Freedom through Jazz - Jazz Quorum - Blog

Gay Freedom Band Concert, Sunday March 25th at Barnsdall Park, 4PM

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:25:26 -0700

The Gay Freedom Band performs this Sunday, March 25th at 4PM in the Gallery Theater, 4800 Hollywood Blvd (Barnsdall Park). I will be joining the trombone section for this concert on the kind invitation of my talented UCLA school chum, and conductor of the band, Willis (Bill) Masonheimer. I wanted to mention this excellent organization, voicing my support for the great service to the community that the Band exemplifies. There always has been respect and appreciation for peoples choices in the Jazz community, and I believe, a level of comfort, with the GLBT community. I am also personally sensitive to the importance of acceptance and respect for all humankind one for another, having lost my dear brother Dean to AIDS on March 17th, 1987. That was a time of difficulty, where some considered AIDS as a righteous curse visited upon those who sinned. As an early case, regular doctors couldn't even diagnose my brothers condition, and he had no medicine available to sustain his life. Thankfully the medical response is so much better now. To me, there has also been a lot of progress in the way we feel and treat each other since those days, as well as, I have to say, some regrettable erosion. I'm happy to be a part of such a clearly positive event as Sundays concert.

Anyone Else Know Bob Hardaway?

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:11:54 -0800

This New Years Eve during Jazz Legacy's gig at Jax, I was asked if I knew Bob Hardaway by his erstwhile employer, pianist Ms. Lee Cochran, who was in attendance. Wow! Bob has been a musical hero to me as a guy who could be an excellent studio musician and great Jazz player as well. I got to hear his music and play with him for about two years every Monday morning in the Gene Estes - Bob Enevoldsen Little Big Band rehearsal. Bob also did me the honor of submitting my name as a potential member to the Musicians Interguild Credit Union Board of Directors, of which he was a long serving chairman. BTW, Bob's father, a cartoonist with Disney Studios, originated Bugs Bunny! Another great Disney cartoonist, Stephan Zupkas, has succeeded Bob very ably as the new chairman of MICU since Bob's retirement. Steve fell by Jax on the December 9th gig and randomly sat at the bar next to Myrna Daniels, the editor of LA Jazz Weekly, in which MICU has regular advertising. 6 degrees of separation seems to be a huge overstatement! But then again, there are soooo many cool people who come to hear Jazz Legacy, some amazing things are bound to happen.

Generosity and Enthusiasm at Jax

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:27:15 -0700

This past Saturday, March 12th, Jazz Legacy basked in the warmth and generosity of the wonderful patrons of Jax Bar and Grill, 339N Brand Blvd., in Glendale. The enthusiasm of the audience was infectious, and the full tip jar brought smiles to the musicians faces. A big thank you to all who attended!

Jazz Legacy At Spazios

Thu, 13 May 2010 03:22:43 -0700

Jazz Legacy had a great CD release party at Spazios, May 4th. The band really cooked for the nice crowd...it was an inspiring evening. Check out the reviews of Tadashi from Sapporo Japan and Skip from Long Beach. Tadashi is a huge fan of Strazz. It's so gratifing ( and maximally random ) that someone visiting from that far away got to see Strazz perform his music with a great quintet. Come to find out Skip has an automobile restoration business, Cypress Auto Restoration at www.mrglasscars.com Being a car nut, I started talking vintage cars with Skip and had to get thrown out of the place by the long suffering waitress. A perfect end to a perfect evening!