Please help Jimmy Lovelace

[lkaven]

Please help Jimmy Lovelace!

Drummer Jimmy Lovelace, perhaps more than anyone else, exemplifies the spirit of Smalls. His warm smile and gentle demeanor lit up many a night, and his playing there supplied the soundtrack for many of our lives. Jimmy's hip accompaniment is unparalelled in the eyes of many horn players, and he was always--always--the crowds' favorite, just as he is the favorite of scores of jazz musicians who turned up to perform at his recent benefit at St. Peter's church.. We are filled with sadness with the news of his life-threatening illness, yet filled with hope at the prospects for his recovery. But Jimmy is awash in medical bills, and unable to afford his next round of treatment without our assistance. We have an idea.

Smalls Records would like to offer our listeners five tracks featuring Jimmy Lovelace recorded during his tenure with Smalls favorites, the Across 7 Street quintet. You may download the tracks, listed below, at your discretion, with the understanding that you will make a donation directly to Jimmy Lovelace to assist with his medical treatments. We suggest a donation of one dollar per track as a minimum, but please donate whatever you can afford.

Please send checks or money orders payable to "James Ross Lovelace" to:

James Ross Lovelace

P.O. Box 897

New York, New York 10009

[Please write "Smalls Records" on the back of your envelope, so we can determine whether our efforts might be helpful in future cases.]

Across 7 Street featuring Jimmy Lovelace / The Eternal Pyramid

Available for download at http://www.smallsrecords.com/helplovelace.htm

1 Number 72 (Chris Byars)

2 At Long Last, Love (Ari Roland)

3 Sundial (Chris Byars)

4 Bank Shot (Chris Byars)

5 Apollo 7 (Chris Byars)

Personnel: Chris Byars (tenor sax), Ari Roland (bass), Sacha Perry (piano), John Mosca (trombone), and Jimmy Lovelace (drums)

Recorded in 2001 at The Studio, NYC

For seven years of its nine year run at Smalls, Sunday night featured artists Across 7 Street held court with Jimmy Lovelace, sometimes known as The Ancient One, on the throne--the drummer's throne that is. It never failed that Jimmy would infect an audience with his charm, and the end of every Jimmy Lovelace solo was always greeted by cheers from the crowd. Musicians who work with Jimmy cite his hip accompaniment as the reason they love working with him. Here we offer up an "electronic 10-inch record" of this quintessential New York group that highlights Jimmy's playing. Byars' "Number 72" bristles with hip accents and fills, enough to give music students a master class. Roland's "At Long Last Love" (formerly known humorously as "I'll Destroy the World") shows more of Jimmy's impeccable straight-ahead playing. Listen on "Sundial" at Jimmy's transition between Mosca's trombone solo and Sacha Perry's piano solo, which gives exactly the right momentum and kick, and sounds a bit like a steam locomotive. We couldn't resist including Byars' brilliant composition "Apollo 7" to hear Jimmy behind this dark and mysterious walking ballad. This tune seems to point toward completely new directions for bop, and one never tires of unraveling its mysteries. [You can hear more of Across 7 Street on Made in New York on Smalls Records.]

The title, The Eternal Pyramid, is of course a play on The Eternal Triangle, but it emphasizes the five points of the pyramid reflected in the quintet, and it also alludes to Jimmy's love for ancient Egypt. The members of Across 7 Street and I hope you will enjoy this music very much. Please give generously, and in Jimmy's own words "The-ankh you very much!"

Luke Kaven

September 28, 2004

Smalls Records web site: http://www.smallsrecords.com

Across 7 Street / Made in New York: http://www.smallsrecords.com/a7s-miny.htm

[lkaven]

I'm bumping this up because time is of the essence. It's a good deal: give Jimmy what you'd give to iTunes for the same number of tracks. But do it soon please, very.

Luke

Edited October 2, 2004 by lkaven

[lkaven]

I'd like to thank one donor who sent in a $100 money order. Very generous. Jimmy was unable to make out the name from the money order, so unfortunately, that person will have to remain unknown for the time being. If s/he happens to read this, thanks so much.

Luke

[lkaven]

Sadly, Jimmy died last Thursday night. The lights coincidentally went out at Fat Cat at the same time. Eerie.

Here's a final word to all from Chris Byars:

===

Dear Friends and Family,

Gone is the master of the calm fire of jazz bop drumming, Jimmy Lovelace. To my understanding, he passed away last Thursday night at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a true original, the likes of which will never be seen again in our lifetimes...

Preceded only recently by pianist Frank Hewitt, he too has made the journey referred to in our band's title "Across 7 Street"; having played the jam sessions many a Saturday night at the University of the Streets, he will be remembered on Thursday afternoon at the funeral home across the street...

===

On behalf of Jimmy's widow, Okaru, we'd like to thank all of those who contributed to Jimmy in the final weeks.

With best wishes, Luke

[maren]

RIP, Jimmy.

[sidewinder]

This is very sad news, my condolences. I've always hugely admired Jimmy's work with that George Benson group which recorded for Columbia in the 1960s. He lights a fire on those sessions..

[paul secor]

Sad news. I'm sure he suffered through those last months. I hope that he had a peaceful end.

Thank you for giving us your music, Mr. Lovelace.

[lkaven]

  paul secor said:

Sad news. I'm sure he suffered through those last months. I hope that he had a peaceful end.

Thank you for giving us your music, Mr. Lovelace.

The benefit concert at St. Peters on 9/19 was attended by about 250 people, most of whom were the top cats who knew Jimmy. The music, and the degree of warmth and compassion for Jimmy was unsurpassed. And he was beautiful. The most memorable parts for me were Barry Harris solo and with choir, Lou Donaldson with Dr Lonnie Smith, and Harold Mabern with George Coleman. Anyone who wonders what the music was all about only needed to hear that to know. If only we all could have a farewell like that. Frank Hewitt, who died of the same disease as Jimmy, had a much colder departure; information traveled slowly, and he was slipping away by the time he knew he had it. Jimmy had throngs of friends who visited him in his last weeks. So take heart.

The NY Times called me today -- Ratliff asked them to run an obituary, so I spent the afternoon digging up material for them. The obit should run in the news section either Sat, Sun, or Mon.

Best, Luke