mellish strikes

just listened to lucky thompson's lucky strikes album, a classic prestige album from 1964. the man plays beautifully, as he always did. and it got me to thinking...what kind of a society lets a brilliant artist like lucky become homeless? and then i thought, what kind of a society lets anyone become homeless? lucky spent many years a street person in seattle. very few people knew who he was, or what he had been. they had never heard the trio recordings with oscar pettiford, the walkin solo with miles, the sides with milt jackson, the great recordings from paris, the three beauties on prestige.

let it be known that america doesn't care about its great people. it rewards regressives, and punishes progressives. masters are ignored, often even mistreated. many of our musical masters have been black. this has surely increased their chances of remaining obscure and oppressed. their brilliance is largely forgotten, and people are either indifferent or ignorant of their accomplishments.

earlier today, i saw a young guy riding down the street in an suv, blasting the new jay-z song that has obnoxious vocals by alicia "off" keys. the volume was the usual way too loud, and instead of looking at the road, the fuckhead's head was turned to the side, to see what reaction his stupidity was garnering. who has introduced this man to bird and dolphy and trane? if he was introduced to them, would it matter? is it already too late? for it seems the musical and cultural brainwashing is complete, and we are left with the disgusting results. as it is, a cultural heritage has been obliterated. the silence is shocking, but it screams to those of us who have experienced the serenity that only real music can bring.

so, lucky was unlucky. in our nation, in the year of your lord, how could it be any different?

but, perhaps it isn't too late. i still believe, somewhere deep within me, that if people heard that sensual soprano blow such sweet sounds on in a sentimental mood, they would be moved.

it will never happen. i work in a school, and i've seen too many teachers, administrators, parents. most of them know next to nothing, and the few that are hip remain silent, always remembering to do their job and little else. of course, the nazis in the camps did their jobs too.

and now, we are left with the results of a devolved species, unaware of its brilliance and proud of its ignorance and brutality.

there is veterans day, but no lucky thompson day.

and knowing what i know about this pathetic excuse of a nation, i can assure you that there will be many more veterans, but there will never be another lucky thompson.

amerikka, home to the army and the berklee school of music, but never home to eli "lucky" thompson.