A performing artist,composer,percussionist,drummer, Steve Habib is a writer and music journalist available to help all in the field, especially the Jazz Field. His life experiences for the past 50 years since the time he was a young child has exposed him to the legends of the past. He grew up with Elvin Ray Jones,John Coltrane,Duke Ellington and family. His opinions are highly regarded among Jazz Musicians,Composers,Producers and Listeners.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Steve Habib Presents Dr. Marvin Smith Live At Visiones NYC
We must be grateful for Coltrane's life example, a man of the utmost maturity who practiced so committedly, obtained such Full Voice... Remember the strength with which these musicians played. Remember that when Coltrane was playing like this, no one else was; he wasn't playing note-for-note what other saxophonists were and had, like so many do to the extreme today... He was really HEARING it, embodying it, it was never just technique for technique's sake, and fearlessly forging ahead with the power of his spirit's evolution towards greater and greater freedom in ways which nobody else in his time could have imagined. Always searching, always practicing, strengthening... It was never about trying to "impress", to be "triumphant" and "popular", "flashy"... To have these recorded examples of enlightenment through sound, rhythm and collective/group support are an endless source of strength for our own self exploration and dance. Connection to the process, historical consciousness, spirituality, and proof of the instrumental/technical transcendence possible... It gives us the conviction to go this deeply into OURSELVES, not astray down the overtrodden paths of imitation, technical superficiality, and stylistic plagiarism and trend widespread throughout the the world today. ("To refrain from imitation is the best revenge." - Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 A.D.). With the amount of influences, resources and perspectives we have today, there are no excuses but to grow an original, fully-releasing, free and exploratory voice for ourselves in this gift of life, and to give that energy back to the people and universe. May Coltrane's pure, mature example forever ground us in this, remind us of this, inspire us in this... AMEN
We must be grateful for Coltrane's life example, a man of the utmost maturity who practiced so committedly, obtained such Full Voice... Remember the strength with which these musicians played. Remember that when Coltrane was playing like this, no one else was; he wasn't playing note-for-note what other saxophonists were and had, like so many do to the extreme today... He was really HEARING it, embodying it, it was never just technique for technique's sake, and fearlessly forging ahead with the power of his spirit's evolution towards greater and greater freedom in ways which nobody else in his time could have imagined. Always searching, always practicing, strengthening... It was never about trying to "impress", to be "triumphant" and "popular", "flashy"... To have these recorded examples of enlightenment through sound, rhythm and collective/group support are an endless source of strength for our own self exploration and dance. Connection to the process, historical consciousness, spirituality, and proof of the instrumental/technical transcendence possible... It gives us the conviction to go this deeply into OURSELVES, not astray down the overtrodden paths of imitation, technical superficiality, and stylistic plagiarism and trend widespread throughout the the world today. ("To refrain from imitation is the best revenge." - Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 A.D.). With the amount of influences, resources and perspectives we have today, there are no excuses but to grow an original, fully-releasing, free and exploratory voice for ourselves in this gift of life, and to give that energy back to the people and universe.
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AMEN