Author Archives: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

“MFM Speaks Out” EP 27: A Professional Musician’s Perspective on Drug and Alcohol Addiction

“Music is service.” – David

David - drug and alcohol addictionThis episode of MFM Speaks Out will be different from our usual format. Dawoud Kringle will be interviewing his guest; a professional musician and  recovering drug addict and alcoholic. Out of respect to our guest and the tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous and other substance abuse recovery programs, we are protecting our guest’s anonymity and referring to him as Dave. Our discussion will center around alcoholism, drug abuse, and substance abuse recovery among musicians.

Topics discussed: How did substance abuse and music enter Dave’s life and how they intersected, the presence of drugs and alcohol, stigma of addiction among musicians, how it affected his life and career, the turning point where he decided he’d had enough, the difficulties of cleaning up and staying clean, and advice to musicians (and all others) who are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.

Music featured on this episode:

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Jazz Ladies – Part 2: Alice Coltrane

By Dawoud Kringle

This is the second of a series of articles devoted to the women of jazz. It is a small attempt to give props and respect to an inexcusably overlooked segment of the music community (the first installment featured Emily Remler. This installment features Alice Coltrane, because there are few musicians in the history of jazz who successfully embodied the balance between music and spirituality as she did.

Born Alice McLeod in Detroit, MI in 1937 to Solon and Annie McLeod, Alice developed an interest in music in early childhood. By the age of nine, she played organ during services at Mount Olive Baptist church. She pursued music and started to perform in various clubs around Detroit, until moving to Paris in the late 1950s. By 1960, she worked as the intermission pianist at the Blue Note Jazz Club. She studied classical music, and studied jazz with Bud Powell, and also appeared on French television in a performance with Lucky Thompson, Pierre Michelot and Kenny Clarke. In the early 60’s she returned to Detroit and began playing jazz with her own trio and as a duo with vibraphonist Terry Pollard.

In 1963, while playing with Terry Gibbs’ quartet, she met John Coltrane. In 1965 they were married in Juárez, Mexico. John Coltrane became stepfather to Alice Coltrane’s daughter Michelle, and the couple had three children together: John Jr. (b. 1964: bassist who died in a car accident in 1982); Ravi (saxophonist b. 1965); and Oranyan (b. 1967, a DJ who’d played saxophone with Santana).

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“MFM Speaks Out” EP 26: Geraldine Anello on Building a Successful Career as a Broadway Musician

“Success in music is not guaranteed, but as long as you are persevering and helping others along the way, you will reach your goals.”

Geraldine AnelloIn this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Adam Reifsteck interviews conductor and pianist Geraldine Anello about immigrating to the United States from France in her early 20s which ultimately led to a career as a Broadway musician. Topics discussed include how she created an online community and professional development resource called Theatre Music Directors, the issue of gender inequality on Broadway, and finding a new creative outlet as a writer and poet during the pandemic.

Geraldine Anello has conducted Kinky Boots and School of Rock on Broadway, The Fantasticks off-Broadway, and played in the orchestras of Broadway’s School of Rock, Bronx Tale, Aladdin, and On the Town. She has also worked on the Broadway productions SpongeBob the Musical, An American in Paris, On Your Feet, and Matilda. Anello served as music director of We Are the Tigers off-Broadway, and of Renascence for the Transport Group, Finian’s Rainbow at the Irish Repertory Theatre, and Children of Salt at the New York Musical Festival.

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Report: MFM ZOOM Webinar #4 w. Richard Miller and Stephen Johnson

The Rhythmic and Harmonic History of Brazilian Music from Choro to Bossa Nova

Report by Dawoud Kringle

On Friday, March 26, 2021, MFM presented its 4th Zoom Webinar. MFM Members Richard Miller and Stephen Johnson presented a discussion on the history of Brazilian music.

MFM ZOOM Webinar #4Guitarist Richard Miller has performed extensively throughout the United States and Latin America in concerts that explore his roots in Brazilian choro, American Jazz, and classical guitar. He has a Ph.D. in music theory from Catholic University of America and a Masters in guitar performance from Manhattan School of Music. He taught music theory and ear training at Columbia University for eight years and has just relocated to Southern California. Lambert Academic Publishing recently published his book The Guitar in the Brazilian Choro.

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“MFM Speaks Out” EP 25: Kool & the Gang’s Royal Bayyan on Record Production and a Lifetime in the Music Business

“Stay true to yourself, and stay true to the game. If you give music your all, and be honest with yourself, you will be rewarded.”

Royal BayyanIn this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews  Royal Bayyan. Royal is a Musician, Songwriter, Producer, Music Supervisor, Personal Manager, Executive Brand Consultant. He played with and was a founding member of Kool & the Gang.

The topics of the interview include Royal’s beginnings as an early member of Kool and the Gang, the problems and pitfalls of the music business, the art of record production, Bringing live hip hop concerts to Africa, the evolution of music production, surviving in the music business, an alternative perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the music business, and the spiritual aspects of life as a professional musician and as a Muslim.

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