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Clifford Thompson

Clifford Thompson is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and painter.

About Me

Clifford Thompson is the author of Love for Sale and Other Essays (Autumn House Press, 2013), whose pieces include creative takes on the works of jazz greats. His work has appeared in The Threepenny Review, The Iowa Review, Film Quarterly, and Cineaste, among other publications. His blog, with posts on jazz, books, art, and film, is at tellcliff.com. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and rapidly growing children.

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My Jazz Story

I love jazz because... To me it is the sound of human exploration. I was first exposed to jazz... by Clint Eastwood's 1988 film "Bird," which led me to pick up music by Charlie Parker. Soon I was on to Sonny Rollins and Monk, then Miles and Coltrane, and there was no turning back. I met [musician name]... Milt Hinton and Reginald Workman, bassists both. The best show I ever attended was...Kenny Barron and Charlie Haden. The first jazz record I bought was... the soundtrack to "Bird." My advice to new listeners... Pay attention to who plays what on a record. Exploring the music of the sidemen can lead to interesting listening experiences. Or whatever else you have in mind.

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