The Jazzcat

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Remember Morris Day and the Time? Well just in case you don’t remember 80’s nostalgia, Morris’s favorite phrase was, “What Time Is It!!!” And you know what Charlie Parker said? Well my friends, now is the time. Time to step up and do what you can to help our brothas, sisters, neighbors and fellow Americans and all of Hurricane Katrina’s children.

 

 

I unfortunately have never had the opportunity to experience New Orleans or most of the South for that matter. I don’t know the culture, the people, the food, the smiles or the love. My limited experience has only been through the movies and the music of the Marsalis’s, Terence Blanchard and many others who have lived and recorded for our audible eternity.

 

 

Tonight I am at Cabrini’s Jazz Alley, one of the newest and hippest jazz clubs here in Los Angeles. There ain’t no A list, no press list, no guest list or any other kind of list here tonight. It was time to step up to the plate and drop your money down for humanity. Everyone was very generous and did what they could to help support the people that we watched on TV burn in the scorching sun with no food, shelter or sterile water. Yes, President Bush was watching too but, it did not take Sandra Booker and Cabrini Schnider five days to put together an event that would raise money to help put a drop of water back in the bucket of life. At the drop of a hat, they managed to organize a 48 hour Jazz and Blues jam session all in support of music, poetry, cuisine and love for a city that many call home. A plethora of musicians from all over Los Angeles and beyond came in droves and made Cabrini’s the epicenter of music, hope, prayer and concentrated awareness of American people who needed our help.

 

 

Life! If you ask the question, “What is its definition”, you will get over a million answers. Ranking among the top ten would be hard, rough, tough, beautiful, wonderful, great and a bitch.

 

 

How can one word that represents our existence have so many diverse meanings?

 

Its purpose is to learn, experience, recall, feel, share and love. If there was ever a time in “Life” to love, it is right now. I know that we are all experiencing our own degree of challenges that most of us did not ask for but, we must all be strong. We must put our problems on the back burner, pool our resources, focus and give what we can to a city that represents the essence of jazz music. They are in need and we must show that we care.

 

 

I managed to get to Cabrini’s around 11pm on Friday night, the first day of the Jazz-a-thon. It was in full swing and many of the musicians as well as those familiar supporters of jazz in this town were here. Many of the people I recognized I usually see at the free jazz venues around town. They did not hesitate to pay their money to contribute to a cause that not only supported the art form of jazz, but they also had the feeling that peoples lives were at risk and that they could help.

 

 

The feeling was warm and the love and music blended together like the sweet taste of Peach cobbler and melted ice cream. There was a special kinship that the audience shared with each other as well as with the musicians on stage. The music was flowing, Cajun cusine was cooking and the comfortable surrounding of Cabrinis gave you the feeling of being back in New Orleans, even if you have never been.

 

 

 

On Saturday night I got a call about three o’clock in the morning from an old jazz radio comrade of mine, Jerry Ough. “Hey man, where are you? Cabrinis is happening!” I have to admit that I was in a land far far away but, it was nice to know that the music played on and that the 48-hour Jazz-a-thon had an idea, took action, and stood on the corner where imagination meets relief. Healing music, loving people, now that’s Jazz!

 

LeRoy Downs