The Queen of Hang: Sheila E. Anderson

Gene A. Davis, Producer

On August 28, my friend, Gene Davis succumbed to cancer.  I do not recall exactly when he was first diagnosed but I do recall his joy and relief when he was told that he had a clean bill of health after his months of treatments.  At dinner this past Easter Sunday (Gene cooked) he mentioned that he had had trouble digesting food but he did not seem alarmed,  just concerned.  After several doctor visits Gene was told that the cancer had returned, this time in his pancreas. 

In true Gene style he handled the news with strength and dignity.  Because of his chemotherapy, that left him tired, he made sure that he rested so that he could attend my birthday party at Dizzy's on June 12.  The evening was great fun, his friend (and mine), and one of his favorite musicians, Eric Reed, was performing that  week and he was ON FIRE!  Check out photos of Gene in the "June Birthday Celebrations" as well as his photo seated next to Rex Reed in the "Photos."

To the end Gene talked only about the future and how he was "managing the cancer."  Those of us who loved Gene will miss his laugh, his strong opinions, his fine cooking, his love of music, family and support of friends.   He was a true inspiration to me!!

A memorial is being planned for some time in October. 

Jon Lucien January 8, 1942 - August 18, 2007

"Joy and Love"
A celebration in music and words for Jon Lucien

Sunday Sept 30, 2007 - 7:30pm
St. Peter's Church
619 Lexington Ave at 53rd St
New York, NY 10022
212 935-2200

To Perform: Bill O'Connell, Kim Plainfield, Dan Carillo, Gregory Jones, Roland Guerrero, Mayra Casales, Lincoln Goines, Cliff Korman, Roy Ayers, and other special guests

"I would say my sound is a romantic sound...it's water...it's ocean...it's tranquility."
Jon Lucien

On August 18, 2007, Jon Lucien succumbed to respiratory failure and other complications in Florida where he had been residing for the last few years. By his side were his wife Delesa and his daughter Celesa.

More than any other singer, Jon Lucien captured the essence of romance. His voice was rich and expressive, his best songs were perceptive poetic tales of devotion, trust, hope, harmony and spirituality. Three dimensional parables of love lost and love found and relationships filled with the promise of a new day. He seemed to possess an innate ability to evoke an atmosphere and create images not only through his lyrics but the colors of his music.

Born in Tortola, Jon began performing professionally at 17 in the Virgin Islands. In 1970 he released his first recording in the United States, "I Am Now" on RCA. In the 37 years since the release of his debut album, connoisseurs and assorted in-the-know types have spoken his name with the utmost hushed reverence. His seamless melding of jazz, R&B, Caribbean rhythms and Brazilian music proved to be a decisive early influence on what would be simplified and marketed as the twin formats of "quiet storm" and "smooth jazz," although very few artists working in either format approach Lucien's level of artistry or innovation, not to mention originality.

Jon lucien is survived by his wife Delesa, daughter Celesa, son Hanis Lucien, step son Mark and grandchildren.

For a complete biography or to listen to Jon's music, please go to www.jonlucien.com.
His CDs are available through www.jazzcares.com.

Memorial plans will be announced soon. A book of Jon's lyrics will be published in the near future.

Max Roach and Mario Rivera

Max Roach:

On Friday, August 24 WBGO will commemmorate the life and music of Max Roach with 4 hours of music throughout the day.

9:00am - Jazz Profiles ... 75th anniversary Tribute in 1999 (One Hour)
12 Noon  - Max Roach Quartet in the WBGO Performance Studio, May, 1987
2:00pm   - Max on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz  1998
9:00pm   - Max Roach Quartet with the Uptown String Quartet in the WBGO Performance Studio, May 1987

Services for Max Roach will be held on Friday, August 24th, 2007 at 11:00 am at Riverside Church, NYC.

Viewing will begin at 9am at Riverside Church and end at 10:30pm.

The internment will be private.

The Riverside Church 490 Riverside Drive New York, New York 10027 212-870-6700 The Riverside Church is located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side near Columbia University. The church covers a two-block area extending from Riverside Drive to Claremont Avenue and between 120th Street and 122nd Street. (120th Street is also named Reinhold Niebuhr Place.) The Claremont Avenue entrance (91 Claremont Avenue) is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

After several years of illness Max Roach passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening.  I am thankful for having seen him perform a few times over the years.  Though not as a leader of a band but as a guest performer.  Not only did I see him perform I would often run into him dining at a restaurant on the Upper Westside or at the bar at the Village Vanguard.  Max was quite the gentleman, approachable and eager to smile.

AOL , complete with some video and msnbc have both provided decent writings about Max Roach. 

In memory of Max Roach, (89.9FM) will be broadcasting his music around the clock until 9:00PM next Wednesday.

Mario Rivera:

Last Week on August 10 we lost a Latin musical legend Dominican multi-instrumentalist Mario Rivera. Rivera was a gifted musician, composer and arranger that played 13 instruments, which included piano, vibraphone, drums, trumpet, timbales, congas, flute, and piccolo. But Rivera was known for how he kissed and caressed the tenor, soprano, alto and baritone saxophones.

Today I attended his wake.  The room was full of love and reverence for Mario.  Eddie Palmieri, Dafnis Prieto, Bobby Porcelli, Ray Vega were there to pay respects to Mario and his family.  Though Mario was not a household name he made quite an impact as a musician in not only Latin Jazz but also Straight-Ahead jazz as well.  I had the pleasure of hearing him in several musical settings and it was always a pleasure to see and to hear him!

For further information about Mario Rivera is the Post article.

A tribute to Mario's Life
Sunday, August 19
3:00PM

Donation:  $20.00

Nuyorican Poets Cafe 295 east 3rd St. Between B&C Avenues

*ALL STAR LINE-UP WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE*

If you can’t make it, please send all donations to Mario’s sister:

Lourdes Rivera
7 West 92 Street #73
New York, N.Y. 10025

Another fan of the arts has passed

Kitty Carlise-Hart

At the 3rd Annual Jazzmobile Vocal Competition Final Competition sponsored by Anheuser-Busch Company I had the pleasure to meet Kitty Carlisle-Hart. That night I was the emcee for the performance that took place at the Riverbank Park. From the stage I looked into the audience and saw Kitty sitting there looking regal. At the dinner following, at River Room, she called me to her table to tell me how impressed she was with me and how she enjoyed my emcee work. She looked at me in disbelief when I told her that I used to watch her on "What's My Line" but I assured her that I was older than I looked...LOL! Our brief exchange was meaningful and memorable. Kitty lived a long, wonderful life. Today on "The View" Barbara Walters said that each night Kitty would look in the mirror and forgive herself. Perhaps I will adopt that daily exercise!

Eric Reed, Kitty Carlisle-Hart and KT Sullivan at the Algonquin a few months before Kitty passed. She sure looked GREAT!

Dakota Staton, Roscoe Lee Browne, Jr. and Kurt Vonnegut

Singer, Dakota Staton

Viewing (3:00 to 7:00), funeral, to follow, will be Monday, April 16 at Abyssinan Baptist Church located at 132 Odell Clark Place, formerly West 138th Street, between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Malcolm X Boulevards, also known as 7th and Lenox Avenues.

I never got to see her perform live. The only time I did see Dakota was at the opening of the documentary, "Jazz Women" where she was in a in a hospital bed. It was sad to see her in that state, not moving, but moved when her part of the film came on the screen. During the Q&A I saw tears fall from her eyes.

From Cobi Narita:

My beloved Dakota Staton died yesterday, Tuesday, April 10, at the
Isabella Nursing Home. Her brother, Fred called me today and gave me the distressing
news.

I can remember when the strong, lusty, vibrant woman who loved life and
singing, had her birthday party at Cobi's Place in June of 2000. She
loved this party; she talked about it all the time. At the tiime, she
was booked for three major concerts in August & September.

I can remember when in July, she was found unconscious in her
apartment, suffering from a triple aneurysm. When she awoke, she
couldn't remember anything between the party and the day they found
her.

I can remember when she was moved to the Isabella Nursing Home in
September 2000. I weep for our loss. I will miss her, both as a person and as one of
the great singers of all time. Blind for seven years, wracked with pain
from arthritis, and gradually losing contact with us, I'm sure that as
she passed, she gave a great sigh of relief.

Roscoe Lee Browne

Stage, film and television actor known for his rich voice, died early yesterday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 81 and lived in Los Angeles. Roscoe Lee Browne was born on May 2, 1925, in Woodbury, N.J., the son of a Baptist preacher. After graduating in 1946 from Lincoln University, a historically black college in Pennsylvania, Mr. Browne pursued a postgraduate degree at Middlebury College.

Kurt Vonnegut

In high school I read Slaughterhouse Five and fell in love with his writing. He has left a great body of work. He too will be missed.