Charles Davis memorial Sat. 9/24 St. Peter's church midtown Manhattan

[fasstrack]

Hope some of you can attend to honor the memory of a great man. Don't know the exact roster, but expect some top NYC stalwarts...

[fasstrack]

What an amazing and deep day of music in NYC today:


First, there was the memorial for Charles Davis at St. Peter's.


The music and the 'reflections' were so moving and profound the tears started to come a few times.


There was 87-year-old Richard Wyands at the piano playing Yesterdays in and out of tempo. Then 86-year-old Maestro Barry Harris and his choir. Other notables included Jimmy Owens playing a solo hymn, a video remembrance and piano solo by Tex Allen, pianists Tardo Hammer, Ed Stout and Michael Weiss---and it ended with a performance by George Coleman, who tore the roof off on Body and Soul, after a moving vocal by a singer I don't know.


Briefly, it was also great to see and hear Ralph LaLama, Joe Magnarelli, (especially) crazy, lovable Jerry Weldon, Murray Wall, Lee Hudson. Louis Hayes and Lysle Atkinson both played. I'm probably leaving folks out, and I am sorry. Mr. Davis's progeny spoke very movingly of him, and his grandson read a poem.


My feeling is that as the elders of the jazz tribe depart it is up to us 'younguns' (ha, I'm 62---though spry) to play at a certain level, live by a certain committment, and reflect certain values. Barry was looking at a picture of someone's newborn son, and all I could do was think out loud, saying 'One leaves and another arrives'---the cycle of life.


As if this weren't enough, I cut crosstown to Smoke, where Mike LeDonne had Ed Cherry, Jason Brown, and---delightful surprise to me---Mary Stallings singing. She was smooth as silk, and a lovely person to meet and spend a little time with. And Ledonne and co. swung so pretty.


Then it was time for Johnny O' Neal, this time on organ. Johnny was the reason I went uptown after all those
spiritual goings on in the afternoon. He had invited me to 'play a few'. My chum Ilya Lushtak was on guitar, and playing his ass off, also singing A Time For Love movingly. Cynthia Scott sang a number, The Man I Love, and she was really something else: She acted the song with not only her voice, but facial expressions and body. I did 'play a few', but by that time I had heard so much quality and emotional music it was almost overwhelming. I needed time to digest and process it all, know what I mean?


On the platform of the 1 train a homeless man in bad shape sat on a bench. I thought 'that could easily be me', and also about what a great life I have, and all musicians have.


Blessings,
Joel...