For over a dozen years, the SiriusXM Real Jazz studio at Jazz at Lincoln Center was where I lived My Jazz Life every single day. Last week, legendary drummer Steve Jordan asked me to come back to the house that Wynton Marsalis built to host the Jazz Foundation of America’s “Great Night Gala.” It was a massive homecoming filled with old friends, NEA Jazz Masters, and a stark reminder of the quiet, essential heavy lifting the JFA does to keep our greatest artists alive and thriving.
As this newsletter was being drafted, I received news that our friend Sonny Rollins has passed away at 95 years old. Such a legendary figure does not simply depart from this planet without leaving a massive impact. Sonny will be remembered and celebrated for his lasting contributions in the world of jazz.
My life in jazz has always been inextricably linked to the calendar. I have a son who shares a birthday with Charlie Parker, a grandson who’s birthday falls on Star Wars Day (May the fourth be with you, Mak), and my oldest sister, Diane Green, shares hers with Miles Davis - turning 74 this week.
For the past 40 years, the very next day on the calendar (May 27th) has meant sending greetings to two heavyweights who are incredibly dear to my heart: Dee Dee Bridgewater, who turns 76, and the late, great Ramsey Lewis, who would have been 91.
In April, during my longest trip back to Chicago since 2007, the spirits of Diane, Dee Dee, and Ramsey all converged around the massive International Jazz Day (IJD) celebrations.
Spending quality time with my sister Diane was the undisputed personal highlight of those ten days. But professionally, the peak was reconnecting with Dee Dee. Despite her grueling schedule co-hosting the IJD Global Concert, she still found the time to sit me down and deliver some meaningful, much-needed professional advice.
Dee Dee and I have shared 35 years of industry ups and downs. Back in 2013, knowing they shared the same super-agent at the Kurlind Agency, I actually suggested she and Ramsey tour together. It felt like a total no-brainer when Dee Dee and Gregory Porter opened this year’s IJD concert by singing Ramsey’s massive hit, “The In Crowd.”
Ramsey’s spirit hovered over the entire week, particularly during the Our Jazz Life event. The top city administrator assigned to help me pull it off was none other than Ramsey’s son, Frayne Lewis (Deputy Commissioner of DCASE).
During a planning meeting with my own son, Sidney-Bachet, Frayne and I nearly came to tears thinking about what Ramsey would say seeing our boys working together. Later, as the doors opened for the event, we played a classic aircheck of Ramsey from his WNUA days. Hearing his voice echo through the room, both Frayne and I teared up all over again.
Note from Sid -
I remember Mark’s relationship with Ramsey fondly. In fact, due to his regular weekly phone calls and my Dad’s mentions of him all the time, I thought he was just a close friend of the family who happen to be luck to have a job with my Dad. Many years later, the reality check cleared:
It was 1996. I was getting ready for school one morning and Fox Thing in The Morning was about to cut to commercial on Fox 32 when Jacob Jacobson says, “…and when we come back, we’ll be carrying the Olympic Torch on its way to Atlanta with the one and only Ramsey Lewis.”
In hindsight its hilarious, but at the time I was so confused that I told my dad, ”I guess that anybody gets to run the Olympic Torch. Did you know they let Ram do it the other day downtown?” Mark got a chuckle out of it at the time before letting me know how important Ramsey is to the culture. My 6th grade mind was blown…. until then, my dad was the most famous guy I knew in Jazz.
It was 1996. I was getting ready for school one morning and Fox Thing in The Morning was about to cut to commercial on Fox 32 when Jacob Jacobson says, “…and when we come back, we’ll be carrying the Olympic Torch on its way to Atlanta with the one and only Ramsey Lewis.”
Much love to Frayne and Kelly Lewis for keeping that Ruffin/Lewis bond going almost 40 years from when it began!
I spent over a decade working for Ramsey. I researched, wrote liner notes for his GRP Records releases, and produced his Westwood One syndicated radio show. When I left for WBEZ in 1996, I arrogantly assumed his team would have a hard time replacing me.
I was wrong. They found Bob Kessler.
Back then, Bob was a rising star producer at WGN. Today, he is a star news anchor at the station. Ramsey used to tell me that Bob perfectly fit his philosophy of “sending the elevator down” to elevate new talent. Ramsey recognized that Bob, much like myself and former keyboardist Mike Logan, had layers of hidden artistic drive.
For Bob, that drive manifested in the harmonica. Living in a city with a rich blues heritage, Bob sought out lessons from Chicago harmonica legend Howard Levy (Béla Fleck, Donald Fagen). Today, Bob’s resume includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Auditorium Theatre.
Bob is a remarkably cool, laid-back character—a vibe befitting his Korean Zen Buddhist order. His first all-harmonica album was cleverly titled Amplitude (as in AM radio). His brand new release is titled Frequency (FM).
This week, we are sending birthday flowers to Diane, Dee Dee, and Ramsey via our Gateway Track of the Month: Bob Kessler’s rendition of “Les Fleur.”
If you our new to My Jazz Lifet- first off, thanks for stopping by and consider subscribing please - A Jazz Gateway selection is a piece of art of body of work that I would consider great “on-ramps” for listeners and lovers of the genre.
“Le Fleur”, written by the legendary Charles Stepney, first recorded by Minnie Riperton, and turned into a massive hit by Ramsey Lewis, the song is Chicago royalty. If you know the history of this track, you’ll immediately feel the spirit of all three legends in Bob’s brilliant interpretation. Ramsey would be incredibly proud.
On Thursday, May 21st, the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) presented their annual “Great Night Gala.” When JFA Artistic Director and masterful drummer Steve Jordan asked me to be part of the production, I instantly relished the homecoming.
This year’s event was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC). Long before the pandemic, JALC was the home of the SiriusXM Real Jazz studio -the very place I lived My Jazz Life broadcasting daily starting in 2007. It is impossible to overstate the impact of this venue or its founder. No singular human has done more for jazz in the last 40 years than Wynton Marsalis, and neither my dozen-year run at JALC nor this flawless JFA event would be possible without the jazz house that Wynton built.
It was also a full-circle moment with the JFA leadership. Shortly after moving to NYC, I met NEA Jazz Master Wendy Oxenhorn and Joe Petrucelli. Wendy was the Executive Director then, and Joe has since ascended from Associate Director to the top spot. They are the engine behind an organization that has saved countless musicians’ lives…and believe me, they know how to throw a party.
The gala was anchored by massive recognitions. Singer Norah Jones received the Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award, while NEA Jazz Masters Gary Bartz and Patrice Rushen received well-deserved tribute performances.
But the night also highlighted the Jazz Legacies Fellowships - a Mellon Foundation mandate granting 50 jazz musicians $100,000 unrestricted grants over four years. Bass hero Buster Williams is a second-year recipient, and he performed alongside his group, Something More, featuring heavyweights Lenny White (drums) and Stefon Harris (vibraphone).
Spending quality time with Buster, Stefon, and Lenny was an uplifting highlight. I have a profound respect for these three men, deeply rooted in both personal brotherhood and professional collaboration:
Stefon Harris: The featured soloist on Charenee Wade’s Offering: Songs of Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson (2015) - arguably the best of the baker’s dozen albums I have produced.
Lenny White: The distributor for my last publicly released production, Carolyn Fitzhugh’s Living In Peace (2019), via his pre-pandemic label, IYOUWE Records.
Buster Williams: I had the distinct honor of writing the annotations for his 2023 Smoke Sessions album, Unalome.
Another peak moment was hanging with Jamaican guitar legend Ernest Ranglin, who was honored with the JFA’s Titan of Jazz Award.
Surprisingly, many of the folks in the room didn’t know his full legacy - not to fear, Jazz Lifer! Having recently received a Griot Award myself, I felt that true “griot” energy kicking in as I educated a group of jazz legends about an international African music icon. Magically, during my trip to London just a few weeks prior, I had purchased his classic album Below The Bassline (featuring Monty Alexander). Ernest and his family got a massive kick out of seeing the social media post I had made from the UK just days before we met
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Before Ernest accepted his award, the crowd was blown away by a 17-year-old guitar prodigy named Marel Hidalgo, who delivered a burning three-song set featuring Ranglin’s hit, “Surfin’.”
Hidalgo was backed by two other phenomenal teenagers: Leonieke Scheuble on piano and Ana Petrova on organ. These kids are the future of the music. Remember their names, and check out their work:
When I took the stage, I reminded the audience that the JFA isn’t just about preserving the past; it’s about nurturing the future. I asked the crowd who remembered an 11-year-old piano prodigy from Bali playing the Apollo Theatre during the JFA’s “Great Night in Harlem” a decade ago. That pre-teen looked up into Herbie Hancock’s eyes and said, “I dedicated my life to jazz because of you.” That kid was Joey Alexander, now a 22-year-old international A-list star.
To close out my time on stage, I introduced Dr. Maitreya Padukone, a dentist. Like dozens of other medical professionals across the country, Dr. Padukone donates his services to the JFA to ensure that the jazz musicians who didn’t become massive stars are still treated like they are.
This is what it’s all about. I urge you to visit jazzfoundation.org to learn more about this vital organization. Their tagline says it perfectly:
Honoring Blues, Jazz & Roots One Musician At A Time.
June 4th, 7:00PM - ET
Catch me at the Swing-U Course, in Jazz at Lincoln Center for this single event, or sign up for other Swing-U events here, and tell the “My Jazz Life” sent you.
Huge thanks to all the new subscribers - welcome!
Our Jazz Life paid members, be on the lookout in the upcoming week for some bonus content from us on the Substack App next month!
Until next time, my friends -
Swing safely and Jazz Onward!
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