Geoff Dyer

World Cup 2018: England

I am always shocked by the way it takes hold, this faith in England, the desire for England to go all the way, as they say, in spite of the long record of thwarted hopes, hopes that are so necessary a prelude to the lingering after-taste of ashes in the mouth.

Torrential, Gut-Bucket Jazz

Ornette Coleman’s quartet didn’t just take the roof of the 5 Spot; they took the roof off the idea of the roof and, as a result, left jazz exposed to the elements. In the following decade jazz became *torrential*.

Catastrophic Coltrane

Where was John Coltrane headed in the last phase of his musical journey?