side, he could be a real misogynist dickhead too. It’s disheartening to a hear the same guy who encouraged you with “I believe I can fly / I believe I can touch the sky / I think about it every night and day / Spread my wings and fly away” then turned around and dropped in your face with “Fuck me? Girl, fuck you. / … / The next time your ass gets horny / Go fuck one of your funky-ass friends. / Hell, you’ve probably doing that shit anyway.” But hey, that’s the multi-talented R. Kelly.

Vo Thien Thanh’s “Uoc Gi” vs. Jim Brickman’s “Night Prayer.”