In Sync With The Universe

Yesterday Michael & Leisei were chilling out at "Barnes and Noble" in the Americana for coffee where they have a beautiful third-floor balcony. We were looking out at the fountains, the lawns surrounded by trees, children laughing and playing, old JAZZ playing through many many speakers, birds flying over hopping and pecking crumbs. "Peace in Chaos" : ) so to speak with the sun shining blissfully.

On the way out, we were coming down an escalator, got to go through bookshelves to get to another. Then all of a sudden, we smelled good fragrances and STOPPED, PAUSED, LOOKED around . . . Ahhhh it's the music section Ahhhh the Jazz section.

ZOOM! TWO JAZZ books on the shelve came to Leisei's eyes, we found out that Michael was featured in those books : )

John Coltrane: His Life And Music By Lewis Porter

It was on Page 367 " - 1962 - May 1-20. San Francisco. Jazz Work. DB, July 5 says Dolphy, Wes Montgomery, and violinist Michael White sat in during the last day, when there was a matinee and possibly a final evening show as well."

Michael never mentioned it till 6 years ago, his brother Teddy reminded him to make sure we should add it (playing with John Coltrane) onto our press kit. Yes, Michael has been and still is the man looking ahead hardly ever looking back, busy improving his music, playing and dreaming. But in recent years we have looked into all of his musical histories. Also with modern technologies, we have found quite a bit of written proof. And nowadays he is more willing to share his stories with the public!

Freedom, Rhythm, & Sound - Revolutionary Jazz Cover Art 1965 to 1983 By Gilles Peterson & Stuart Baker.

A beautiful hardcover weighs tons : ) with an incredible collection of revolutionary jazz album cover art from 60s & 70s! It featured the cover art Michael's Impulse Album "Pneuma", and "The Blessing Song" was also featured on their accompanied two set compilation CDs "Freedom Rhythm & Sound Revolutionary Jazz In The USA 1965-80" from Soul Jazz Records 2009. We were happy to see that many of our friends and Jazz masters were also featured Cecil McBee, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, Phil Ranelin, Prince Lasha among others.

When we are in the ZONE, our senses will over-ride any pre-conceived notions & knowledge, and we flow with least resistance. Then we know we are in TUNE, in SYNC with the UNIVERSE * . * * . * Receiving through and sending out. We love those moments!

With LOVE, Leisei & Michael

Mastery Of JAZZ A Hint From The Wes Montgomery Story

We were commenting on Buddy Montgomery's Birthday, January 31st on Facebook led us reminiscence of this story his older brother Wes Montgomery the great Jazz Guitarist. 

Wes Montgomery's great Jazz guitar style came from LOVE of his family. He had a day job when he was coming up so he had to practice at night and he did not want to wake up his wife and children, practicing very softly and quietly let to his style of playing. 

Well lucky him that is exactly one of the keys to master JAZZ, "play each sound slowly, softly and quietly like going under your skin" said and say by Many Jazz Masters. We also know great Jazz players practice like this for many hours a day. This way, one can develop the great sense of touch and strength, sounds refine and get bigger naturally with effortless ease, resonate with everything and ring eternally. So as playing fast will be easier too . . It's truly a win win situation :))) It requires discipline to practice this way and the result is significant! It's exactly as the TAI JI & Qigong practices too, they help us rise ENERGY - Life Force to endure JAZZ discipline!!! Put one's self in that mode to practice and taking time can be hard at times, it also might require a kind of life style to do so. We hear many JAZZ players nowadays with complex technical facilities, sounds impressive and exciting. But sounds tight and dry, noisy and not complete. They might probably are not taking time for this kind of discipline . . . 

The TIME well spent for the Mastery of JAZZ is PRECIOUS we witness. The sounds will last a long long time and deep to hearts of people through generations "Timeless and Ageless" Everything will pay off at the end!

Michael performed with Buddy Montgomery at a JAZZ festival in Minnesota. Michael also performed with Wes Montgomery, at the John Coltrane Quartet, John Coltrane, Jimmy Gallison, Elvin Jones, and McCoy Tyner with Eric Dolphy, the gig in San Francisco 1962 as a special guest. It was recorded on the book "John Coltrane: his life and music" (p.367) by Lewis Porter

Wes Montgomery - Impression 1965 : Wes Montgomery (guitar), Harold Mabern (piano), Arthur Harper (bass), Jimmy Lovelace (drums) who was our dear friend, great touch we miss him too !