Hang-a-Dang: Darin Clendenin Quartet at Tula’s

It was a real treat to see Darin Clendenin and his mighty quartet burning up the bandstand at Tula’s last Friday night. Darin is one of the region’s top-gun pianists. He’s also one of the hardest working. Because he’s in such high demand by various bandleaders and vocalists, he doesn’t get out with his own group very often. As such, I feel fortunate to have caught this show. It was a great night. Darin plays with his own unique elegance. He’s sensitive and fluid, and each note has…

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Our Creative Lives: Assholes

Assholes. Every creative community has a few. They slime around the scene, inflicting varying degrees of unpleasantness and leaving an acrid aftertaste in their wake. Ugh. Assholes aren’t a particularly upbeat thing to write about; neither are cockroaches or plumbing problems. But we all encounter them from time to time, right? It’s good to think about how we might be more skilled at dealing with them. Here are six ideas: 1. Ascertain the degree of assholery you’re dealing with. Not all assholes are created equal. They…

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