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Articles by Don Armstrong
Review: Writings of Chronicle music critic Ralph J. Gleason a master class in life
“The Life and Writings of Ralph J. Gleason” by Don Armstrong. Photo: Cover photo by Barry Olivier, courtesy the Berkeley Folk Music Festival Archive, Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections, Northwestern University Library When the great bandleader Duke Ellington died in 1974, longtime Chronicle critic Ralph J. Gleason wrote a lengthy appreciation for Rolling Stone.
How George Pitts Brought a Powerful Social Perspective to the Vibrant World of Black Rock 'n' Roll
George Pitts with Harry Belafonte. George Eddie Pitts (1925-1987) brought his experience as a black music fan to his readers at the Pittsburgh Courier from 1953 to 1964. Pitts wrote “Rock ‘n’ Roll Department” for the newspaper, its main music column. Music columns in black newspapers played an under-recognized role in the development of popular music journalism during that time period. Even white critics dismissed them.
2020s Music Journalism History Archives
Ralph J. Gleason: Manuscript for “Like a Rolling Stone” Music journalism matters. A read that begins as a quick scan can suddenly stop and slow down when a word, phrase or stream of imagery captivates us. A window into the world, or into ourselves. 2020 evoked panic but also reflection. When Rolling Stone deconstructed its “500 Greatest Albums” list it raised questions that went far beyond its inclusions, exclusions and rankings.
William Burroughs and His Musical Influences
William Burroughs William Burroughs’ influence on popular music has been well-documented. But less has been written about how music influenced him. Writer Jed Birmingham, in “Bebop Burroughs,” offers some thoughts, beginning with a jazz magazine Burroughs was associated with: Burroughs appeared twice in the jazz magazine Metronome. In May 1961, Metronome published “No Bueno” from Soft Machine. In August 1961, “This is the Time of the Assassins” appeared.
Whitney Balliet: The First New Yorker Jazz Column
1957 was a banner year for jazz. Yet that same year Dizzy Gillespie declared “Jazz is too good for Americans” in the June issue of Esquire, citing jazz’s superior press coverage in European magazines. Whitney Balliett was about to change that perception in the pages of New Yorker. Balliett (1926-2007) had been writing for the magazine since 1954.
Improving the Relationship Between Operations and Maintenance
Don Armstrong, Veleda Services It goes without saying that every department in an organization exists to support the overall goals of the enterprise, whether that is to manufacture a product or to provide a service. However, in a manufacturing organization, operations and maintenance are the closest departments to the manufacturing process and must work together to ensure the best possible overall organization performance.
American Blues Journalism, 1920s-70s: Part 10
The 1930s John Hammond John Hammond, Blues Critic Charles Edward Smith wasn’t the only 1930s “hot” collector to write about blues music. John Henry Hammond (1910-1987) is well known as the music producer who shaped the careers of Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan. But he was also a brilliant music critic. Hammond began going to Harlem record stores to purchase jazz and “race” records in the 1920s.
American Blues Journalism, 1920s-70s: Part 3
The First Blues Record Reviews: Abel Green The 1920s blues craze coincided with the country’s first record review columns. Records by Bessie Smith and other blues singers were reviewed alongside those of jazz bands and pop vocalists. Some of the first blues record reviews were those by journalist Abel Green. Abel Green Green was born in New York City in 1900 and by 1919 he was an aspiring playwright and songwriter. He began his career in journalism around that time, writing for Variety.
The First Women Music Journalists, 1920s-50s: Part 3
Songs to Revive Our Doubtful Spirits: Women Music Journalists in Depression America Music journalism blossomed in the 1930s. The birth of Down Beat in 1934 established the first jazz press. The launch of Popular Songs that same year established a new type of publication: the song-lyric magazine. These publications would do for pop music what Down Beat did for jazz. But in contrast to Down Beat and other music trade publications, song-lyric magazines were largely by women and for women.
The First Women Music Journalists, 1920s-50s: Part 2
Suffragette City: The 1920s “In a gay, diminutive galaith box comes an indelible lip paste blended from the finest beautifiers, exuberantly youthful in color.” “Feminine Frills,” Edita Miller Lenz (Billboard, Jan 7, 1928) Despite advances in a few areas of life, at the dawn of the 1920s women journalists were mainly relegated to writing about topics exclusive to women.
The First Women Music Journalists, 1920s-50s: Part 1
Who wrote these words in 1935? Musicologist Marshall Stearns? Critic John Hammond? Neither. Nan Lewis penned this narrative. Not for Down Beat or a jazz record review column, but in Popular Songs, a leading song-lyric magazine of the time. Female music journalists such as Lewis played an essential role in the early development of music journalism. In fan magazines, trades and the jazz press, women writers produced some of the first discourse about pop music, country music, blues, jazz and R&B.
The History of Record Guides, 1934-79 (Part One)
Jazz Record Guides, 1936-54 The record guide — a generous collection of record reviews in book form, and for music enthusiasts, hours of enjoyable reading. Taste-changing. What record collector hasn’t finished one of these guides without compiling a long record store wish list? Throughout its history, the record guide has been a potent instrument for legitimizing emergent and marginalized recordings. A record guide presents a canon of masterworks for its genre at a particular point in music history.
Where Does Transplant Fit Into AML Care?
Who is a transplant right for? What factors do doctors consider before treating an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient with a transplant? During this Ask the Expert segment, Dr. Daniel Pollyea, from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, explains the role of transplant in AML care, how it has changed in recent years, and which patients are good candidates for this type of treatment. Watch now to learn his AML expert knowledge. This program is sponsored by AbbVie, Inc and Genentech, Inc.
Where Can AML Patients and Caregivers Connect With Support?
Please remember the opinions expressed on Patient Power are not necessarily the views of our sponsors, contributors, partners or Patient Power. Our discussions are not a substitute for seeking medical advice or care from your own doctor. That’s how you’ll get care that’s most appropriate for you.
AML Patient and Expert Perspectives: What Is Transplant Like?
What is a transplant like for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients? Expert Dr. Uma Borate, from Oregon Health & Science University, and AML patient advocate Don Armstrong discuss the transplant process for those living with AML. Watch as Don shares his personal experience with a transplant and side effects, and Dr. Borate gives recommendations on optimal timing and preparation for this type of treatment. Watch now to learn their expert perspectives.
Five Key Texts from Music Journalism History
Niles, Abbe: “Jazz, 1928: An Index Expurgatorius,” The Bookman (January 1929). In this long-buried nugget, Niles summarizes how he picks records worthy of review. His wide-ranging tastes foreshadow today’s music writers, who are expected to have a broad knowledge of all music genres. This article also introduced the idea that pop music critics should draw on the social and historical contexts of their subjects.
“He Communicated Like a Jazz Musician”: Nat Hentoff on Ralph Gleason
In 2013, my wife Jessica and I conducted research for our article “Dispatches from the Front”: The Life and Times of Ralph J. Gleason” published in Rock Music Studies No. 1 (Routledge).
Diagnosing and Managing AML: Understanding Disease Presentation
Please remember the opinions expressed on Patient Power are not necessarily the views of our sponsors, contributors, partners or Patient Power. Our discussions are not a substitute for seeking medical advice or care from your own doctor. That’s how you’ll get care that’s most appropriate for you. Andrew Schorr: Dr. Borate, let's go back to the basics just for a second because we have people who are trying to understand what went wrong.
Patient Advocate Don Armstrong: How an AML Survivor Gives Back
Meet patient advocate Don Armstrong as he shares his acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosis story and ways he gives back to the cancer community after feeling like he’s been given a second chance at life. Don explains how, following a stem cell transplant, he got involved with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and continues to advocate for patients and families living with AML.
LIVE Webinar | What Are the Current Treatment Options for AML?
As a patient, how can I explore all the treatment options available for acute myeloid leukemia (AML)? What are the considerations when choosing treatment that’s right for me? During this LIVE webinar, an expert panel, including Dr. Uma Borate of Oregon Health & Science University, will help viewers understand more about the evolving field of AML treatment, identifying prognostic factors, determining patient subtypes, setting treatment goals and selecting a suitable course of treatment.
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