Since we all have this kind of song in us, here’s mine! The funny part is that I never experienced this “full monty” directly or fully as a wannabe magazine writer. (Thanks, Victoria Valentine, for letting me write for The Crisis! Thanks, Marcus Reeves, for connecting me with The Source‘s Akiba Solomon, who connected me with E. Assata Wright! And thanks to Richard Prince, who connected me with Lyne Pitts at The Root!) But knowing it existed, even if out of my grasp for one reason or another, made me happy:
Man, the good ol’ days…a magazine feature article at least 10,000 words long (and was at least .50 a word!) that took at least two drafts and six months to do….sitting for days with an editor who was more talented than you but believed in the cause so he/she sat with you and co-wrote, without even thinking of credit, a much-better third/fourth draft (known in magazine world as “editing”)….a serious illustration on the left, opposite the opening text….listed in the Table of Contents and, if you were a star, a cover line (and if you were a superstar, an added byline)…..on every newsstand in the country…knowing you were the public envy of some other writer somewhere….Knowing for somebody, somewhere what you wrote was their favorite article and he/she/they would keep that issue for 20 years, too emotionally attached to it to throw it away……*sniff* 🙂
Ras Baraka (reading his father’s poem “Digging Max”):
(At Seventy Five, All The Way Live!) Max is the highest The outest the Largest, the greatest The fastest, the hippest, The all the way past which There cannot be
When we say MAX, that’s what We mean, hip always Clean. That’s our word For Artist, Djali, Nzuri Ngoma, Senor Congero, Leader, Mwalimu, Scientist of Sound, Sonic Designer, Trappist Definer, Composer, Revolutionary Democrat, Bird’s Black Injun Engine, Brownie’s Other Half, Abbey’s Djeli-ya-Graph Who bakes the Western industrial singing machine Into temperatures of syncopated beyondness
Out Sharp Mean
Papa Joe’s Successor Philly Joe’s Confessor AT’s mentor, Roy Haynes’ Inventor, Steve McCall’s Trainer, Ask Buhainia. Jimmy Cobb, Elvin or Klook Or even Sunny Murray, when he aint in a hurry. Milford is down and Roy Brooks Is one of his cooks. Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Cyrille can tell you or youngish Pheeroan Beaver and Blackwell and my man, Dennis Charles. They’ll run it down, ask them the next time they in town.
Ask any or all of the rhythm’n. Shadow cd tell you, so could Shelly Manne, Chico Hamilton. Rashid knows, Billy Hart. Eddie Crawford From Newark has split, but he and Eddie Gladden could speak on it. Mtume, if he will. Big Black can speak. Let Tito Puente run it down, He and Max were tight since they were babies in this town.
Frankie Dunlop cd tell you and he speak a long time. Pretty Purdy is hip. Max hit with Duke at Eighteen He played with Benny Carter when he first made the scene. Dig the heavy learning that went with that. Newk knows, And McCoy. CT would agree. Hey, ask me or Archie or Michael Carvin Percy Heath, Jackie Mc are all hip to the Max Attack.
Barry Harris can tell you. You in touch with Monk or Bird? Ask Bud if you see him, You know he know, even after the cops Beat him Un Poco Loco. I mean you can ask Pharaoh or David Or Dizzy, when he come out of hiding, its a trick Diz just outta sight. I heard Con Alma and Diz and Max In Paris, just the other night.
But ask anybody conscious, who Max Roach be. Miles certainly knew And Coltrane too. All the cats who know the science of Drum, know where our Last dispensation come from. That’s why we call him, MAX, the ultimate, The Furthest Star. The eternal internal, the visible invisible, the message From afar.
All Hail, MAX, from On to Dignataria to Serious and even beyond! He is the mighty SCARAB, Roach the SCARAB, immortal as our music, world without end. Great artist Universal Teacher, and for any Digger One of our deepest friends! Hey MAX! MAX! MAX!
Me (after an hour): Oh, that’s Cassandra Wilson!
Saul Williams:The music carries memory
Me: Yaas……
Sonia Sanchez:Keep that beat
Williams: We run on different fuels
Sanchez (reading one of many haikus for Max): your sounds exploding in the universe return to earth in prayer
Sanchez: I teach my students how to write haiku because it is one long prayer
I keep internally debating if this makes up for #FreemaAgyeman (“Martha Jones,” the first official Black #DoctorWho live-action companion) never getting to be in a Special.
FREE SPEECH AND ISRAEL’S WAR IN GAZA (Statement from the People’s Organization For Progress, Thursday, December 14, 2023)
“We hold that criticism of government policy is protected free speech no matter which government is being criticized. Thus, be it the US government, the Israeli government, the Chinese government, the Nigerian government, the French government, the Brazilian government, or the Vatican government. We defend the fundamental right of individuals, and press organizations, to exercise this right whether we agree or disagree with the particular criticism. No government can rightly claim a shield from vocal criticism.
“Unfortunately, we are witnessing an active campaign to shield the Israeli government from criticism by labeling criticism of the Israel government ‘antisemitic.’ We firmly oppose antisemitism, and other forms of religious, racial, or ethnic bigotry. However, being critical of the Israeli government is not hostility to the Jewish people, just as criticism leveled at the Chinese government cannot be equated with anti-Asian hate or hostility. Israeli civil society includes a vibrant political culture where opposing views are vigorously exchanged and debated unrelated to any antisemitic motive or goal.
“Similarly, we are witnessing scathing criticism of African-American US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. This criticism is related to his acceptance of substantial financial benefits from wealthy donors who have interests before the Supreme Court. Despite the US history of racism targeting people of African descent, Justice Thomas cannot shield himself from such criticism by alleging his critics are racists.
“We call upon government officials, at all levels (municipal, county, state, and federal), community and faith leaders, and citizens, to uphold and protect the fundamental right to scrutinize and criticize government policy. Governments claim great powers to deprive people of freedom, property, and life. Governmental action (or inaction) can cause great harms through warfare that is destructive to human life, our environment, and our shared future.
“We call for a firm commitment to freedom of speech and conscience. We recognize free speech is not an absolute right, there are limits, and denigration of individuals or groups, or inciting violence against individuals or groups are rightly prohibited. However, this should in no way deter open questioning and scrutiny of government policies. This is particularly important in our educational institutions where educators and students need to freely discuss and consider the ongoing warfare in Gaza and related concerns. Our educators are qualified and equipped to lead this inquiry while protecting students from antisemitism, Islamophobia, or other harmful bigotry.”
Drums in the Global Village 