Jeff Golub in freak NY subway accident

[brownie]

From the NY Daily News today.

[JSngry]

Time to get a new dog? Or not?

Either way, close call narrowly averted. Not all have been so lucky...

[Head Man]

A man's best friend?......obviously not this time

[flat5]

Stupid article completely ignores the role played by the dog.

"I was dragged..." You have to imagine what he is talking about.

Jimmy Olson would have filed a better report on his first assignment.

Edited September 6, 2012 by flat5

[Jim R]

Stupid article completely ignores the role played by the dog.

"I was dragged..." You have to imagine what he is talking about.

I don't think I follow you. I just read the article three times, and I still can't piece this together. What was the dog's role? The dog obviously failed to stop him from stepping over the edge, but is that all? As far as the "I was being dragged", and the earlier police statement ("...after falling on the subway tracks and being briefly dragged by a No. 1 train Wednesday morning, police said."), I'm having trouble picturing that. I've never even been to NYC, but looking at the photo of the train and platform, how do you get "dragged" by (in front of?) a train without getting hit first (and more seriously injured)? I can only assume that the train had slowed down considerably by then, and that maybe there's enough space under a subway car for a person to avoid more serious injury in a case like this?

[kh1958]

It seems simple to me; he stepped off the edge and fell down onto the tracks, and some people reached down helped him and dragged him off the tracks and back onto the platform, before the train got there. If the train got there first, there's no room (just look at the picture); he would be crushed.

[sonnymax]

While I too am confused about the message in flat5's post, reading different accounts of the accident provides some clarification. Depending on the source, Golub was either "dragged", "hit", "clipped", etc. by the train. From what I gather, he fell onto the track, but was helped back onto the platform by others as the train came in, and therefore only his leg was injured by the moving train. As far as the dog's role in the incident, Golub is quoted as saying, "Nobody had enough time when I was jumping in front of the train to stop me, but there was a guy who helped pull me up. I'm lucky I didn't fall underneath the train." Given this reluctance to assign blame, I'm inclined to extend the same courtesy to Luke.

[JSngry]

I think Luke might have been previously owned by Woody Shaw.

[clifford_thornton]

^ouch.

Yeah, frightening story and not too hard to imagine happening. Glad he's okay.

[sonnymax]

I think Luke might have been previously owned by Woody Shaw.

[JSngry]

I feel bad about posting that now...Woody Shaw was/is a true hero of mine, and his life story very tragic and saddening. Dark humor is not always tasteful, and I think I was just pissed that Woody's accident resulted as it did. Not that I would wish a reversal of fate towards Mr. Golub, mind you, just that...I wish that Woody would not have had the outcome that day in the subway that he did. You don't know how much I wish that. So...dark humor in the face of personal rage, or something like that.

[fasstrack]

From the NY Daily News today.

This guy recorded w\an erstwhile collaborator of mine, the late Jimmy Norman. That's how I knew his name-from Little Pieces, and he did a good job. A year younger than me. Never knew he was blind or plays jazz. If he's doing pop dates that's a better job anyway. You know, a JOB-that's where they pay you. Good player, glad he didn't get hurt.

[fasstrack]

Woody is not a hero of mine. I love his work and am sorry he went out the way he did. But what an asshole-the biggest I met in the jazz world except George Braithe-he takes the cake. Woody was a great player and writer though. Usually I try to be a class act and not name names, but those those guys don't deserve any more courtesy than they showed me and others. Total selfish egomaniacs.

[JSngry]

Woody was a great player and writer though.

Yes he was, and since I don't know you or your encounter with him, your hurt feelings don't really concern me in this matter.

Sorry.

[fasstrack]

So don't concern yourself. Just speaking my mind. Not about 'hurt feelings' anyway, but people using talent as an excuse for anything, including being scumbags. The best spin I can put on this is to say most cats have been wonderful. Being a great player-which Woody was and George isn't but THINKS he is-is no excuse for being a jerk. Sorry, man, not trying to rain on your parade. I'm just way past tired of the idiot press and others romantizing people who shit on others and think they get a pass b/c they're 'special'. Bullshit. Ain't nobody that special. But it WAS a tragedy about Woody and I miss hearing him. He was a great.

[Pete C]

Hey Joel, did you ever meed Jimmy Smith?

[JSngry]

So don't concern yourself. Just speaking my mind. Not about 'hurt feelings' anyway, but people using talent as an excuse for anything, including being scumbags. The best spin I can put on this is to say most cats have been wonderful. Being a great player-which Woody was and George isn't but THINKS he is-is no excuse for being a jerk. Sorry, man, not trying to rain on your parade. I'm just way past tired of the idiot press and others romantizing people who shit on others and think they get a pass b/c they're 'special'. Bullshit. Ain't nobody that special. But it WAS a tragedy about Woody and I miss hearing him. He was a great.

If you're looking for heroes of character, the only place worth looking is inside yourself. That's the only place you can control the findings.

If you're looking for heroes of accomplishment, that's another story altogether.There you can look everywhere.

Besides, I met Woody twice, albeit informally, and both times he was pleasant, cool even. But his chemical imbalance nd other issues are a matter of record, so if you caught him on a bad night, hey...you want to compare notes about dealing with brilliant people with mental instability and/or substance abuse issues, book the room for at least a month, ok?

As for George Braith, I've never met him, but a good buddy of mine used to play with him some in the early 1990s, and he's got nothing but good things to say about him. There's also a formerly very active board member here who also knows him personally and seems to get along with him just fine.

Everybody's got a story about somebody. Everybody.

[fasstrack]

I should apologize for my earlier meltdown-to Jim especially. It wasn't fair to roll over your admiration for a musician I also admire b/c I was in a shitty mood. I really don't like those guys personally but should have sat on that since our friend Jim was making a heartfelt statement aboup Woody. I feel worse that the thread is about a poor guitarist almost dragged to his death and it should be about passing our good wishes, not the negative stuff I brought ln. When acusing someone of being a baby it's probably a good idea not to be a bigger one. Sorry guys and no excuses.

[JSngry]

Works for me.

[ValerieB]

Hey Joel, did you ever meed Jimmy Smith?

you almost always provide me with a good laugh or chuckle, at the least!!

[bertrand]

Let's start a new thread - grumpy jazz musicians

Bertrand.

[flat5]

Jim R, you do follow me. You are confused by the same things I was.

I myself don't express my thoughts well in print.

Some famous jazz musicians have been less than kind to me but I don't wish to post about it in public.

I would talk about it in private :-)

[fasstrack]

Never met Jimmy Smith. I'm also the only guitar player in the free world not to have had the Jack MacDuff experience gig-wise. I'm sure each would have tore me a new one with relish-and xtra green onions. That's actually cool by me, it's old school bandleading and how you learn. Ask George Benson how many tunes he knew pre-McDuff. I did work w/one of the greatest and most underrated organist: the kate Bobby Forrester. He could make the bandstand rise he swung so much.We pkayed in the Bronx once, and i called Spring can Really... He pulled out a pocket fake book-meaning he didn't really know it but a team player will never say no-and thrilled me so much w/what he pkayed behind me I wished I was just in the audience listening. Jerry Weldon would remember. He was on the gig sitting that one out and I looked over, almost in tears. He and Bobby were like brothers. Richard Wyands is the only other player to move me like that. 2 masters.

[fasstrack]

One final thing about WS: I learned an important lesson that night: some people you dont f with-like and admire their work or no. You don't know what they're going through or like as people. I was a young guy trying to hang w/a hero I didn't know. Play w/fire and get burned. Now I relate musically only, at least until I feel things out a bit. As a wise friend said: 'it's ALWAYS a good time to keep your mouth shut!'

[AllenLowe]

jazz people who were schmucks: now we have a topic I can get my teeth into; will start:

Willis Jackson

Sammy Price