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When Jazz Ain't Jazz
By Marvin X
I recently attended the UC Berkeley
Jazz Festival at the Greek Theatre. The audience was
full of Black people, thus you know it wasn't a jazz
festival. In the Bay Area, jazz festivals and venues
such as Yoshi's are usually full of white people so if
the Greek Theatre was full of Blacks, you know it wasn't
jazz, maybe cool jazz or smooth jazz or fusion jazz, or
Latin jazz but not jazz, not real jazz or more properly
Black classical music, the most conscious music of the
Black nation in the wilderness of North America.
Chaka Khan, KEM, Will Downing, Gorge
Duke, Stanley Clarke are all great musicians and they
performed great music, but I wouldn't call it jazz, not
the jazz I know, like Sun Ra, Pharaoh Saunders,
Coltrane, Miles Davis, Chicago Art Ensemble. George and
Stanley did perform one number on acoustic bass and
piano, “Autumn Leaves,” that was truly jazz, but most of
the jazz festival music must be considered soul,
neo-soul, blues, whatever, but not jazz.
Although I love all Black music, I
wouldn't have paid $55.00 to sit on the grass to hear
what I heard, except it gave me the opportunity to spend
time with my lady friend, away from the computer, away
from concern about the state of the Black nation. Still,
I was/am concerned about the state of black art,
especially black Music. During the years I was a dope
addict, music was absent from my life, even though
before dope music was an essential part of my being,
including performing with Sun Ra for many years, coast
to coast.
And even now I prefer reading poetry
with Bay Area musicians such as harpist Destiny,
violinist Tarika Lewis, djembe master Tacuma King, and
more recently keyboard master Elliott Bey. While in
Philly, I recorded a DVD with the remaining members of
Sun Ra's Arkestra, Danny Thompson, Noel, and Marshall
Allen, also Rufus Harley (I understand he made
his transition a few days ago, peace be upon him), and
Elliott Bey. So I can't take Miller Lite jazz. I got to
have it full strength, pure, unadulterated.
Thus, I left the Greek Theatre
disappointed, since it was a long concert with long set
changes and cold weather as the fog descended on the
Bay. Chaka Khan was just getting started as I was
leaving along with quite a few other concert goers.
This past Sunday, I got to hear and
perform with some real jazz musicians. Brother Ghasem, a
longtime Bay Area fixture had come into town from Europe
and performed at Anna's in Berkeley. When the set began,
my woman friend said, "I see what you mean, now this is
jazz." Indeed it was what I was accustomed to
appreciating as jazz. All the local musicians were
present, including E.W. Wainwright, Brother Khalil
Shaheed, and Destiny on harp. There were poets Reginald
Lockett and myself, and dancers Deborah Vaughn and Anisa
in the audience. Also painter Arthur Monroe.
Ghasem, overcome with emotion, kept
noting from the mike, "This is a family affair." Indeed
it was since it began with a naming ceremony for his new
daughter.
Ghasem is certainly one of the best
musicians out of the Bay Area, on the level with Bobby
Hutcherson, Dewey and Josh Redman, bassists Rafael
Garrett, James Leary; drummers Bill Sommers, Babatunde
Lea, Butch Haynes, Yancey Taylor on vibes, and so many
others.
Ghasem invited me to read during the
poetry portal. I decided to read “What If.” It was the
best reading of the poem to date as members of the
audience noted. One person said they heard me at the
Malcolm X Jazz Festival, but this was much better. I
agreed. I simply floated on the bed of music behind me,
like I was on a magic carpet. I kept hearing Ghasem and
Destiny doing a call and response with me, "No God but
God, No God but God, No God But God." This was jazz, or
shall we call it jazzoetry. Reginald Lockett followed me
with a poem on the theme of healing. Reginald has been
with the Black Arts Movement since the 1967 Black House
that Eldridge Cleaver, Ed Bullins and I founded.
My friend noted that if Blacks heard
this real jazz they would appreciate it. Somehow we must
get it to them. Don't expect to hear it on the radio,
certainly not on the station that sponsored the Berkeley
Jazz Fest, KBLX. And even the so called jazz stations
don't play real jazz, as if they are afraid of the
music. I must agree real jazz is powerful, it can make
you do the holy dance, it can change minds and spirits,
for it is healing music, just what the doctor ordered.
Recently a young poet viewed a music
video of John Coltrane. The young hip hop poet got the
holy ghost after hearing Coltrane for the first time,
and Eric Dolphy as well. The poet said the hip hop
generation should be allowed to hear rap until 10PM.
After 10PM only jazz should be heard in the hood. Can
you imagine the revolution in consciousness? Maybe one
day jazz will be jazz again, not cool jazz, smooth jazz,
fusion jazz but real jazz, Duke, Basie, Billy, Ella,
Parker, Miles, Coltrane, Saunders, Philly Joe, Max,
Shepp, the real deal holyfield. Lord, let us pray for
jazz.
* * *
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Transition of Rufus Harley
May 20, 1936—July
31, 2006
By Marvin X
It is with great joy and sorrow that
I heard Rufus made his transition. I feel blessed to
have performed with him recently in Philly, at the
Germantown Women's Y and at Warm Daddies. Rufus was
humble beyond belief. He agreed to perform for a "few
vittles." Indeed, he and members of Sun Ra's Arkestra appeared
on the verge of starvation. Sun Ra's men were reportedly
roasting potatoes on the stove and sharing them. I
wondered how our greatest musicians could be living like
this.
The set at the Women's Y was simply
out of this world. For the first time in history, Rufus
Harley performed with the great Marshall Allen, although
they both lived in Germantown. Of course they backed my
reading. Sonia Sanchez introduced me.
But the set at the Y was merely a
dress rehearsal for the next night at Warm Daddies when
the brothers really got down. We produced a DVD of the
performance: Marvin X Live at Warm Daddies,
featuring Rufus Harley, Marshall Allen, Danny Thompson,
Noel, Elliott Bey, Alexander El, Ancestor Gold Sky. The
DVD and CD are available from Black Bird Press, 11132
Nelson Bar Road, Cherokee CA 95965. $19.95 each.
I was only able to pay the brothers a
few dollars for their work, but I was able to transport
them first class in a limo and paid them before they
performed. They all seemed to appreciate this. I was/am
honored to have some of the greatest musicians in the
world perform with me, and especially Rufus Harley.
Years ago I had interviewed Rufus in Detroit. He
informed me the bagpipe was not Irish but in fact an
African instrument used in Egyptian funeral processions.
Peace be with Him. Surely we are from
Allah and to Him we return.
* *
* * *
Jazz bagpiper Rufus Harley dies at the age of 70.
Rufus Harley (b. Raleigh, North Carolina, May
20, 1936 d. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 31, 2006)
was an American jazz musician of mixed Cherokee and
African ancestry, known primarily as the first jazz
musician to adopt the Scottish great highland bagpipe as
his primary instrument. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_Harley
)
Other Sources:
http://www.zwire.com
http://www.ejazznews.com * *
* * *
posted 10 August 2006 |
