SERIES 118 THE MASTER SESSIONS OF MARVIN SMITH WITH FREDDIE JACOBS, LEW SCOTT and MICHAEL PURCELL and KEVIN DUFFY.."THE TRUTH BE TOLD", BETTER THAN HOLLYWOOD

Series #118 PART 1 "BETTER THAN HOLLYWOOD" THE MASTER SESSIONS Of Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith Featuring Freddie Jacobs,Lew Scott with Kevin Duffy and Michael Purcell HEALING SOUNDS ARE ALWAYS PRESENT WHEN MASTER, GENIUS MARVIN SMITH GATHERS PEOPLE TOGETHER TO PERFORM MUSIC. THE SERIES # 118 is special because what started out as a TRIO format turned into a QUINTET naturally and without any pre-meditation,unrehearsed and unexpected. Freddie Jacobs called Marvin in the afternoon and said he's bringing a piano player(Michael Purcell) and Jan Jurgielewicz shows up with a Tenor player(Kevin Duffy) and the rest is HISTORY and HEALING SOUNDS. Yeah, I've been very sick this past week and had several visits to the hospital. I listened to this music and started to relax,unwind and felt like I was floating like a boat ON THE OCEAN. Marvin Smith has an ability to draw the players that perform with him into a new, higher level of awareness of SOUND COLORS and DIRECTIONS because NOTHING IS REHEARSED OR PLANNED. Everything is LEFT UP TO THE EXACT MOMENT WHEN THE MUSIC STARTS. When players allow this to happen and avoid the THOUGHT PROCESS, the music has a chance to FLOAT and THE PLAYERS CAN DO WHAT MARVIN DOES, ENTER INTO A NATURAL FLOW. "BEAUTIFUL LOVE", one of my favorite tunes, shows this and IT IS BEAUTIFUL and it does show an example of all the musician's LOVE FOR THE MUSIC. Just listen to FREDDIE grooving as Marvin sparks everything with FLOWING FIRE that has strong warmth throughout. Freddie Jacobs sounds like all the MASTERS before him but he has put HIS OWN SIGNATURE on every breath of his playing. You can hear all the influences of Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard and all those great players that all of us honor from the past. The tradition of Jazz is brought forward as Jacobs embraces the DEEP LOVE that he has for THE ART FORM OF TRADITIONAL AMERICAN MUSIC. I admire Freddie Jacobs compassionate heart and I can see why HE EXECUTES his inner feelings so clearly. Freddie has amazing LOVE coming through that horn and the fact that he's been playing that trumpet for such a long period of time has given him so much to tap into from his long life experiences. Marvin continues to teach this very thing to each of the younger players. Listening to Michael Purcell play that piano reminds me of the early days of listening to great MASTER PLAYERS of the past. His sense of time is really good and his harmonic playing helps a novice ear better understand the complexities that the music can develop. Kevin Duffy is sounding really nice and he has so many diversified expressions coming out of his horn. What I liked about these two young players, both Michael and Kevin, is THE HONOR THAT THEY SHOWED TO THE THREE MASTERS, MARVIN, FREDDIE and LEW. The exposure that the young players have to MASTERS through Marvin Smith's Sessions, is TRULY WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. IF I CAN EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE ABOUT MUSIC, I SAY THAT MUSIC IS "SOUND LOVE" THAT DRAWS BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW COLORS WHICH BECOME HEALING AS A PERSON CAN BE MOVED INTO A STATE OF HEALTH REGARDLESS OF ANY MEDICAL OR EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE ENCOUNTERED. IF Marvin Smith's music talks to you in a special way, it's because Marvin is a special human being. He's like A SAGE. He's a one of a kind, unique individual that has developed such a UNIQUE VOICE AS A PERSON, THAT HE CAN MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST CAPABLE LEVELS BECAUSE HE UNLEASHES TALENTS WITHIN OTHERS THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN REALIZED UNTIL THEY ARE EXPOSED TO HIM. HE HAS AN UNCANNY WAY OF GETTING DEEP INSIDE OF ANOTHER PLAYER AND FIRE HIM UP TO INTENSITIES THAT EXPLORE NEW ROADS AND DIRECTIONS. Listening to this Series 118, you can actually experience NEW IDEAS coming forward, new conversations and new sentences of SOUND EXPRESSION not heard in any other of the almost 1500 videos that Marvin Smith has documented. Still, each of those almost 1500 videos are HEALING IN EVERY WAY. I know this for a fact because by experiencing all of them and seeing the beautiful results that have come about in my own life and the life of others exposed to this Genius of a man, I CAN SAY THAT MARVIN SMITH and his documented works are great for all serious musicians and listeners to check out and learn from. After spending enough time enjoying the music and NOT trying to figure things out, a person will better understand Marvin's method of "THE MOMENT" and LIVING IN IT WITHOUT WORRIES AND WITHOUT FEARS. HAVING NO EGO INVOLVED, brings each player into such a great state of joy as others have a chance to experience the same thing. THIS IS LOVE THROUGH SOUNDS OF COLORS, HEART FELT and created without REHEARSAL and PRE-MEDITATION. IF STUDENTS WERE ALL GIVEN A GIFT, THAT GIFT WOULD BE CALLED MARVIN SMITH. WHEN YOU RUB SHOULDERS ON THE BANDSTAND WITH MARVIN, YOU ARE ALSO TOUCHING MAX ROACH, ELVIN JONES, ART BLAKEY, PHILLY JOE JONES, PA PA JOE JONES, BUSTER SMITH, BILLY HIGGINS, SAM WOODYARD, MEL LEWIS, KENNY CLARK,ED THIGPEN, REGGIE GOLSON, TONY WILLIAMS, SONNY PAYNE, JOHN WILLIAM COLTRANE, JIMMY GARRISON, ERIC DOLPHY, JACKIE McCLEAN, WOODY SHAW, FREDDIE HUBBARD,LEE MORGAN,CLIFFORD BROWN,JJ JOHNSON, ARNIE LAWRENCE,ANDY McCLOUD, ART DAVIS, RICHARD DAVIS, MILES DAVIS, CARTER JEFFERSON, KENNY KIRKLAND, BUD POWELL, FATS W., WILLIE "THE LION" SMITH, ART TATUM, OSCAR PETERSON, CHARLES MINGUS, SUN RA, GEORGE COLEMAN, EVELYN BLAKEY, ART BLAKEY, JR, HAASAN DAWKINS, ALAN DAWSON, ALICE COLTRANE, BILLY BANG, DUKE ELLINGTON, COUNT BASIE, BUDDY RICH, COZY COLE, RAY CHARLES, JOHHNY HODGES, PAUL GONSALES, COOTY WILLIAMS, RAY BROWN, PAUL CHAMBERS, RED GARLAND, WYNTON KELLY, COLEMAN HAWKINS, CHARLIE PARKER, LESTER YOUNG, DEXTER GORDON, SONNY STITT, STAN GETZ, MILT JACKSON, JOHN LEWIS, CONNIE KAY,BENNY GOODMAN, TEDDY WILSON, CHET BAKER, BILL EVANS, GERRY MULLIGAN, WALTER BISHOP, JR.,DIZZY GILLESPIE, THELONIOUS MONK, FATS WALLER, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, BILLIE HOLIDAY, ELLZ FITZGERALD, DINAH WASHINGTON, NINA SIMONE, SARAH VAUGHAN, SIDNEY BECHET, EARL HINES, NICK LAROCCA, JOE "KING" OLIVER, RED NICHOLS , CAB CALLOWAY, BENNY CARTER, CHARLES CHRISTIAN, FLETCHER HENDERSON, DICK JOHNSON, ARTIE SHAW, BEN WEBSTER, PAUL WHITEMAN, MAYNARD FERGUSON, THAD HONES, HANK JONES, SHELLY MANN, LOUIS PRIMA, CAL TJADER, KETER BETTS, JIMMY BLANTON, PAUL CHAMBERS, ART DAVIS, MILT HINTON, BILL JOHNSON, SCOTT LA FARO, RED MITCHELL, JACO PASTORIUS, NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN, OSCAR PETTIFORD, SLAM STEWART,NAT ADDERLEY, CANNONBALL ADDERLEY, HORACE SILVER,HERBIE MANN YUSEF LATEEF, RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK, BIX BEIDERBECKE, JAKI BYARD, DANNY RICHMOND, CONNIE KAY, JACK MCDUFF, JOHN GILMORE, HUGH MASEKELA,CHARLES EARLAND, BILL DOGGETT, SHIRLEY SCOTT, JIMMY SMITH, LARRY YOUNG, REUBEN WILSON, RICHARD GROOVE HOLMES, KENNY WHEELER, STUFF SMITH, STEPHANE GRAPPELLI, RAY NANCE, EDDIE SOUTH, CLAUDE WILLIAMS, MIROSLAV VITOUS, BUNK JOHNSON,BUDDY BOLDEN, JELLY ROLL MORTON, FLEMING LOGAN, WAYNE "BUTCH" PARKER. YOU ARE ALSO RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH WATER, WIND, SUN, FIRE,EARTH AND MOST OF ALL AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU ARE RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH YOURSELF, A BEAUTIFUL CREATURE CREATED WITH YOUR OWN UNIQUE VOICE, NOW LEARN HOW TO BRING YOURSELF FORWARD FROM INNER TRUTH AND ALLOW MARVIN SMITH AND HIS MUSIC TO HEAL YOU. LISTEN TO THESE LOVELY SOUND VIBRATIONS AND LET THEM PENETRATE YOUR SOUL. LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE, ….. HABIB

Life Experiences Leading To Better Understandings

I Truly Hope That Some Of The Thoughts And Experiences That I Have Had, Might Be Of Help To Others. Thanks to those who hated me, you made me a stronger person. Thanks to those who loved me, you made my heart bigger. Thanks to those who envied me, you made my self-esteem grow. Thanks to those who cared, you made me feel important. Thanks to those w...ho worried, you let me know that you care. Thanks to those who left, you showed me that not everything is forever. Thanks to those who stayed, you showed me the meaning of true friends. Thanks to those who entered my life, you made me who I am today. One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon--instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. Sometimes you have to be strong when you feel like giving up, you have to fight when you just want to run away. Sometimes it’s all you can do just to keep going. And sometimes you just have to let the bridge break. Let the tears flow and start over. Remember, no matter how bad things are at any one moment, no moment lasts. Good or bad, time moves on because it has to. And so do you. No matter what you have done for yourself, or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family,friends, and strangers, what have you really accomplished. A lot of times we spend so much time concentrating on what is wrong in our life instead of on what is going right when we should just Let Go and LET GOD!!! You can't fix people OR change them...the ONLY person you have power over is YOURSELF!! THANK GOD ...because I sure would be Super Busy.. Life is a series of problems : Either you are in one now,or, You're just coming out of one, or ,You're getting ready to go into one and don't even know it !!! Bring it on, because I AM READY. today is always good .. because it is the only day that is promised to us... so don't let it get away by thinking of tomorrow.. because tomorrow may never come... enjoy your family and freinds.... and true freinds will ALWAYS let family come first.. ..One should always laugh when they can...apologize when they should...and let go of what they can't change! You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. "There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living." I HOPE MY INNER CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF CAN BE VALUABLE TO OTHERS. LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE, HABIB

SERIES 117 PART 2 THE STUDENTS OF MARVIN SMITH

The 2nd part of series 117 shows each of three students that study with Marvin Smith and how well they've listened to his teaching since the start of their relationship with him. We start out listening to Jan Jurgielewicz, a 4 year student of Marvin's. Jan has good time and is doing well considering the short time that he's been playing. He has improved his solo work and sounds more professional every time I hear him. He still needs to work hard on trading fours as he is still not connecting on the "1" after each of the four bar phrases. Other than that, he's sounding REAL GOOD and has accomplished a great deal for only a 4 year player. Arnold Hayes plays next and he sounds more developed than the last time I heard him. For a 5 year student, Arnold has developed well but he as well as any other student, needs to learn to listen more carefully and develop more familiarity with the structure of a song. Young players all need to get to know the music of JAZZ more intimately so they can EXECUTE with more confidence. Lastly, Andrew Greeney, a student of 12 years has reached a level of playing that shows he is listening and executing at a more higher level than he was when he was only playing for 4 or 5 years. In studying THE ACTUAL PROOF HERE IN MARVIN'S PART 2 OF SERIES 117, the video tells THE TRUTH and SHOWS THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF EACH STUDENT. This is the benefit of Marvin's teaching methods and students learn quickly how they are developing. I am very glad to see each of these students growing and all of them are told by Marvin continuously to respect aging and those that are MASTERS that have lived longer than they. Students must play their life experiences through the drums . It stands to reason that the amount of time one has lived is so very important. Practicing encompasses both playing on "THE PRACTICE PAD" and becoming more fluent with technical skills but MOST IMPORTANT IS EXPERIENCE and COMMUNICATING THE LIFE THAT YOU HAVE LIVED UP TO A CERTAIN POINT and THAT IS HOW WELL YOU WILL SOUND AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT IN YOUR PLAYING. Familiarity with the songs is also critical. I believe all of these students have accomplished a great deal considering that they have only been playing for a short time and 4, 5 or 12 years shows exactly what each of them has learned in that short period of time when you consider that MASTERS LIKE MARVIN have been playing 50 or 60 years. It takes awhile because life itself is the classroom and Marvin Smith shows students how to live this music everyday of their life and live full time music, not part time music. It's a way of life and Marvin has taught them all well. Hat's off for a great TEACHER and TEACHING EXPERIENCES. Few teachers have accumulated 1500 videos showing the teachings to the students through LIFE'S LESSONS OF TRUTH, NO BULLSHIT THROUGH A VIDEO, IT'S THE DOCUMENTED PROOF OF WHAT A STUDENT DOES OR DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH! LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE, HABIB