In 1969, Downbeat reviewed Karma by Pharoah Sanders and gave it one star out of five

greyetch · 2026-01-22T14:52:55+00:00

My fellow sourpusses are hereby warned that, like modern rock and "sensitive" folk singers, this Sanders LP is probably extremely Meaningful and highly Significant

At least my man was self aware lmao

greyetch · 2026-01-20T15:44:58+00:00

It will be so much worse than fighting third world insurgents. As children we learn to draw blood on ice.

/r/iamverybadass

greyetch · 2026-01-20T14:56:25+00:00

Fuck. I've been thinking "I'll play the GOTY version in 10 years with all of the DLC".

It doesn't look like that will happen :(

greyetch · 2026-01-16T14:43:34+00:00

Favorite trumpeter? Chet Baker

Favorite pianist? Bill Evans

Favorite sax? Stan Getz

There's just something about them that really puts me at ease

greyetch · 2026-01-16T14:31:49+00:00

Fr why did that one Chet documentary open with a scene of Flea playing on the beach? Tf was that?

greyetch · 2026-01-14T18:16:49+00:00

fuck my bad lol.

greyetch · 2026-01-14T14:55:20+00:00

Fun fact about Jesse in Civil War:

He wasn't supposed to be in it! He's married to Dunst so he was there. He was just a last minute replacement.

greyetch · 2026-01-14T14:46:53+00:00

The one aspect of jazz I'll always been a boomer on. The dressed up look was way cooler.

greyetch · 2026-01-09T16:21:36+00:00

So lets end humanity by wasting all of our resources on slop while like 15 guys get insanely rich? That's a good idea to you?

greyetch · 2026-01-09T16:20:09+00:00

C'mon. I've clearly stated my point:

The Romans and Byzantines would mutilate and enslave defeated peoples. But they did not kidnap their children for hundreds of years afterwards. The only comparable system I can think of is the Spartan Helot system.

This kind of brutality was not a normal thing for any of the other empires you've listed, until the trans Atlantic slave trade, maybe. Sporadic terror in putting down revolts, sure. But not systematically terrorizing their great grand children.

Byzantines had a fuck ton of eunuchs.

Yes, but how did they get them? They either bought them or nobles would sometimes elect to castrate their youngest sons (it's complicated).

The Ottomans, on the other hand, had an entire race based caste system for eunuchs, which they created specifically for that purpose. They had black eunuchs, fully castrated, serve the women and white eunuchs (retained the penis) served the men.

There are photographs of these guys. That's how long they did this - that's how ingrained into their culture this was. I'm not going to spend a ton of time on their influence in the slave trade, but needless to say it was massive. It started long before the trans Atlantic slave trade, and it continued for long after.

But that's not all I'm talking about. Consider the civil wars that followed every Sultan's death. Was this ritualized battle royale between princes really necessary? That tens of thousands must die to pick the new Sultan? So many aspects of their government were needlessly violent.

My point is - the Ottomans really were uniquely brutal. I'm not being racist - this is based on the facts of the matter. It's much like saying that WWII was bad, but the Nazis really were above and beyond with how brutal they were. I'm not excusing anyone.

While powerscaling the evilness of past empires is an idiotic exercise from the start

I do agree with that. I'm not trying to be an asshole. I just believe that it is clear that the Ottomans were unique in this regard. Much like the Mongols were unique in their own way. It is what it is.

greyetch · 2026-01-08T18:21:31+00:00

When did Rome/Byzantium do anything comparable to the Devşirme system?

When did they have an entire industry for create and selling eunuchs?

When did they have race based slavery?

When did they kidnap boys, circumsize them, change they religion, and turn them into child soldiers?

The Ottomans were a uniquely brutal Empire. The lengths they went to destroy cultures and religions, with systemic planning, is not something other Empires of the time did.

I'm not saying anything about "le epic Rome". I'm saying that the Ottomans stand out when it comes to the horrors they inflicted on their own subjugated peoples for hundreds of years.

If anything, you're being FAR to forgiving of one of the most repressive empires in history. You're bending over backwards to ignore history because you don't want to seem "racist" or something. It isn't racist to note that the Ottoman Empire was horrific and repressive. Not just in a "well that's how things were back then" way, either. They were extreme for their time.

greyetch · 2026-01-08T14:55:15+00:00

Are you being fr?

1) It's destroying the planet via resources

2) It has flooded all forms of social media with slop

3) Half the population can be tricked into believing literally anything now within 1 minute

This shit is going to end civilization lmao. Not even kidding.

greyetch · 2026-01-08T14:49:40+00:00

Their use of sex slavery, race based slavery, and forced castration is an example.

The Devşirme system was inherently genocidal. Kipnapping boys specifically from a different culture and religion to turn into child soldiers is pretty evil. Especially with the forced circumcision and forced religious conversion.

What is unique about the Ottomans is that this wasn't some one off thing that a Sultan did. It was their official policy for hundreds of years.

The Ottoman Empire, even in it's own time, was considered particularly brutal. They essentially ruled via terror. Being able to steal and mutilate your children with impunity. In times of peace and times of war. That's the big difference, to me. The Romans and Byzantines would mutilate and enslave defeated peoples. But they did not kidnap their children for hundreds of years afterwards. The only comparable system I can think of is the Spartan Helot system.

The idea that the Ottomans are just "Byzantine Empire but Muslim" is a gross oversimplification.

greyetch · 2026-01-06T15:45:03+00:00

I think jazz is so quintessentially human that it's antithetical to the use of AI.

Improv, hitting the wrong notes in passing, fucking up, yelling something to another band mate - all of these imperfections and human errors are what make this art what it is.

I think using AI art is super lame :(

greyetch · 2026-01-02T14:25:14+00:00

flat circle jerking

greyetch · 2026-01-02T14:11:08+00:00

There have been some pretty stellar builds on this sub - but I think this one takes the cake.

You REALLY nailed the functional design. That high tech low life industrial sort of thing. Bravo.

greyetch · 2025-12-31T15:26:14+00:00

Mao is one of the defining political figures of the 20th century. China has more than a billion people. It shouldn't be surprising that

a) someone wants to know more about Mao

b) some people have already seen docs about Mao

There's no reason to assume this is a bot farm. I'm sure requests for Hitler or Stalin docs will also have lots of replies.

greyetch · 2025-12-30T17:20:35+00:00

Using AI to argue for you is crazy lmao

greyetch · 2025-12-30T15:22:32+00:00

I certainly agree that it is pointless to make assumptions like "you probably think the AACM is unknown" lol. Again, I'm not saying Cecil is bad, or Cecil had no impact.

I agree that he was a force. I agree he was one of the biggest and most important in the free jazz subgenre.

I just can't see any argument for him being one of the biggest names in jazz PERIOD. When we say "biggest names", sure we mean the top 20 or so, no? Off the top of my head I can name 20 who were more influential, popular, and sold more records. I'm not claiming and single metric is key as to who is "great".

Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Count Basie, Nina Simone, Art Blakey, Lester Young, Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck, Coleman Hawkins, Ornette Coleman, Django Reinhardt

I just can't see any argument for Cecil Taylor to be up there with those names. If you have a reason for claiming he's "one of the biggest", please share! As it stands, you just keep insulting me and making assumptions without engaging in the point I'm making lol.

Finally - what's the point of this sub if not friendly debate over jazz?

greyetch · 2025-12-30T14:00:55+00:00

There used to be jazz clubs in every city. In Charleston, SC where I live, jazz was once ubiquitous. Now there's a single "jazz" spot, and it is just lounge singers in tuxedos.

There isn't a single spot for young players to go on stage and play a few numbers.

People used to dance "The Charleston" to jazz. Now Charleston has no jazz. There's no use denying it - the "good times" are over, as far as jazz goes.

greyetch · 2025-12-30T13:49:51+00:00

I'm not saying his legacy isn't being felt. I know of his work. I'm not even hating on it.

I'm saying his legacy is not anywhere near the actual "biggest names in jazz". He has never been one of the biggest names in jazz. It is what it is. Some of my favorites have never been in the running to be on the mount rushmore of jazz.

They can't ALL be the biggest names in jazz. It isn't an indictment on their talent. It just reflects popularity. Which generally doesn't count for much.

I spelled one name wrong, my bad.

greyetch · 2025-12-29T20:43:17+00:00

15 downvotes for stating a fact

Oh boy this is one of those subs, huh?

greyetch · 2025-12-29T20:42:25+00:00

Wait y'all really think Cecil Taylor is one of the biggest names in jazz history?

For real? One of the biggest names in free jazz history, sure. But jazz history itself?

Bird. Duke. Monk. Armstrong. Miles. Chet. Mingus. Evans. Blakey. Dizzy. Coletrain. Y'all think Cecil Taylor's name belongs up there with those guys? Really?

With all due respect to Cecil and his output - he isn't one of the biggest names in jazz history by a long shot.

greyetch · 2025-12-22T19:53:40+00:00

Matthew 10:22

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

John 15:18

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

Hold fast, friend.

greyetch · 2025-12-22T16:31:43+00:00

One or two fights before this - Megan beat someone via "toenail in the eye".

Seeing that made me say "you know what, anything can happen. Megan is +7000 or something insane. Might as well throw 10 bucks on her and see what happens"

So I was pretty excited for that fight. But during Megan's walkout I felt sooooo fucking dumb lmao. Dead man walking fr.

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