Bobby Jackson

  Jazzhead Great Bobby Jackson Dies at Age 57

The world and jazz community has suffered a great and sudden loss.  Although Bobby grew up in the Bronx we claim him as our own.  Bobby died suddenly at his home in Cleveland, Ohio Monday December 9th common era 2013.

Jackson leaves his wife Lisa Jean and his 10-year-old son, Xavier. The family is welcoming support through donations to the Bobby Jackson Memorial Fund. Send donations to Key Bank, 3266 Steelyard Drive, Cleveland, OH 44109.
Here is the obit from Jazz Times.

Memorial Service and Celebration

A funeral service for Bobby will be held this coming Monday, December 16 at 11AM at the University Circle United Methodist Church,  1919 E.107th Street.

Also Monday  evening the 16th  at 7PM at Nighttown, Sean Jones, the artistic director of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, on whose board Jackson served, will lead area jazz musicians in a celebration of Jackson’s life. There is no admission, donation to the Bobby Jackson Memorial Fund are be welcomed.

The family is also inviting anyone who has a story about or memory of Jackson to share it at his website, The Jazz Mind. www.thejazzmind.com/

 

Bobby Jackson muy sauve

I will also remember Bobby.  He was wonderfully funny and had a penchant for pulling his expressive face into the act. I marveled and still do at his intimate relationship with jazz greats like Percy Heath, Christian McBride, Janis Seigel of Manhattan Transfer and on and on.  These folks were more than just a day at work to Bobby.  There was nobody he couldn't call up 'out of the clear blue.'
He could make lemonade out of lemons faster than most.  He was warm, engaging, honest, straight forward and authentic and boy did he love his family.. yeah and he was the ultimate jazzhead..

Quote from Monday:" Bobby Jackson is kickin' it with Miles and Mandela this morning. " Makes me smile.

If It Ain't Got That Sing... can it protest?

Nia Continues the Conversation on Jazz and Protest with a look at Charlie Haden

What exactly is protest music, in this case jazz, without lyrics?  The last issue of the Nia Coffeehouse brought to you Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone with Armstrong's, Black and Blue and Nina Simone's, Goddam Mississippi.  Louis bemoans the plight of African Americans by asking, "what did I do to be so black and blue," and Ms. Simone lashes out at Jim Crow, lynching and the state of Mississippi over the assassination of Medgar Evers with a frustrated exclamation, "Goddam Mississippi!"

As Nia asked the question about protest music in jazz today Charlie Haden crossed our sights.  His album, American Dreams is touted by Byron Woods in, Indy Week dotcom back in 2003 as protest jazz, but is it really?  No doubt Charlie, has "chops" with his effort called, Haunted Hearts making Time magazine's top ten list in 1992 and Down Beat selecting Always Say Goodbye as jazz album of the year in 1994.
In my effort to learn more about American Classical Music I find that it is indeed classical and extremely sophisticated so that the listener has to grow in sophistication to fully enjoy it.  A major part of growing in sophistication is just listening and letting the music have first place for a minute.

One very interesting thing is how the album is touted as protest in the Indy Week. com article, Protest Jazz- Bassist Charlie Haden's American Dream but on Charlie's website patriotism and love of country ( certainly protest constitutes for all but the "love it or leave" ilk love of country) wade through, no gush through the music to the forefront in the description. Whatever happened to there's no such thing as bad publicity? Well certainly there is and the joint is first and foremost a nice piece of work whether it is in your face protest or sappy patriotism.
Give Charlie Haden's "America the Beautiful" a listen; compare it to a Ray Charles version with orchestra and challenge yourself to relegate Ray to the back ground, which is a fun exercise and not as hard as you might think, and focus on how the music takes one to a quite different place than where Charlie Haden's version goes, especially the last stanza.  Love or leave it guys you'll love this America the Beautiful by the Gaither Vocal Band it was a little hard for me to get through although as you would expect from the Gaithers it is very well done.
You might enjoy more about Charlie Haden and his Liberation Music Orchestra here at a devout musician I did.
Where is Charlie Haden today?  Check out Charlie Haden news.

An excerpt from the Byron Woods article:

 "But another Charlie Haden story concerns his protests against the Vietnam War, our country's interventions in El Salvador, and apartheid in South Africa. You can hear them on the three Liberation Music Orchestra recordings he's made since 1970--each recorded, as he's pointed out, while a Republican was president."

Here's Byron Woods at Twitter 
 Nia is still wanting local jazz musicians to showcase protest or involvement in today's society at the Nia Coffeehouse and maybe educate us with some words also.  Bring your band and play with Vince Robinson and the Jazz Poets or let's work out sumpthin. (The Jazz Poets at facebook)

Nia means purpose.

The Intersection of Jazz and Social Protest... does it happen today?

Nina Simone's Mississippi Goddam sung in protest of Medgar Evers assassination

"NPR -America's cultural cauldron produced music, which criticized segregation with candor, sadness, and humor.  Farai Chideya speaks with Robert O'Mealy. He's the Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, and founder and former director of the Center for Jazz Studies."

I am wondering what Jazz musicians are doing with their music for protest in these decades year 2000 through this 2012.  I've read about musicians protesting the Grammys, the musician's union and I even read about a musician setting himself on fire as a protest but what are today's Jazz musicians doing in society?  What are Cleveland Jazz musicians doing in the wake of the Wall Street and housing debacle and Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Cleveland, Occupy the Hood and Occupy the Kitchen Sink?  Send it in and we'll blog and maybe even vlog it. 

Meanwhile in this NPR interview cuts of:Mississippi Goddamned- Nina Simone,Strange Fruit- Billy Holiday and,

here is the complete Black and Blue by Louis Armstrong from 1929 and 1965.  Interestingly enough, to me, the 1965 rendition has a lot more pathos and pain in Louie's voice, let me know if you agree.

Why Am I So Black and Blue- Louis Armstrong- New York, 22.07. 1929 (youtube)

 Why Am I So Black and Blue- Louis Armstrong - Budapest 1965 (youtube)