Jim Fusilli
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Articles by Jim Fusilli
Behind the Book (and the Album): A Song for Katy Shayne
In writing my novel “A Song for Katy Shayne,” I broke the number-one rule I advise all authors to follow – and in doing so, I went on an unexpected adventure that reconnected me to my earliest examples of storytelling. In “A Song for Katy Shayne,” an aging music critic is suddenly without a job. He’s adrift until a reader asks him to listen to songs composed by his sister Katy Shayne who died decades earlier – a suicide per police.
Behind the Book: The Price You Pay
THE PRICE YOU PAY is my most autobiographical novel to date. Previous novels NARROWS GATE and THE MAYOR OF POLK STREET are both set in a fictionalized Hoboken, N.J., where I was born and raised, and some minor events have a basis in fact. But those books are set well before I was born. They’re largely the product of research about the mob and the entertainment industry. In THE PRICE YOU PAY, what’s on the page is often akin to reporting with some tweaking.
The Price You Pay
A crime thriller, coming-of-age story and a family saga, The Price You Pay unravels in mid-1970s Jersey City, a crumbling town where violence and coercion reign. Young Mickey Wright is thrust into a world controlled by a powerful Teamster local associated with the Genovese crime syndicate. The man who puts him in jeopardy: his father, a free-wheeling policeman well-known to Jersey City's politicians and drug dealers.
By Benny Golson
Benny GolsonArt FarmerCurtis FullerGeoff KeezerDwayne BurnoJoe Farnsworth Benny GolsonArt FarmerCurtis FullerGeoff KeezerDwayne BurnoJoe Farnsworth Benny GolsonArt FarmerCurtis FullerGeoff KeezerDwayne BurnoJoe Farnsworth Benny GolsonArt FarmerCurtis FullerGeoff KeezerDwayne BurnoJoe Farnsworth Benny GolsonWynton KellyBob CooperFrank RosolinoRed MitchellStan LeveyCharlie PersipConte CandoliLee Morgan Benny GolsonWynton KellyBob CooperFrank RosolinoRed MitchellStan LeveyCharlie PersipConte...
The Girl, The Jacuzzi, The Gardening Shears
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'Ruby, My Dear': Dazzling Jazz with a French Flair
The accordionist Richard Galliano plays what's known as French musette, a rich, energetic blend of European folk music and American jazz. Galliano, a native of Nice, France, emphasizes the jazz component of the musette blend. Critic Jim Fusilli says Galliano's new live album, Ruby, My Dear, shows just how dazzling jazz with a French flair can be. Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Ghost of the Manhattan Project
When things start moving around in journalist Jim Fusilli's Tribeca apartment, he becomes convinced someone - a young woman? In peril? - wants him to crack open a story from the past. Or maybe she just wants a sandwich? When my ghost first appeared to me in my Tribeca apartment, I was more curious than alarmed: Raised as a Catholic, I was taught, beginning at age five, that each of us has at least one guardian angel – an unseen spirit who guides and protects us.
New Optimism for the Boss
Bruce Springsteen on Monday released "High Hopes," a single from an album by the same name that will go on sale Jan. 14. The album is a collection of fresh takes on old songs, covers and previously unreleased material. A video of the single, a new version of a Tim Scott composition that Mr. Springsteen first covered on his '96 EP "Blood Brothers," can be seen at brucespringsteen.net.
From a Wall of Sound to a Prison Cell
Los Angeles Phil Spector's contribution to rock is undeniable. His productions elevated the pop record to art through outsize arrangements and orchestrations that heightened the poignancy in songs of adolescent love.
Bjork Commands Reykjavik Stage
For her album "Biophilia," Björk and her team invented new instruments to challenge and stimulate listeners as they ponder the disk's theme, the exploration of the natural world. In concert last night at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, the city where she was born in 1965, Björk demonstrated how well these instruments can serve her songs – and not only those from her new release.
The Minnesota Twins
When an irate husband prevents Eddie Flood, a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, from attending that night’s game, Eddie asks his identical twin Arnold to fill in. Problem: ¬†Arnold is no baseball player…
Marley Z and the Bloodstained Violin
Marley Z and the Bloodstained Violin Buy Now Ebook Jun 12, 2008 Audiobook Download Oct 16, 2018 | 251 Minutes See All Formats (1) +
Will His 12th Oscar Nomination Be Thomas Newman's Charm?
Pacific Palisades, Calif. When the Academy Award for Best Original Score is presented on Sunday, composer Thomas Newman may hear his name called as the winner for his work on "Saving Mr. Banks." Or he may not: This is Mr. Newman's 12th nomination, yet he's never taken home an Oscar. "It's quite a distinction," Mr. Newman said with a wry smile at his home studio here earlier this month. Mr. Newman's Oscar-deficient mantelpiece can't be blamed on a lack of extraordinary work.
Jim Fusilli – Audio Books, Best Sellers, Author Bio | Audible.com
Jim Fusilli is an American writer. He serves as the rock and pop music critic of The Wall Street Journal and is the author of six novels. A native of Hoboken, NJ, he lives in New York City. Fusilli's debut novel, the mystery "Closing Time," is the last work of fiction set in New York City published prior to the 9/11 attacks. The following year, Fusilli's mystery "A Well-Known Secret" addressed the impact of 9/11 on the residents of New York City.
Search Results | Wall Street Journal
Searching for the Man Behind the Purple Veil By Jim Fusilli April 24, 2018 5:31 pm ET The Journal’s rock and pop music critic goes to a festival at Prince’s estate nearly two years after the superstar’s death to try to discover who he really was.
Dolorean Stays 'Unfazed' on the Road to Recognition
'The Unfazed" (Partisan) continues Dolorean's tradition of very fine song-centric folk-rock albums. In a just world, the release would bring the group the kind of widespread fan support and critical acclaim it has been denied thus far. After 10 years together, commercial success still eludes it. Commercial success still eludes the Portland, Ore.-based band. Sarah Jurado The quintet goes about making its music the old-fashioned way: Al James writes the songs, then the band works out the arrangements.
Narrows Gate
What listeners say about Narrows Gate Average customer ratings Overall 3.5 out of 5 stars 3.6 out of 5.0 5 Stars 11 4 Stars 13 3 Stars 6 2 Stars 3 1 Stars 4 Performance 4 out of 5 stars 4.0 out of 5.0 5 Stars 16 4 Stars 7 3 Stars 6 2 Stars 1 1 Stars 3 Story 3.5 out of 5 stars 3.6 out of 5.0 5 Stars 8 4 Stars 12 3 Stars 6 2 Stars 2 1 Stars 4 Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
Narrows Gate
What listeners say about Narrows Gate Average Customer Ratings Overall 3.5 out of 5 stars 3.6 out of 5.0 5 Stars 11 4 Stars 13 3 Stars 6 2 Stars 3 1 Stars 4 Performance 4 out of 5 stars 4.0 out of 5.0 5 Stars 16 4 Stars 7 3 Stars 6 2 Stars 1 1 Stars 3 Story 3.5 out of 5 stars 3.6 out of 5.0 5 Stars 8 4 Stars 12 3 Stars 6 2 Stars 2 1 Stars 4 Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
The Mayor of Polk Street
A Novel of Narrows Gate Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins 3.9 out of 5 stars 3.9 (17 ratings) 1 title per month from Audible’s entire catalog of best sellers, and new releases. Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts. You will get an email reminder before your trial ends. Your Premium Plus plan is $14.95 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
His Home at 'Sky's Edge'
Sheffield, England If good taste prevails, "Standing at the Sky's Edge" (Mute) by Richard Hawley will appear on many "best of 2012" lists. The album goes beyond the rich and lovely ballads of his previous recordings, adding squalls of electric guitars and waves of synthesizers to create a roiling platform for his warm, sturdy baritone. The result is an expression of calm, reasoned anger rather than all-out rage.
Bruce Springsteen's 'Western Stars' Grows More Satisfying with Repeated Exposure
Western Stars Bruce Springsteen Columbia Records 14 June 2019 On Western Stars, Bruce Springsteen's first solo recording in 14 years, the primary influences are the borrowed elements of country, folk, and baroque pop that interlaced in the late 1960s and early 1970s rock. Springsteen has mined these fields before in his solo work, but not in a manner as on this new album, out 14 June.
SXSW Has Lost Its Balance
Austin, Texas If the annual South by Southwest Music Festival was once a highly prized opportunity for developing artists to win needed attention from music-industry personnel, it's now a hydra-headed corporate carnival that employs some 2,200 musical acts to attract marketers and advertisers.
For Elton John, the Magic of Threes
While recording "The Union," his 2010 album with Leon Russell, Elton John began to think he might set aside the gloss of his mid-to-late-career albums and return to the stark presentation of his earliest work. "I should just let it rip," he told me back then, as we recalled with glee his early 1970s concerts with bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson. Mr. John has since taken action and, with producer T-Bone Burnett, recorded "The Diving Board," out this week. It's a deeply satisfying,...
Pete Seeger: Troubadour, Rabble Rouser
Pete Seeger's contribution to U.S. music began in the 1940s, extended through the 1960s folk-revival movement and is poised to reach well beyond his days. Seeger died Monday in New York at age 94.
The Antlers’s Ruminations on Mortality
By Jim Fusilli Mar 20, 2009 12:02 pm ET The Antlers’ new “Hospice” (The Antlers) is a deeply moving album that brings to mind “Funeral” by Arcade Fire and “Songs in A&E” by Spiritualized—recent recordings whose theme is death or mortal illness. The trio plays two sets here this afternoon and another tomorrow.
Thirty Years Later and Better Than Ever
'To tell you the truth," Patti Smith said to me recently, "I didn't even know I was having a 30th anniversary." But it's so. Thirty years ago, Ms. Smith recorded and released "Horses," an eight-song marriage of stream-of-consciousness poetry and classic rock, punk, reggae and a hint of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya. On the recording, her first, Ms. Smith recites, sings and screams her lyrics as if she's thoroughly in control and, at the same time, desperate and ready to explode.
Broken Bells Releases Self-Titled Debut Album
An abundance of musical ideas define "Broken Bells" (Columbia), the self-titled '60s-minded debut from the duo of Brian Burton, best known as Danger Mouse, and James Mercer of The Shins. It's the kind of textured pop album that reveals new joys with repeated exposure. We might have expected shimmering pop from the talented Mr. Mercer, whose music bears the influence of The Beatles, Brian Wilson, Alex Chilton and The Kinks, among others.
The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds
Home > Academic > Music & Sound Studies > Popular Music > The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds By: Jim Fusilli Published: 02-11-2005 Format: Paperback Edition: 1st Extent: 128 ISBN: 9780826416704 Imprint: Continuum Series: 33 1/3 Volume: 19 List price: $14.95 Online price: $10.46 Saving: Save $4.48 (30%) Tell others about this book Lorem About The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds Pet Sounds is, rightly, one of the most celebrated pop albums ever released.
He Responds to Inara George's 'Invitation'
On "An Invitation" (Everloving), her warm, witty new album, Inara George's voice and songs are lovingly enriched by Van Dyke Parks, who wrote the orchestra charts. His work on "An Invitation" is delightful, dazzling yet discreet, a perfect companion to that of Ms. George. "We knew how we wanted it to sound," she told me from Los Angeles when we spoke by phone recently. "I had just seen 'La Vie en Rose'" -- the 2007 film by Olivier Dahan about French singer Edith Piaf -- "and I wanted...
Saying It With Snowflakes
When you consider that Kate Bush has gone as long as a dozen years between albums, the appearance of "Director's Cut" earlier this year and "50 Words for Snow" (Anti) this week is a bonanza. Both discs remind us that Ms. Bush is rarely less than very interesting and often quite superb. On "Director's Cut," Ms. Bush revisited 11 previously issued tracks, recorded anew on tape instead of digitally, with new vocals and some new arrangements.
Guitarist Gary Lucas Blends Chinese Pop With the Blues
On his latest album, "The Edge of Heaven" (Indigo), guitarist Gary Lucas, who's best known for his work with the avant-garde rock composer Captain Beefheart, explores mid-20th century Chinese pop music, specifically the songs of Bai Kwong and Chow Hsuan, vocalists who were based in Shanghai before World War II and remained musical icons in the region for decades. The definition of a cross-cultural exercise, "The Edge of Heaven" is an extraordinary work.
How Jackson Did It
At the heart of Michael Jackson's musical legacy are two albums that total less than an hour-and-a-quarter's worth of music. Both are rightfully considered among the best pop albums of their era. "Off the Wall," released in 1979, and "Thriller," issued three years later, turned Jackson from a teenybopper into an adult pop entertainer and ushered in his international superstardom.
Michael Jackson: In Memoriam
He was known as the King of Pop, and in Michael Jackson’s case the title was warranted. Mr. Jackson, who died Thursday in Los Angeles at age 50, was the most gifted pop entertainer of his era. Though his seemingly bizarre personal life often made him a figure of curiosity and ridicule, his lasting legacy is his music—and it is an extraordinary body of work that he leaves behind. Commercial success is one measure of achievement, and Mr. Jackson had certainly had his share.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' Eight years ago three friends from Oxford, Ohio, decided to start a band. On one of the recording tapes they wrote "Us, Today" and the name stuck. Their fourth album Computant is out now and is one to savor. Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' Eight years ago three friends from Oxford, Ohio, decided to start a band.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 3 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 23 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 24 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 17 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 14 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 20 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 19 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 9 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant'
Us, Today Explores Intersection of Progressive Rock, Electric Jazz on 'Computant' By Jim Fusilli • 4 minutes ago Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
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