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Off-Ramp is a lively weekly look at Southern California through the eyes and ears of radio veteran John Rabe. News, arts, home, life ... the show covers everything that makes life here exciting, enjoyable, and interesting.

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For the broadcast of November 10, 2007

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A Forefather of Modern Art in Southern California

Part of the "Hard Edge" school of painters, Benjamin is finally getting his due in the pantheon of Modern Art. "Hard edge" sounds harsher than it is. It just means there's a clean line between the different colored shapes on his canvases.

New York Times on Karl Benjamin

Modern Love

In the gallery featuring "Hard Edge" painters, you can also see the works of Helen Lundeberg and Lorser Feitelson. Their paintings are right next to each other, which is fitting because they were married. Queena Kim brings us this report.

Cool Curator

Orange County Museum of Art's curator Elizabeth Armstrong says that 1950s California cool is reaching into the 21st Century.

Event Info

Jazz Shooter

Photographer William Claxton took many of the century's most memorable jazz photos. He shot Sonny Rollins, Jack Sheldon and the icon of California cool Chet Baker.

William Claxton's Website

Cool Living

One of Claxton's coolest shots is of trumpeter Jack Sheldon. Part of what makes it cool is that Sheldon didn't die from drugs or hard living, but was the featured entertainer at the OCMA's opening.

Jack Sheldon performs at Jax Bar and Grill

Are Black People Cooler than Whites?

Author Donnell Alexander admits the question might be offensive. But you know what he's talking about - you see it in music and fashion. Alexander says it's what keeps blacks in the American cultural mix.

This article first appeared in Might Magazine

Stone Cold

Commentator and marine biologist Martin Love says William Burroughs and Miles Davis have nothing on the Rock Fish.

Milton's Love Lab

Where's the Future?

The birth of the cool is all about the flowering of modernism that happened in Southern California fifty years ago. The cool modern houses and art and attitudes. But commentator Dale Hoppert asks what happened?

More Jazz at the Getty

The Getty is hosting Cote a Cote, a three-day conference on the intersection of jazz music with post war art and culture.

Event Info

Ahmad Jamal

Miles Davis said one of his influences was jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. He's playing at Catalina Bar & Grill through Saturday, November 10.

Event Info

Not Ruby Tuesday, Ruby Restaurant

The owner of OC's Ruby's restaurants talks about Karl Benjamin.

On November 17: Rachael Myrow tests turkeys, cross walk law and Asians on film.

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