I won’t be able to make the celebration this Saturday as I will be visiting my son at VTech. I have spoken to Mr. Simon a number of times (usually at Reston Community Orchestra or Reston Chorale concerts) and find him to be a very interesting person. On one occassion, he spoke to me at length about his job at Carnegie Hall. Apparently, he pretty much ran the place for several years during the 50′s and 60′s. I certainly hope I will be as spirited as he is when I reach that age.

Craig Daniels

Another of his friends is the underappreciated saxophonist Tom Gullion. Gullion grew up in Indiana, and his first big break was with J.J. Johnson, in whose quintet he joined with Cedar Walton, Rufus Reid, and Victor Lewis. Not bad for a first job. After some time leading bands in Spain & then Chicago, Gullion wound up settling down in the same southwest Wisconsin farmland community as Jeff. Jeff’s enthusiasm for music-and the Artform of Dimensions Tomorrow known as Jazz-made an acquaintance into a good friendship. At Jeff’s memorial, Tom played a solo arrangement of Equinox, one of Jeff’s favorite pieces. Yes, I cried, but I laughed, too, remembering nights at the jazz Showcase in Chicago, Jeff & I breaking our meager banks at age 20 to go all four nights to see Rahsaan debuting his soon-to-come double LP “Bright Moments.” Sitting four feet away from Charles Mingus as he worked out lines at the piano an hour before his sextet’s performance, kibbutzing with the great man about life, about love, about music. Staying after Elvin Jones’ sets til 3 and 4 in the morning, Jimmy Garrison & Elvin relaxing & just talking with us until Joe Segal shagged us all out the door.

The music, and the people who make it, are not the ego-bound creations of some public relations machine. They make music because they have to, because it would be against all that they are to ignore that urge. Like you, I am not a musician. My basic percussive skills would maybe allow me to play triangle in a middle school marching band. But I am a voracious listener, as was Jeff.

We go up to the farm every July or August, to the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, where there remains a strong cadre of musicians, creators, composers, and listeners. Last year, our visit coincided with the What Cheer? Brigade blowing through town. Playing in the banquet hall of the Viking Inn, capacity 120. A 19 piece brass band, “(their) sound is an aggressive mix of Bollywood, The Balkans, New Orleans, Samba and Hip-Hop, played with the intensity of metal.”

I got off point there, Sean. Music is the healing power of the universe. No, it can’t prevent disease, but it heals & comforts the spirit.

Well-played, sir. Well-played.

xo
kc