Friday, December 18, 2009, for sure, was not the typical noisemaking and do nothing Nd'House of Los Angeles' end of year party.It was not about erstwhile Black President, Fela Kuti's talking drummer, Najite Agindotan's Olokun Prophesy and Leimert Park Drum Circle.
It was not about the controversial drum churches in Black Township's Leimert Park led by the hood's renegade who want out in order to define the hood rats.
It was not even about the all women drum essembles chereographed by Renee.
It was something totally different in "da neck of the woods". Friday night, December 18, 2009, at approximately 8:00 p.m., The World Stage Performance Gallery sitting on 4344 Degnan Boulevard in Los Angeles presented "Munyungo Jackson: An Oral History Interview" with opening remarks and introduction by Chet Hanley who is host, "Jazz in the Modern Era" on Tuesdays at Channel 36 where jazz scholarships are discussed.
Yes, Munyungo Jackson who plays all sorts of instruments including odima, bells, bongos, congas, djembes shakers and adudu known as talking drums had a packed house full of performers and players of instruments from all walks of life coupled with jazz freaks like my humble self.
It was a hell of a blast!
I popped up a little bit late, I mean, about 10-minutes before the introduction and jam session began, and I got it all.
Jackson is a Los Angeles native and throughout his stellar career, has played with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Yusef Lateef, Hubert Laws, Lionel Hampton, Billy Mitchell, Elliot Cane, Doc Powell, George Howard, Ronnie Laws, George Duke, Wayne Shorter, Stevie Wonder, Stanley Clarke, Kenny Loggins, Lessa Terry, Joe Sample, Bobby Womack, Barry White, Queen Latifah, Karen Briggs, The Temptations, Supremes and Four Tops.
On top of all that, Jackson has also had engagements with Dwight Tribble, Christian McBride, Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, Mickey Champion, Babatunde Lea, Derf Recklaw, Lionel Ritchie, Gladys Knight, Freda Payne, Patrice Rushen, Norman Connors, Bobby Lyle, Hiroshima, Jonathan Butler, Marcus Miller, Lona Morris, Quincy Jones, Leon "Ndugu" Chanceler, Don Littleton, Joe Zawinul, Anita Baker, Santana, Willie Bobo, Jean Luc Ponty, The Pointer Sisters, Joe Bataan, Eartha Kitt, Claire Fischer, Bennie Maupin and uncountable others.
But Creed Taylor and the Kudu years was not mentioned in all the process even though some names passed through as we all hopped up onto the stage to ask questions and pay special tribute to the great Jackson who was the man of the night.
Jackson played like never before. World Stage manager, Pianist and flutist Mark Gibson was in the house. Jazz historian Jeff Winston was in the house. Waberi Jordan who had opened for McCoy Tyner last month at UCLA's Royce Hall before her engagement in Europe, was also in the house.
After the jam session which lasted into the night, Jackson told me about his book, "The Nu Naybahood: Funetic Ebonic Dictionary Vol 1," signing a copy and releasing it to me, said "It's all about community and helping one another," pointing out with regards to the book's preface:
"First of all, I love my people! (Some of us can be a little hard headed, and hard on each other, BUT -) I love the fact that we have our own way of deoing things, of expressing ourselves, and of communicating. We understand what each other is doing, saying, and feeling. Because of this special way of doing things, we have inflenced the world with our language, our music, dance and sports...Unfortunately, most of us don't share in the rewards and benefits of that influence, and are sometimes the butt of jokes from people who really don't understand the nuances in or culture..."
There is a very strong message in the piece.
A night to remember, I took home his celebrated CD "Munyungo" produced and engineered by David Manley and a cast of back-up musicians including Lenny Castro, Bill Summers, Michael O'Neil, Pedro Eustache, Robert Grennage and Rayford Griffin.
Tracks:
1. Columbiana
2. So Happy
3. Drums, Drums, Drums
4. Trees
5. Be On Time
6. Petyer's Bells
7. Shango Bakaso
8. On Green Dolphin Street
9. Oye Samba
"Oye Samba," being the last jam of the night, and typical of Brazilian samba-playing football fanatics, got everybody clapping, singing to the vibe and stomping untill the wee hours of the night.
