Jazz pianist is savagely beaten up in Harlem

Jazz pianist is savagely beaten up in Harlem

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norman lebrecht

October 12, 2020

A fund-me site is up and running for the jazz pianist Tadataka Unno who was attacked last month by eight teenagers who were blocking the turnstile at the West 125th St subway station.

Tadataka suffered a broken collarbne.

The fund has so far raised $129,000.

 

Comments

  • Bone says:

    “Teenagers” seems fairly nondescript and harmless. Perhaps they were doing a Bible study or singing show tunes when Mr. Unno interrupted their mostly peaceful activities?

  • Off in Bach says:

    Apparently it was the 135th Street Station on the B/C line (at City College), which is not as heavily trafficked as the 125th Street Station is.

  • John Borstlap says:

    The enthusiasm of youth in combination with distaste for jazz. The new pastime of the under-educated.

    Recent research has shown that premature aggression of youngsters is the result of the lack of vocabulary to express emotions (I’m not making this up). Also there appears to be a link with certain types of pop music and rap.

    Everywhere in the Western big cities aggression by youth is on the rise, especially with knives. It is a signal of serious regression to jungle mentality, something that also can be observed in the increasing physical decorations with tattoos: the cultivation of the primitive. Given the level of most pop and rap this should not be surprising.

    • Karen Pham says:

      So they’re black…as usual; not Jewish or anything.

      Thanks for the clarification John!

    • Geezer Butler says:

      Careful John you are giving the impression of playing the racist card with comments like “It is a signal of serious regression to jungle mentality, something that also can be observed in the increasing physical decorations with tattoos: the cultivation of the primitive.”

      Not everyone who has body art carries a knife, wise up. I agree Pop has gone to the dogs since the Stones, Motorhead and Black Sabbath!

  • Deplorable Bassoonist says:

    Hope he’s ok and can play again sometime. I suppose things like this could happen anywhere, but NY has become a much more dangerous place under de Blasio. Thugs – when will the good people of the earth rise up and demand a stop to this behaviour? Acid splashing in London, rape and arson in Paris. Basta!

    • E Rand says:

      The Left ruins everything it touches, as they are doing to NYC for the 2nd time.

      • Larry D says:

        What does this have to do with “leftists”, seriously? Whatever your wishes, Crazy Guiliani isn’t coming back, he’s too busy injecting himself with bleach to reduce his cough.

        • Leave it to the adults says:

          Youngsters like yourself aren’t mature enough to invoke critical thinking skills little larry d

          • Larry D says:

            Again, another phony username just made up on the spot. Is this just another avatar of E Rand? A little consistency, please!

      • Geezer Butler says:

        Well with the Right you end up with charming characters like Hitler, Franco, Mussolini, Trump!
        At least in Blighty we just have Bojo the clown.

      • Max Raimi says:

        Absolutely. Crime has been up all across the US ever since that crazy leftist Trump got to the White House. Um…wait…

  • Greg Bottini says:

    I hope Mr. Unno recovers quickly and fully and gets back to playing that good jazz, like, soonest!!!!

  • former NY’er Red Pilled says:

    Unno should have had sense enough by now to be packin’ knowing how the city has been run into the ground.

    Too bad for this defenseless guy and his family now.

    Gee, no mention of a police presence or station cameras either.

    More crime is headed into NYC under the Dems but nobody is concerned so sympathy is unsustainable.

    How’s that “defund the police” narrative working for you professional victims on the Left??

  • MAGA says:

    Let’s guess the color of those teenager’s skin!

    • TubaMinimum says:

      This is one area where I’m glad the last four years have broken the normalcy and decorum of our political social contract and that the “MAGA” movement has quit tip-toeing around and just openly embraced racism as a part of the platform.

      It saves the rest of us a lot of hand-wringing trying to guess at the intent behind a phrase or dog whistle here or there.

      • E Rand says:

        Is that open racism you refer to the reason why Trump will receive record high black/hispanic support this year? is that why? (right now in Texas hes at nearly 50% hispanic support and in the 30% area for black support)

        • E Rand says:

          Its fascinating to see people giving a thumbs-down to the mention of historic minority support for Trump, a Republican. One must question why. Is it because they can’t stand that it challenges their fake-news narrative (like the b.s. “fine people” hoax) or is it because they can’t stand to lose the blacks and browns off the demoncrap reservation…

      • Guest says:

        The racism is the mentality that identifies anything done to a Black person as a “hate crime” and everything done by a Blacks person as part of their reparation package.

      • Bill Warner says:

        Democrats are full of labels among other things like s**t.

        Look at the UWS Lefties who went full NIMBY and sued to get those trashy men out of their very own neighborhoods. When it comes down to it, they hold republican values. Me thinks they are Trump voters by how swiftly they cleaned up their ritzy enclave reserved for the wealthy. They got scared by the mere sight of open defecation, urination, crazy people and drug use for some reason. Who are these people to discriminate against their fellow man?!?!?!

        All the Lefty commenters here do the EXACT same thing when asked to practice their own policies. Not surprising as they depend on everyone else for financial gain throughout their lives.

      • DJ says:

        Judging by the number of downvotes, it seems you’ve been ratioed. Will you reevaluate your stance? Of course not! You’ll dig those tiny heels in deeper and insist that racist boogeyman is everywhere.

    • Jake says:

      Black, maybe. Or maybe white. Who knows! You certainly don’t.

      • DJ says:

        Using your logic we could assume they were blind pigmy quakers. We all have a pretty good idea what thier race is. Some of us have the courage to admit it. When you cover for people who deserve to face justice you actually wind up helping perpetuate lopsided crime statistics.

    • paganono says:

      No, let’s guess their political party affiliation…

    • Doofus1714 says:

      Dear MAGA,
      I don’t get what you mean, can you elaborate?
      You bigoted fool, why go there? what are you trying to say? at least have the guts to be fully, openly repulsive.
      Slipped Disc is a fantastic forum, the only drawback is the amount of cretins who crawl out from under their dark rocks to vent their bitterness.

  • Sharon says:

    To Pilled (and others)
    If you are a former New Yorker you should know how difficult it is to be legally “packin” because gun control laws in New York City are the strictest in the country and among the strictest in the world.
    It is almost impossible for a private citizen to get a gun license.

    This could happen to anyone. Fortunately I was unhurt the two times that I was mugged. I hope that the people who pledge pay up. Rents are expensive and if he has a broken collar bone it might be quite a while before he is able to play again.

    There are many reasons for youth crime in New York City but it may be increasing because people are letting off steam because of Covid and are unemployed and/or unoccupied with zoom school classes which in most places are not taken too seriously. Of course this in no way shape or form excuses the behavior anymore that violence in Black Lives Matter demonstrations can be excused by saying that people are outraged.

    • V. Lind says:

      Apparently the little bastards yelled something about him being a “Chinese mother&*^%er” — the NYPD have in recent months set up some sort of task force to keep an eye on crime against Asians. It has spiked since Covid, which their hero, the Moronic Orange, has consistently referred to as the Chinese virus” with the implication that it was a plot by China to take over American lives.

      The whole thing is appalling. And speaks to the colossal ignorance that is Americas homegrown pandemic. Which of course led to YKW becoming Pres.

      • Patricia says:

        It is the Chinese virus. A Professor of Chemistry at Syracuse University was suspended for calling the wuhan virus the wuhan virus. He is a tenured professor, and was awarded a medal by a previous chancellor for distinguished service. We have heard nothing about him since and that was in the Spring Semester. You ,however, may demonstrate colossal ignorance.

      • Go on, EDUCATE them V. Lind! says:

        You should go have a calm talk with each of the “little bastards” and use all of your liberal talking points.

        Unless of course you’re too afraid of what they’ll do to YOU after savagely beating a fully grown man, you may end up adopting them all.

        Good luck with your personal safety. LOL

        • V. Lind says:

          What on earth are you talking about? I think they are appalling — why do you think I refer to them in such violent terms? If they find them they ought to jail them and throw away the keys.

          Are you suggesting it is all right to attack someone because he is Asian?

          • Walter Hastfeld says:

            You believe it’s acceptable to beat people that are white supporting that BLM shit! Move out of your comfort zone and get a flat in a black or Muslim area. Let’s see how fast you integrate with their kind and all is stolen from your home and you get splashed with acid. Or will you feel more educated for your foray into the left’s narrative?

        • Larry D says:

          E Rand under another name AGAIN?

    • Charles T. says:

      Heay Sharon!
      Where do the criminals get THEIR guns?

  • Araragi says:

    May he recover quickly and may these savages be caught. No link to the fundme page?

    • V. Lind says:

      It was closed after it reached its goal — passed it, actually. These people (his friends, who set it up) are not out to make money, just to help out someone whose livelihood has been definitively snatched away by violence for an indefinite period — and he has a new baby, too.

  • E Rand says:

    Tadataka clearly ran into another of the peaceful protests from the Left which are totally NOT racist and based on hatred.

    • V. Lind says:

      These were MAGA kids. I would not count on them being from the left. They are from the ignorant. Plenty of that on the right.

      • E Rand says:

        This is clearly not the case. If this had been a white-MAGA-on-asian-hate-crime, it would be a front-page New York Slimes and endless CNN story. When they don’t mention race, its what you would expect it to be at the 135th street subway.

        • V. Lind says:

          I did not say “white.” Like everyone else, I do not know what race the perps were. Whichever it is, they were evil little bastards, and were heard calling him what I reported above. They could easily be black and MAGA: as you were at pains to point out above, Trump has significant support from blacks and Hispanics.

          This is a rightwing crime on the evidence to date. There were eight of them — more than one race may have been involved. It looks like a hate crime.

          • E Rand says:

            If the perps turn out to be black kids in red MAGA hats, then I will eat my shoes. And yours too

      • Edamame says:

        Were they violent Jewish extremists?

      • Araragi says:

        Isn’t it premature to say what, if any, political side they were from? I’ve not seen any reports in the media about their politics, race, or any other identify other than that they were teens. You can correct me if I’m mistaken. Regardless, there’s plenty of ignorance on both sides of the political aisle. I would guess this attack was not from any deep political ideologues, despite the use of Asian slurs. It sounds like dumb kids with nothing to do. But we won’t really know until we know…

      • DJ says:

        Is this sarcasm? Are you trolling? 3 times the downvotes at the time of this reply. I’ll add mine to the pile.

  • Nelson says:

    This whole thread is a cesspool. What a bunch of losers all of you who have to blame one political “side” or another….so many excuses for a hateful display of violence. So, those of you blaming the Dems, how would you explain something of this sort in one of “your” cities? And those who think carrying a gun would have solved this man’s problem….tell me how that works, please, one armed man against 8 thugs….what a joke, because he would be dead instead of just injured. Just like your brilliant idea of arming teachers in classrooms, I’m guessing.

    • E Rand says:

      Like cockroaches, the thugs would tend to flee at the first “bang”. Thats how. Well, that and a 8+ capacity magazine…

      • Larry D says:

        Suddenly “E Rand” appears from nowhere and floods the blog with his racist right-wing gun loving bile. What phony username will he appear under next? He obviously loves his distorted politics more than he ever loved music, which was once the point of commenting here. Why has Norman allowed this site to sink so depressingly low into Trumpworld?

        • E Rand says:

          Let’s call it ERand world instead! Btw- I don’t give my complete name because then the party of love, diversity and inclusion would set my house on fire, destroy what remains of my property and ruin my job all for the crime of having thoughts outside of the approved thought of the demoncrap party

        • Adam Kaspari says:

          Larry- I would suppose that Norman is closer to a classic Liberal in that he would support a vigorous debate and disagreement, rather than the totalitarian leftist world you seem to wish for.

          • Larry D says:

            If wanting a music site to stick to music and polite, humanitarian discourse is “totalitarian”, then I plead guilty. If you think such infantile bile as “demoncrap party” has any place here, or comes within hailing distance of “vigorous debate and disagreement”, then I give up. But I wish Norman the classic liberal would address the issue, and make clear what his idea of monitoring is, and what standards he wants to set. Is there ANYTHING he draws the line at?

        • Doofus1714 says:

          entirely agree..the headlines of the posts by Mr. Lebrecht are sometimes inflammatory as well, but he is not responsible for the ugliness which more and more appears on this blog.

        • DJ says:

          Don’t kys in November

    • Mick the Knife says:

      No, if it he pulled out a gun and shot one of the little turds, they would have scattered like roaches. But it only happens this way in Charles Bronson movies.

    • DJ says:

      He would have only needed to shoot 1 before they scattered. Also, I’m guess they do have this sort of crime in thier cities. It’s what makes thier assumptions so accurate. Keep apologizing for them and one day they’ll forcefeed you one of those big red pills.

  • Not a fan says:

    It seems Slipped Disc and American Renaissance share similar readership

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