Author Archives: Adam Reifsteck

Obituary: Maestro Jack DeJohnette‘s Lion Heart Legacy

A Personal Account of My Experience with Jack.

Text by Stephen Johnson

When I think of Jack, I remember him from a ‘Woodstocker’s’ experience, as many in his Woodstock community did… seeing him about the hamlet, friendly, approachable, with a cool rhythmic gait, down-to-earth and generous, a beautiful African American man.

In the early years of my ‘being in America‘, I was fortunate to move to Woodstock back in ’88, and while I was musically shuffling/surfing sofas, a housemate introduced me to Jack’s family — Lydia and their girls. (Thank you, Itar).

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MFM ZOOM Webinar #17 with Shakuhachi (Japanese Flute) Maestro Adam Robinson

Musicians For Musicians (MFM) Presents: “Music Is Essential” ZOOM Webinar #17 with Adam Robinson – Shakuhachi (Japanese Flute)

Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Time: 3pm to 4:30pm (ET)
Venue: ZOOM
Host: Christopher North

Producer: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

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MFM Turns 10! Musicians For Musicians Celebrates its First Decade

Report by Dawoud Kringle

Photos by Kim Schmidt, Clara Aich, and Banning Eyre

On Friday, September 5th, 2025, the Cutting Room in New York City hosted MFM’s 10th Anniversary Celebration.

After a brief and impassioned introduction by Kim Schmidt, the MFM Unity Ensemble (featuring Joe Lovano, Arturo O’Farrill, Ron Wasserman, and Andy Weintraub) opened the show. Lovano and O’Farrill started a lively conversation performing “Giving Thanks.” O’Farrill’s piano work was magnificent, poetic, and unpredictable. Lovano’s saxophone worked its way in and out of the piano with wonderful melodies. This was perhaps the first time O’Farrill and Lovano had ever played together as a duo.

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A Homage to “What’ll I Do” (covered by Frank Sinatra)

Text by Bruce Gallanther (Downtown Music Gallery, September 11, 2025) 

Aside from the five different Star Trek series, my favorite TV show of all time was—and still is—Northern Exposure. It is about a Jewish doctor who’s stuck in Alaska working for a small town of lovable misfits.

There is an episode called ‘War and Peace’ about a famed Russian singer named Nikolai who comes to town, enchants the customers/old friends at the Brick (the local bar), and whose sworn enemy is a local bigshot/former astronaut named Maurice Minifield, a wealthy/right-wing/radio station owner. They trade insults and eventually decide to duel with guns, but the duel is called off at the last minute.

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