Blues For Marvin & Steve "LIVE AT VISIONES"

We had such a great time the entire week. Reggie Workman and many,many others were helpful in making suggestions about the entire week of sessions. I was very sick and in and out of the hospital at Mt. Sinai all year during much of 1992 and 1993. Marvin and I contacted Buckey Nesbitt a friend of ours from Englewood, NJ and after the Visiones sessions, we went to The Martha's Vineyard Jazz Festival and the group performed there for two days with Drew Gress on bass, John Esposito on piano, Jim Finn on Tenor Sax and Dr. Marvin Smith leading the group on Drums. We continued to call the group "THE EXPERIENCE" but it was the start of The Melting Pot Drum Group. Marvin and I wrote many of the songs including "Life Has No Color, Blues for Marvin and Steve, The Dance Of The BU GA LU and so many more. Terrence Blanchard and his group also performed at the Martha's Vinyard Jazz Festival as did Christian McBride and his group, Onaje Alan Gumbs and many more. I witnessed our group tearing up the bandstand each night. No stone was unturned as Marvin lead the way to help make that Festival knowm since it was the first year of its existence. Terrence Blanchard was very responsive to the tremendous audience response that Marvin and the Cats received. Much of the effort that was placed in all the music during that rough year for me was Marvin thinking about the music and the healing properties that it has. The music actually made me better and I continued on my journey as a drummer/percussionist/composer/producer/ broadcaster/journalist and multi-instrumentalist. I did join Bernard Purdie on many gigs along with Tony Purrone,Sal Giorgianni, Nat Dixon, Ruben Wilson, Marvin Horn, Joshua Breakstone, and on and on it went but I continued to fight diseases and medical situations. In 2008 I was run over by a car in Great Neck, Long Island, simply crossing the street with a cup of coffee in my hand. That tore me up and I was moving around with two canes and lots of prayers, listening to many songs. Yeah, the music is healing medicine and I can attest to it. I'm still learning about life and appreciate every moment of it. Hanging with Reggie Workman, Arnie Lawrence, Cecil McBee and Kirk Lightsey was enlightening and their contribution to the entire week's performance is well documented here. Just listen to Marvin screaming out with joy on all the songs that will be posted. This is the 2nd one we put up on you tube, the first was "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". "Life Has No Color" is a song that Marvin and I wrote. Kirk Lightsey wrote "HABIBA" and Cecil McBee wrote"The Man Of Peace(The Peacemaker)".
The spirit during the entire week at Visiones Jazz Club was so strong. Every night was packed with no seats available during the first two sets. Many perfomers that were "IN TOWN" that week who were not working, ended up in the club to witness Marvin's explosive energy and SWINGING PLAYING along with Kirk Lightsey's harmonics and deep touch. Cecil McBee had many folks coming into the club just to approach The Grammy Winner. Kevin Lager was playing so very hard all week long and Jim Finn expressed himself in the most spiritual way.
The music says it all and I am certain that it will move you into a very happy zone of PEACE.
LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE,
HABIB