Monday, March 12, 2012
Song for Max, a drum solo
Song for Max, a drum solo
When Dr. Marvin Smith and I were at The Blue Note in NYC to visit Max at his gig, Max who loved Marvin, still turned to me and said, "Habib, why don't you Cats hang out in my dressing room upstairs here, while I finish the next set or take a walk and get something to eat, then come back and we'll hand out after the next set." You see, what you're going to hear in the next 4 minutes and 37 seconds is some of the finest drumming you've ever heard and this is exactly what Max didn't want Marvin to play sitting in at The Blue Note, so because of this tremendous spiritual, flowing and harmonic playing that Max knew Marvin could accomplish, Max felt that it was his gig and there was no reason to chance folks in the audience seeing Marvin in the house and the possibility of Marvin coming up on stage and getting all the attention. You see, Max was one of Marvin's influences and Marvin was able to get much information about what Max does simply by watching Max move and flow around the drum set. Yeah, Dr. Marvin watched and interacted with all the masters and figured out what each of them knew. Marvin executed and put all of them together as one and developed who he is. Marvin's sound is a combination of all the influences in his life starting with his own brother, Earl "Buster" Smith, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Louis Hayes, Roy Haynes, Kenny Clarke,Danny Richmond, Billy Higgins and, one of Marvin's major influences was Max Roach. This track is a song dedicated to Max Roach, called "Song For Max" and I think that all of the masters that motivated Marvin to learn drums, helped him to find his own, unique voice. Dr. Marvin Smith is a musical genius. His drumming is a representation of his entire life and all the beautiful,colorful,harmonic sounds that you hear represented on this track, is truth,honesty and the ability to generate musical medicine that will heal you if you listen enough and allow it to enter into your soul. Marvin Smith's AURA is shaped like a hugh figure 8 and when you watch him play live you can see it. The flow is constant,moving moment to moment, breath to breath and heart beat to heart beat. Everything that comes out of Dr. Marvin Smith's drums is PURE LOVE and you can receive this geniune feeling that he projects, simply by standing near him before he even touches a drum. If your luckey enough to have the chance to be a musician that performs with him, you'll find that he will motivate you to reach higher levels in your playing, higher than any level you've ever experienced with any other drummer. I mean what I'm saying here because I've experienced this myself, perfoming with him in several projects, especially the all drum group that we both formed in 2000 and 2001 called "The Melting Pot Drum Group" which recorded over 14 tracks together at Tedesco Studios with Dr. Marvin Smith, Steve Habib, Koko Jones,Jack DeSalvo, Tom Tedesco, Tom DeSteno and Hugh Brodie and Steve Cohn, who were added in on some of the tracks. That direct experience with Marvin and experiences like playing together in Hugh Brodie's Cosmic Ensemble and so,so many other times, tells me that if I don't tell all of you that I am healed from many major medical conditions and several near death experiences because of my close friendship with Marvin and the 42 years that we've been playing music together, then I would be robbing you of "actual proof", "actual truth" and I need to bring the entire truth about this genius friend of mine to you. Now listen carefully and make sure you listen at least three different times to this track and be open to THE SPIRIT OF COMPASSION and most IMPORTANTLY, THE SPIRIT OF LOVE. Dr. Marvin Smith cares about people, all people and this drum music is THE REAL DEAL. Listening to it, you will see why he has such a positive influence on everyone around him. You'll also see how his drumming can bring new life to the very musicians that have had direct experience with him. John Coltrane had that ability to influence and motivate people without even saying one word. Marvin Smith, we call him Dr. Marvin Smith, also has that same genius ability that "Trane" had. Listen to all the music that Dr. Marvin Smith has recorded and you will aee. THE PROOF IS IN THE MUSICAL TRACKS and ALL THE VIDEOS that he has recorded. There are well over 1300 of these and I am honred to be on at least 2 dozen of them. Yes, The Song For Max is an important message, Check it! LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE...........HABIB
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