All musicians have heroes whom we emulate, imitate, and admire. For any singer or instrumentalist there is always a path that we can trace to see our musical lineage.
Most everyone who knows me, knows that I have the greatest admiration for saxophonist David Sanborn, and just about everyone in his lineage, but prior to my discovery, and subsequent friendship with the altoist, I was extremely moved by the sound of tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker...one half of the one of the most famous horn sections in the world, The Brecker Brothers.
Along with his equally talented brother Randy, Michael paved a way for people like me to enjoy our chosen instruments, not only by looking and sounding cool, but also being very New York hip...by being just damn good musicians.
During the rise of Disco music in the 70's, when instrumental music like jazz was losing favor among the so called "ultra chic," Michael and the the rest of the Brecker Brothers band were churning out some sounds that were a force to be reckoned with, and as a great result, Disco made its final bow, and we got back to music...with seasoned musicians.
I had the very good fortune to meet Mike in the early 80's at home in New York, and we became good friends, and through him I met and became close to a small cadre of musicians who were my heroes. Mike was an ever encouraging pat on the back when he'd see you in the street, a great cheerleader of musicians, much like Oprah Winfrey is for rest of the world, Michael Brecker was for us in the music world.
In recent years he battled serious illness, but still kept going, still kept playing, which for me has been a clear signal to keep reaching up from the shadows of music to the light.
I will always be grateful to Allah (God) for allowing me the privilege to befriend this wonderful, and ultra talented man, and in his spirit I will never cease trying.
When you hear the sound of the beautiful tenor saxophone, please think fondly of Michael Brecker.
Here is just a short list of CD's, and songs where you can get the essence of Michael:
1.The Brecker Brothers- "Back to Back," "I Love Wastin' Time With You."
2.Phoebe Snow- "Never Letting Go," "We're Children."
3.Steely Dan- "Gaucho," " Babylon Sisters."
4.James Brown- "Living In America," Living In America."
5.Horace Silver- "Song For My Father,"
Michael Brecker 1949-2007
Good night Brother.
Support Live music today tomorrow and always.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Tomorrow, the World...
When I was a teenager, I went to the only all Black Military School in the world. It was called St.Emma Military Academy. Located along the beautiful James River in Powhatan Virginia, St Emma was a school originally created for runaway slaves in 1863. By the time that I went there, it was a school for kids in crisis.
From everywhere in the United States, and from U.S. territories we came; because for us, our Parents wanted a better life than many of us were being given. Some were victims of crime, some of us created those crimes, and some still, just needed a break from the vagaries of life.
In my case, my Mom was employed at the Bronx District Attorney's Office, and had seen first hand what life could be for little Black boys in New York. She'd seen her fair share of these boys in hand cuffs, arrested for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. For choosing the wrong crowd to hang out with, for not being treated the same as some of our racially different counterparts in school.
The straw that broke the camels back for my Mother came when I was in the 7th grade, and there was transit strike in New York City. During that time I had to live with my Aunt and Uncle for a short period,because I lived too far to be driven with enough time for her to be at work on time.
Anyway, I had a teacher in my last period class who was pretty mean (she will remain nameless...), and one afternoon I had to go to the bathroom badly, but this teacher would not let me leave the room.Subsequently, on the way home I had an accident, and my aunt Jeri was furious with me at first, but when she realized what had truly happened she got even angrier. When talking with my Mother later that night, my Mom just cried and cried, and said that she was going to do something about that.So later on near the end of the year she started looking around for boarding schools.
One afternoon, she was feeling pretty down, and was speaking to one of the elevator operators in the building where she worked, Rosie Brown told her "Carmen, you gotta send that child to St.Emma." When my Mom found out the history of that school, and the success that it had in changing the lives of Black boys to positive ones, off I went.
I didn't fight it, because I believed more in my family than I did in the streets.
Fast forward 4 years...
As each year passed along I noticed more and more changes in me.Yes, it was a serious struggle, but I stuck it out, and I graduated.
On the day of graduation, I was one of the last people to climb aboard the bus bound for New York City, and my words as I entered were...today St.Emma, tomorrow, the world.Fast forward again, this time many, many years, to 2007. My life is supremely blessed, I have the gift of a Wife and home life, I have the cherished gift of tremendous friendships from all walks of life, and all manner of people. One of the things that I cherish the most is that I have the gift of music, and that gift has taken me all over the world, figuratively, and literally.
So, as we pass through into the beginning stages of this new year, I want to wish each of you good luck in your endeavors. With a song in your hearts, step over your threshold, and proclaim...today (fill in your own blank here____________), St Emma, tomorrow, the world.
This post is dedicated to the following: Vickie S.Tuitt, Kendra N.Dunham RN, Marty Adams, The Carpenter Ants,Jimmy and Patsy Julius and family, Angela Sabarese, Amy Bowe, Yvonne Brown, Ahmed Solomon,and Brianne Barton,Tracy Herz, Robbin Thompson, Sherry Pasquarello, Don Dixon, Steve Ferguson, Larry Groce, Kathy Clark, Jennifer Wagner, Joel Ison, Charles and Tammy Loyd, Peggy Triplett, Pam Hacker, Garnett Clark, Rebecca Van der Meer, Mary Savage, Lora Ward, Amy Arey,Terry Lowry, Spurgie and Marty Hankins, Susan L.Cavender MD, Michael Romeo DDS, Kevin and Jennifer Kidd, Rebecca Burch, Quasar, Imam Jamal Daoudi, Samuel Majied, the Islamic Center of West Virginia, Jim Snyder, Tina Coll, Darrell "Homie"Ramsey, April Ritter, Rebecca Burch, Oprah Winfrey, and the New York Yankees.
Each of these people have given my life meaning beyond measure, and love without conditions, and you've enriched the lives of others as well. May Allah continue to bless you, as you grace our world...always
(if you don't see your names here, it doesn't mean that you weren't thought of...)
Support Live music today tomorrow and always.
From everywhere in the United States, and from U.S. territories we came; because for us, our Parents wanted a better life than many of us were being given. Some were victims of crime, some of us created those crimes, and some still, just needed a break from the vagaries of life.
In my case, my Mom was employed at the Bronx District Attorney's Office, and had seen first hand what life could be for little Black boys in New York. She'd seen her fair share of these boys in hand cuffs, arrested for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. For choosing the wrong crowd to hang out with, for not being treated the same as some of our racially different counterparts in school.
The straw that broke the camels back for my Mother came when I was in the 7th grade, and there was transit strike in New York City. During that time I had to live with my Aunt and Uncle for a short period,because I lived too far to be driven with enough time for her to be at work on time.
Anyway, I had a teacher in my last period class who was pretty mean (she will remain nameless...), and one afternoon I had to go to the bathroom badly, but this teacher would not let me leave the room.Subsequently, on the way home I had an accident, and my aunt Jeri was furious with me at first, but when she realized what had truly happened she got even angrier. When talking with my Mother later that night, my Mom just cried and cried, and said that she was going to do something about that.So later on near the end of the year she started looking around for boarding schools.
One afternoon, she was feeling pretty down, and was speaking to one of the elevator operators in the building where she worked, Rosie Brown told her "Carmen, you gotta send that child to St.Emma." When my Mom found out the history of that school, and the success that it had in changing the lives of Black boys to positive ones, off I went.
I didn't fight it, because I believed more in my family than I did in the streets.
Fast forward 4 years...
As each year passed along I noticed more and more changes in me.Yes, it was a serious struggle, but I stuck it out, and I graduated.
On the day of graduation, I was one of the last people to climb aboard the bus bound for New York City, and my words as I entered were...today St.Emma, tomorrow, the world.Fast forward again, this time many, many years, to 2007. My life is supremely blessed, I have the gift of a Wife and home life, I have the cherished gift of tremendous friendships from all walks of life, and all manner of people. One of the things that I cherish the most is that I have the gift of music, and that gift has taken me all over the world, figuratively, and literally.
So, as we pass through into the beginning stages of this new year, I want to wish each of you good luck in your endeavors. With a song in your hearts, step over your threshold, and proclaim...today (fill in your own blank here____________), St Emma, tomorrow, the world.
This post is dedicated to the following: Vickie S.Tuitt, Kendra N.Dunham RN, Marty Adams, The Carpenter Ants,Jimmy and Patsy Julius and family, Angela Sabarese, Amy Bowe, Yvonne Brown, Ahmed Solomon,and Brianne Barton,Tracy Herz, Robbin Thompson, Sherry Pasquarello, Don Dixon, Steve Ferguson, Larry Groce, Kathy Clark, Jennifer Wagner, Joel Ison, Charles and Tammy Loyd, Peggy Triplett, Pam Hacker, Garnett Clark, Rebecca Van der Meer, Mary Savage, Lora Ward, Amy Arey,Terry Lowry, Spurgie and Marty Hankins, Susan L.Cavender MD, Michael Romeo DDS, Kevin and Jennifer Kidd, Rebecca Burch, Quasar, Imam Jamal Daoudi, Samuel Majied, the Islamic Center of West Virginia, Jim Snyder, Tina Coll, Darrell "Homie"Ramsey, April Ritter, Rebecca Burch, Oprah Winfrey, and the New York Yankees.
Each of these people have given my life meaning beyond measure, and love without conditions, and you've enriched the lives of others as well. May Allah continue to bless you, as you grace our world...always
(if you don't see your names here, it doesn't mean that you weren't thought of...)
Support Live music today tomorrow and always.
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