Needless to say, if I had my way jazz musicians would be famous, well-paid and appreciated.
This is not a selfish desire: I would make no money in the venture, but we would likely have more opportunities to hear some of the most gifted musicians on the planet play their songs while making a living.
And added bonus: more people listening to jazz would inexorably lead to increased levels of peace, tolerance and purposeful passion.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Of course, back here in the real world the simple fact of the matter is that too few people listen to jazz. Same as it always was.
But even amongst the forgotten, overlooked or obscure geniuses who have walked amongst us, there is a pecking order of sorts.
Even people who don’t dig jazz would know names like Coltrane, Miles and…well, I was going to add Monk and Mingus, but perhaps it would be more accurate to add Ella and Billie, which I’m more than happy to do.
For those of us who know, love and live for jazz music, we understand that there are the so-called second tier musicians who get much less recognition than they should.
Then there are the ones behind them. It is a sad and regrettable reality that so many remarkable artists could stroll down the street and not have a single person stop them. Or, being told who they were, not register it.
Because too many people don’t listen to jazz.
But they should.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Which brings us to Julian Priester. He has lent his services to innumerable jazz albums, under his own leadership and as a superstar side-man for others. A quick list of cats he’s worked with: John Coltrane, Max Roach, Sam Rivers, Booker Little and Sun Ra. Check out more about him here.
Too often (in life, in this blog) celebration of unappreciated (or, at least, underappreciated) artists occurs once they are gone. I try to make it a habit to honor and applaud the ones who inspire me while they are still around. Whether or not they hear or see it is less than relevant; I want to expose their work to others who may never have otherwise encountered it. I can’t count the number of amazing albums I may never have heard had some kind soul not ensured I got the goods. With that said, here are a few of my favorite things featuring Mr. Priester, the guy behind the guy.
“Greensleeves”, from Coltrane’s Africa/Brass:
“Urnack” (which Priester composed), from Sun Ra’s magnificent and highly recommended Angels and Demons at Play:
“Man of Words”, from one of my favorite albums, Booker Little’s Out Front:
Pretty tasty, huh?
Well, I’m glad to turn you on to some amazing music. Pick up a copy, turn a few other folks on.
Which brings us to the real purpose of this post: Mr. Priester is in trouble, and could use some help. A retired professor, he is not making sufficient funds to cover the expenses some recent –and serious– health issues are prompting. A site has been set up HERE, and you can can donate some money if so inspired. I did. Perhaps once you listen to his music (and realize he has spent the last several decades teaching and evangelizing, literally dedicating his life to his craft, and doing whatever he can to augment awareness of it), you might consider making a donation.
Check this out: he is hanging in there until he can get a kidney transplant. Once that happens, he wants to get back on the road, where he can earn money from playing before crowds, and continuing his life’s work: bringing jazz into the world. Here’s hoping, with some help, he will be able to do this for a long while yet.
Peace.
