Jazz Friday
August 31st, 2007 |
At some point between 1998 and 2000 when I was living in Santa Barbara I would go down to LA to visit friends on a regulas basis. On one of these trips my friend, Gary Palmer, was to hang paintings for a poetry reading at some place off Crenshaw in the heart of the black community of LA. Gary is from Balfast, and pretty sensitive to issues of cultural differences. I could tell he was uncomfortable as we walked around. At one point I was going to buy a book from a street vendor of African folk tales when next to it I saw a book called “Kill Whitey”…at that point I understood why Gary was anxious to move up the street. We went into this Mexican place that was a complete anomaly and ate. Afterwards, we were walking back to the car and this guy comes out of this place and says: “Where are you guys going? There’s some great jazz in here!” I walked right in to a place called “The World Stage”. Gary came in a short while later.
It was a small, spare room with an unassuming stage up front, on which there was a group of guys playing. In front of the stage was about ten rows of folding chairs, filled with people of all ages and colors–most of which had their own instruments. It was Sunday, and Sunday’s are open mic days at “The World Stage”, and many of these people were visibly annoyed that this group of guys were up there hogging the stage. I learned that the guy on drums was some guy named Billy Higgins, and the guy in the colorful hat on saxaphone was some guy named Charles LLoyd.
I was mesmerized by the music. I had not really listened to jazz before but being in that space I was able to really feel the magic of it, and really be in the music. I was completely taken in even though I wasn’t really sure what I was taking in. There was a small bowl to donate at the door and I put in what I had. I can’t remember if I was able to buy this cd there or if I bought in later, but this was the first jazz cd I ever bought.
It made me late to visit with my dad that day before going back up to Santa Barbara. Being a big jazz guy, I asked him about these guys. Billy Higgins is a legend (recently deceased) of jazz and can be heard on many of the most important jazz albums recorded. Charles Lloyd had been more or less off the jazz scene for twenty or thirty years after “Forest Flower”, and was going to be performing at The Jazz Bakery that night–they must have been warming up and just jamming at “The World Stage”, which was co-founded by Billy Higgins as a community outreach space. All in all I happened on to one of those rare events that can’t be replicated or made to happen even if you tried. My dad was very jealous.
…and that, dear friends, is how I started being interested in jazz.
One Response to “Jazz Friday”
I was sent your link and interested to read about your afternoon in LA. I wouldl lkke to share with you a little more about the afternoon, the World Stage, Billy Higgins, and Charles Lloyd. The performance at the World Stage you happened upon was one of a couple that Charles and Billy gave to the community whenever they were performing in LA together. The World Stage was BIlly’s baby and he knew that many in the community would not have the ability to hear him with Charles in the evenings – these two men had known each other since their late teens and their friendship was very deep. Check out their
playing together on The Water IS Wide and on Which WAy IS East which wsa recorded in Santa Barbara at Lloyd’s home a few months beforer Billy died.