Steve Habib... MUSIC AS A HEALING MEDICINE...HIS OWN EXPERIENCE

This article was written using his own life as a journey through medical problems and matters of the heart and human emotions, 9/8/11 NYC,NY Steve Habib uses MUSIC THERAPY on himself. He has been doing it for over 20 years after having major open heart surgery in 1991 at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC. After complications from an 8 hour procedure, HABIB almost died after developing Chronic Osteomylitis(MRSA) and he still has this condition today. Two years ago he was hit by a car as a pedestrian walking across a street in New York. Since then, his physical pains are unimaginable and he resorts to his familiarity with music as a HEALING MEDICINE. Steve composes music that has worked on him. He also is involved with Master Drummer/Composer/Educator Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith, his personal friend for over 42 years. Together, they have explored music within DRUM GROUP PROJECTS and many Quartet, Quintet, Sextet and large orchestral formats. Both of these musicians are known in the music field and have been involved with efforts to preserve Jazz Music Tradition by educating younger players to the TRUTH BEHIND THE MUSIC, NAMELY, COMPASSION FOR OTHERS and the elimination of SELF DESIRED RECOGNITION and EGOS, replacing all the BULLSHIT OF HOLLYWOOD and COMMERCIALISM with individual PEOPLE CONCERNS. They are as much concerned about strangers as they are with their families and close friends. You see, Marvin Smith and Steve Habib are THE REAL DEAL and their musical ideas are working. Steve is LIVING PROOF that music can be healing medicine and can alter the body's chemistry naturally stimulating THE BRAIN to manufacture the needed medicine to relax a person and take away pain. Smith is a natural and you can see this watching his almost 1500 music videos many that are viewed on vimeo.com.bugalusmith Every Tuesday evening in his personal 48 track studio he records performances that are called MASTER SESSIONS, "BETTER THAN HOLLYWOOD" and these videos have become one of the largest collections of performances documented by any musical artist. Habib has written much about this music and has performed on several of Marvin's videos with him. So many great masterful players have joined Marvin and young players have the opportunity to "RUB SHOULDERS" with experienced music legends and geniuses. In the old days, it was common for young players to go to jam sessions and see folks like Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers along with John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and so many others that both Marvin Smith and Steve Habib had the opportunity to do. Marvin Smith,Andrew Greeney, Jan Jurgielewicz, Piero Borri, Muggy and many others, have all played an important role in Marvin Smith's organizing music for TRUTH with COMPASSION. Habib honors this and wants folks to know how very important music is as a healing process that all people can utilize as an alternative to just running to the medicine cabinet and looking for a magic pill that will heal them. It all starts with knowledge of oneself and avoiding BULLSHITTING ONESELF INTO THINKING "ME,MINE,ALL ABOUT ME" and NOBODY ELSE! Losing THE EGO helps a person find INNER STRENGTH and the ability to laugh at one's self. Laughter also plays an important part of DEVELOPING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE ABOUT EVERYTHING. LIVING "MOMENT TO MOMENT" is another way of appreciating every second of LIFE and being grateful for TODAY. TOMORROW MIGHT NEVER APPEAR. Don't forget Earthquakes,Hurricanes and other events that effect us all in addition to illnesses,divorces,financial problems and so many other things. MUSIC CAN AND WILL BRING PEACE UNIVERSALLY AS IT IS THE LANGUAGE THAT ALL THE WORLD CAN UNDERSTAND. IT CAN BE PERFORMED WITH BALANCE IF A MUSICIAN TUNES INTO THE ETERNAL TRUTH IN HIS HEART! LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE, HABIB

Thoughts I Used As Healing Medicine

I hope that my notes of conversations with myself is of value to others. Floating Floating can be an effective relaxation technique. Imagine you're floating on air. Picture yourself floating like a falling leaf, or riding down a long escalator. The lower you float, the calmer you are. Practice any of these relaxation techniques as often as you like. Creating Pictures Think of an object that you find simple and pleasing. Study every detail in your mind. Or picture a color shifting into beautiful patterns and hues, blending and changing. Imagine a quiet setting — snowflakes softly falling or a spring day in the country, with cows and horses grazing in a meadow. Feel the picture by engaging all of your senses. If you’re on the beach, feel the sun on your face, your toes in the sand, the breeze on your skin, the ocean air smell. Breathing Inhale deeply through your nose. Then pucker your lips, and exhale slowly. Breathe out as long as possible. Imagine the sound of your breath exhaling is tension draining from your body. 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. 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. You can't fix people OR change them...the ONLY person you have power over is YOURSELF!! A lot of times we spend so much time concentrating on what is wrong in our life instead of on what is going right. 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. I HOPE MY INNER CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF CAN BE VALUABLE TO OTHERS. LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE, HABIB

SERIES #114 PART 2 COMMENT ON MARVIN'S SOLO

Series 114 PART 2 opens up with Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith,John Esposito and Robert Kopec developing such dramatic clusters of TIME EXPRESSION with repeated bass, pedal tones that continue with Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith's UNIQUE TIME PHRASING throughout the 16 minutes and 33 seconds of SUPREME MUSICAL JOY. I have never heard music played with such GENTLE, RELAXED POWER. Every second, every breath and every heart-beat was right down to the appreciation of each moment of life for each player. The solo work that Robert Kopec did was about the finest I ever heard him do and MASTER MARVIN BU GA LU SMITH'S SUPER POWERFUL, FLOW WAS LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE THAT HAD LOVING RUMBLE JUST LIKE A HURRICANE WHERE WATER CHANGED TO VAPOR AND BACK TO LIQUID AND YOU NEVER EVEN KNEW IT. IT WAS THE HURRICANE THAT LEFT YOU SPEECHLESS AND HEALED BECAUSE YOU NOW APPRECIATE EVERY SECOND OF LIFE! I beleive that Marvin Smith's drum solo on this tune is ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER LISTENED TO and IT'S ON PAR WITH ANYTHING I HAVE EVER HEARD FROM ANY OF THE DRUM MASTERS OF THE PAST. YOU'LL HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS PIECE OF MUSIC MANY TIMES, BECAUSE EACH TIME YOU LISTEN, IT WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT MESSAGE BECAUSE THE PIECE OF MUSIC HERE IS ROUND AND CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING WITH NO OBSTRUCTIONS. YEAH, THIS SAYS IT ALL BUT YOU MUST PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THIS BECAUSE MARVIN CHANGES SHAPES HERE AND YOU HAVE TO "CATCH IT" TO BE HEALED! LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE HABIB

Series # 114 PART 2 Master Sessions OF Marvin Smith with John Esposito,Robert Kopec and Andrew Greeney Sitting In On DRUMS

This Part 2 of Series 114 is a continued swinging experience for everybody. Here we have Marvin's student Andrew Greeney sitting in and playing so well. You can actually see the HEALING POWER of this music by observing how Andrew's FACE and ARMS started to change to a bright reddish color after playing in THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. Robert Kopec sounded better than any other time that I heard him in over the 20+ years that I know him and Master John Esposito continues to be one of my all time favorite piano players. Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith has accomplished ULTIMATE JOY. He has created an EMPIRE and started it with NOTHING but his desire to build an organization "BETTER THAN HOLLYWOOD", and it is. I beleive that the beautiful videos are continuing to be better and better, week after week and I'm EXCITED to see and hear what happens in the SERIES 115 that will be recorded AUGUST 30th. MUSIC IS MEDICINE. LOOK AT ANDREW GREENEY'S "CHI" coming to THE SURFACE. DEEP STRENGTH LIES WITHIN THE CENTER OF THIS MUSIC and I'M LOVIN IT! LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOCE HABIB

Series 114 Master Sessions Of Marvin Smith, Part 1, The Truth Be Told Better Than Hollywood with John Esposito and Robert Kopec

Featuring The Great John Esposito and Robert Kopec along with THE MASTER DRUM GENIUS Marvin. John Esposito gentle but extremely powerful and well versed in music as he is a professor and teacher of music at a major college. John Esposito is no stranger to JAZZ MUSIC and his relationship with Marvin Smith goes back to 1991, when Marvin and I were asked to get involved with a JAZZ FESTIVAL that was going on in Martha's Vineyard. That festival had Terrence Blanchard,Onaje Gumbs,Christian McBride and many others with their groups. Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith, along with John Esposito, Drew Gress and James Finn performed at that festival and I can remember them KICKIN SOME HARD ASS and all the other groups performing there were paying very close attention to THE HOLY SPIRIT that was beaming out of Smith and company those two nights. It seems that nobody ever made a public video of that event but I was there and can attest to the fact that Marvin, John, Drew and Jim, were all in a ZONE THAT FEW HAVE ENTERED and that ZONE WAS THE ZONE OF COMPASSION. GOOSE BUMPS WENT DOWN MY SPINE THROUGHOUT BOTH EVENINGS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE. MASTER MARVIN BU GA LU SMITH DEVELOPED COLOR AFTER COLOR THROUGH THE GROOVES THAT WERE LAID DOWN BY HIM,John Esposito and Drew Gress. I believe that John Esposito is one of the MOST SPIRITUAL PIANO PLAYERS THAT I EVER HEARD and when combined with Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith and Robert Kopec as it is in this current SERIES 114, it's no wonder that this music reaches such a HIGH LEVEL OF PURE COMMUNICATION BECAUSE MARVIN BU GA LU SMITH IS THE GENIUS THAT KNOWS HOW TO MOTIVATE PLAYERS TO EXPLORE THINGS AND REACH OUT TO THE OUTER LIMITS OF THE UNIVERSE. Marvin is a LEADER. He understands people and their needs. He is always in a JOYFUL STATE If you listen carefully to the beautiful mixing that was done, it was Marvin's EARS that were involved. If you can hear the FINAL MASTERING, it was Andrew Greeney's talented ears that were engaged in this final product. If you know about Jan Jurgielewicz, then you know about the gifts he has with computers and marketing, and production along with his understanding of business and TRUTHFUL PRODUCT PRESENTATION. If you listen to Robert Kopec playing the bass so beautifully, then you're hearing TRUTH, sounds are captured so well by Marvin's Compassionate Sound and Motion Studio using the new 48 track Cubase software system. I was taken away into another land, another dimension and that's exactly what happened here, tonight at the Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith Talmadge Street Session in his NEW 48 TRACK RECORDING STUDIO. Listen to the dynamics captured by the COMPASSIONATE SOUND and MOTION STUDIO. Yeah, this music is so CLEAR,FULL OF DYNAMICS and some of the finest that I've ever heard. I never imagined that music could make me feel this happy and joyful. WOW! I love these guys. They get right into the center of my soul. They are such MASTERS. Playing with these CATS is a LUXURY. I mean, just sit back and allow this music to take you there. I've NEVER HEARD anyone get such a unique sound out of drums and cymbals as Marvin. HE'S A TRUE EXAMPLE OF WHAT A TEACHER SHOULD BE, A REAL FRIEND. He knows how to communicate to a student,by understanding what the student needs, sometimes a good KICK IN THE ASS. Of course, none of tonight's music would be possible if it weren't for him because he motivates everyone to reach for HIGHER LEVELS. THIS GENIUS CREATES MUSIC TO BE USED AS A HEALING MEDICINE, BABA, DR. MASTER MARVIN BU GA LU SMITH IS A ONE OF A KIND. There are few words that can be written about this. IT'S UNIQUE. John Esposito can stimulate anyone who plays with him, so can Robert Kopec but Marvin is an entity in himself, a TRUE DRUM GENIUS, ENGINEERING GENIUS, COMPOSING GENIUS AND TALENTED LEADER OF ANY GROUP HE PUTS TOGETHER. Listen to his solo work, how harmonic and creative. It's like listening to the wind blowing over the hills and the ocean. It's like an EARTHQUAKE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED ON THE EASTCOAST THIS WEEK.. The deep thrusting beats that are created on those TOM TOMS are so hollow and deep, deep sounding, EXPLODING BUT YET ALSO CARESSING THE SPINE. Folks, this music is truly HEALING MEDICINE, IT SWINGS and SWINGS BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION. Yes, it will produce goose bumps on your skin and give you BRAIN FREEZE JUST LIKE ICE CREAM DOES TO A LITTLE KID. It touches all your senses. Interestingly enough, as I'm listening to this now, on Thursday evening, I am also hearing all the reports about HURRICANE IRENE and mandatory evacuations for the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas. WOW! This music is taking my mind off all the media hype about EARTHQUAKES, HURRICANES, OLD AGING PROCESSES, SICKNESS, FINANCIAL WORRIES AND ALL PROBLEMS. THIS MUSIC IS IN THE CENTER OF YOUR SOUL IF YOU ALLOW IT TO CONNECT WITH YOU. RELAX, SIT BACK and LET THESE THREE BEAUTIFUL, TALENTED MASTER PLAYERS ENTER INTO YOUR GOOD SPIRIT WITH THEIR LOVE AND JOY THAT THEY HAVE FOR THIS GREAT ART-FORM WE CALL JAZZ, THE AMERICAN MUSIC. This music carries forward the essence of what TRADITIONAL JAZZ REPRESENTS. IT'S DEEP BLUES and IT'S ROOTS are always there in every chorus. What a tribute to American Jazz Music: Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith and his trio of John Esposito and Robert Kopec. Each week, these MASTER SESSIONS OF MARVIN SMITH'S are done and archived for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. NOBODY I KNOW HAS PUT TOGETHER THE ALMOST 1500 VIDEOS OF MUSIC THE WAY MARVIN HAS DONE IT, THE OLD FASHIONED WAY, FOR STUDENTS TO BE EX{POSED TO THE MASTERS "ON THE BANDSTAND" and LIVE! All of Marvin's drum students have an opportunity to sit in with these MASTERS and be recorded. THE VIDEO CAPTURES EVERYTHING and YOU CAN'T BULLSHIT WHEN IT CAN ALWAYS BE OBSERVED OVER AND OVER AND OVER TILL LEARNING FINALLY BECOMES EASIER BY EXAMPLE. The caring, giving and PURE TRUTHFUL ATTITUDE OF MARVIN BU GA LU SMITH IS CAPTURED EVERYTIME HE PLAYS. HE IS FLOW, NATURAL UNOBSTRUCTIVE MOTION and BALANCE. HE REACTS and MAKES CHANGES WITHOUT FEARS. HE ADAPTS HIMSELF TO ANYTHING, EVEN THE THREATS OF EARTHQUAKES AND HURRICANES LIKE IRENE. JUST OBSERVE, THAT'S WHAT THIS GREAT SESSION, SERIES # 114 PART 1 IS ALL ABOUT, LEARNING TO GO WITH THE MOMENT and MAKE CHANGES AS YOU GO ALONG, DEVELOPING EXCITEMENT AND DESIRING FULL TIME JOY THROUGH GIVING OF YOURSELF TO OTHERS. There are few GIVERS LIKE MARVIN SMITH, I've been around him for enough years to know where he's coming from and THAT PLACE IS CALLED TRUTH FROM THE CENTER OF HIS SOUL. I truly hope you enjoy this SERIES 114 as much as I did and I am certain there are no others like this as Marvin, John and Robert reached that beautiful level of "AUTOMATIC PILOT" without any rehearsal or pre-meditation. LOVE ALWAYS and ALWAYS LOVE, HABIB

DOES IT TAKE AN EARTHQUAKE TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER?

IT TAKES AN EARTHQUAKE AND OTHER POTENTIAL DISASTEROUS SITUATIONS TO BRING HUMAN BEINGS TOGETHER, CARING ABOUT EACH OTHER EVEN IF THEY'RE STRANGERS! WHY CAN'T WE CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER AS LOVING, PEACEFUL HUMANS, EVERY MOMENT OF EVERYDAY AND TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HABIB WITH LOVE

THIS IS ABOUT MY LONG TIME FRIEND MARVIN BU GA LU SMITH, A LIVING LEGEND

Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith LIVING LEGEND and DRUMMING GENIUS OF OUR TIME, 2011,
Many years ago in Engelwood,NJ, I met Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith, his brother Earl "BUSTER" Smith and Bobby Smith. Marvin played the drums differently than anyone I have ever heard. His older brother "BUSTER" was a great teacher of Marvin's and also a known Jazz drummer working with Eric Dolphy, Sun Ra and so many others. Buster influenced his younger brother Marvin and helped Marvin develop a great drumming gift that few of us have. Marvin is like THE WIND, THE EARTH, THE SUN, THE RAIN, THE OCEAN, FIRE,SPACE,SILENCE,STATIC,PASSION,COMPASSION,CONSTANT MOTION, HE LOOKS LIKE THE NUMBER 8 which when looked at is round, circle on top of circle. He expresses himself through 5's, 6's,7's and 8's but continues to advance time in quarters, fourths with accents of three but also five. He plays without resolving things bar after bar. He sometimes breaths twelve bars at a time before he powerfully accents in a gentle but also explosive way. You can feel his soul. Marvin IS THE MUSIC. He creates flow because he is FLOW. Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith is a musical composer using the drums as his harmonic voice. Marvin draws all musicians that perform with him into a world of LOVE and PEACE. It is a world of healing musical medicine. I know, because when I met Marvin, I was medically ill with Heart Disease,Cancer, Chronic Osteomylitis and many other medical complications. Listening to him play was medicine in itself. His sound vibration is unique. Marvin draws souns out of his drums that I've never heard before. If you listen carefully, you'll be able to react deeply to his inner healing heart. Marvin is one of the most giving, self-less people that I have ever met. Because of his TOTAL GIVING NATURE, HE IS ABLE TO REACH SUCH HIGH SPIRITUAL LEVELS, LEVELS OF ENLIGHTENING STRENGTH. His purpose in playing music is to heal the sick and become the medicine of HARMONIC SOUND VIBRATION. In February 2011, MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE had a two page article that featured this drumming genius. Marvin has over 1,500 videos of his performances that are all unique because they document him teaching others both professional Master Players and young students. His teaching methods are totally unique and he reminds me of the old day traditional methods of "THE JAZZ MESSENGERS" and the way Art Blakey exposed young talented players to the bandstand in his NYC LOFT. Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith is a living legend and AN UNSUNG HERO IN THE JAZZ COMMUNITY. Through his personal recording studio, Compassionate Sound and Motion, his record label, BUMAR RECORDS and his website: jazzdrumlessons.com Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith has given to the Jazz Community, everything he has to offer this great American Art-Form called JAZZ. Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith will be added to the ARCHIVES OF JAZZ MUSIC just like John William Coltrane, Charlie Parker, T. Monk, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Ellington and so,so many others too numerous to mention but I simply had to write this article to make people more aware of this LIVING LEGEND and DRUMMING GENIUS OF OUR TIME, 2011, THE YEAR OF MAJOR MUSICAL CHANGE AND AWARENESS.
Steve Habib