Patti Smith and Her Band. Nicole Atkins & The Sea. Russ Columbo vs.Bing Crosby in The Battle of the Baritones. That moment of discovery in be-bop when Charlie Parker joined forces with Dizzy Gillespie and they found pianist Dodo Marmarosa. Steel guitarist Speedy West going head-to-head with iron guitarist Jimmy Bryant. The sway bar of John Cippollina from Quicksilver Messenger Service, and the mind expansion of the San Francisco bands (G. Dead, B. Brother and the H. Company, J. Airplane). The vocals of Egyptian singer Oum Khalsoum. Late night afterhours dancing to Strafe's "Set It Off". The one-drop of mid-seventies reggae, when lover's rock and rasta combined into one tuneful irie sound. The spirit of punque, long may it resurrect. Pete Townshend's rhythm and David Gilmore's melodics, among the git-fiddlers I salute, and of course, Jimi. Great hit singles past and future (today's top o' charts is Regina Spektor's "Fidelity"). The astral travel serenity of Alan Hovhaness and the Jupiter movement from Holst's "The Planets". Garage-rock of course ('tis truly a Nugget if you dug it!). The let-it-be-free jazz of Albert Ayler and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Gospel of the fifties, especially when it's on Fortune Records. Doo-wop 4-ever; Johnny Paycheck's "I Climbed Up On Barstool Mountain" and anything by Waylon; the splendor of the oud; and really, all music everywhere, because it is the frequency response of our shared humanity.
The films of Sergio Leone, especially the "Once Upon A Time"'s of "In The West" and "In America". The martial art of Bruce Lee as it metamorphs into the many volumes of "Kill Bill" and "House of Flying Daggers". Great science fiction like "When Worlds Collide" and "Silent Running." The quasi-newsreel of "Battle of Algiers." Jean Luc-Godard. Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers" (and thanks for leaving my verse in!) Religio-epics: "The Robe" and "The Gospel According To St. Matthew". Silent films, where the hands and eyes are most expressive.
Four play: The beat quartet of writers - Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs, and Corso - who truly changed my life; Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandrian Quartet;John Updike's Rabbit novels.Scientifiction: J.G. Ballard, Cordwainer Smith, David R. Bunch. Long live the history of the future.Modern narrative poets: Jeanne Winterson, Michael Ondaatje (especially The Collected Works of Billy The Kid)
My daughter Anna for her courage and honor.