Chris Helms and Extended Family return to The Loft’s stage this Friday, January 26 from 7-9 pm for the venue’s weekly jazz concert, and he's got an allstar lineup playing with him:La'Roy Bodiford (sax), Coleman Woodson III (keys), Taylor Pierce (guitar), Jason De Blanc (bass), AJ Maestro Hebrew (drums), and, of course, Chris Helms (sax). Not only is Chris a very talented saxophonist, but you may recall that he sat in at the keyboards when Snakebite Six last played for The Loft’s weekly jazz concert, and he played wonderfully… Dixieland jazz… with especial emotive acuity. Don’t tell anybody, but I nearly jumped out of my wheelchair to dance, which would’ve blown my thirty-one year old alibi to commit a future crime. You may also remember that Chris Helms accompanied my singing last month for a gig at Eighth and Rail in Opelika. All I’m saying is that Chris is a special musician for whom I have great respect. He’s also a groovy human being, so if you want to experience tangible positive energy, check out Chris and his incredible musician friends; I guarantee that you will avail any emotional malaise that may be encumbering your peace of mine. Fo’ real… fo’ damn real.

OK. I’ve already confessed that I spent a few days last week recovering from a minor renal surgery, so I was in a pharmaceutical stupor with fervidly soporific Rip Van Winkle somnolence and had no idea who was playing for The Loft’s weekly jazz concert in historic downtown Columbus, Georgia; although, when I found out that Lloyd Buchanan was playing, I drank a fifty-five gallon drum of a popular energy drink along with snorting a few pop rocks and orally consuming a twenty-pound lemon gummy bear; I then headed out to hear one of my favorite entertainers of all time.

I wasn’t disappointed. Lloyd is a master entertainer with the musical prowess of a Beethoven symphony, the improvisational mastery of a Charlie Parker solo, the singing purity of Stevie Wonder, and the comic genius of George Carlin. He makes every faction within my personal quintessence smile with hypoallergenic accuracy… and, no, I have no idea what that means but it is intended to be panegyric. If you are fortunate enough to experience Lloyd Buchanan live on stage, do it, even if it causes minor familial friction. I’m not saying that you should miss your grandmother’s funereal, but you might want to consider and reconsider possibly missing your third cousin’s fourth wedding. I mean… really!

The next time you go see a live musical group, check out the stage. Does it have a wheelchair ramp leading from the audience to the stage or are their steps? Is there a wheelchair ramp backstage? Is there handicapped parking where the performers load and unload? Chances are that the venue doesn’t provide these accommodations. It’s like this: my biggest challenge as a quadriplegic jazz vocalist is finding accessible stages on which to perform. I was once raised up to a five-foot high stage using a forklift and a wooden palette because the stage was not wheelchair accessible. Fortunately, I didn’t die. Point is that there are few wheelchair accessible stages; otherwise, I’d sing much more often.

It’s easy to see why this isn’t a mainstream problem: there are few “physically challenged” performers, but that’s merely an excuse encouraged by indifference. We handicapped performers exist and are eager to share our dreams with fans who dig what we do. But why are we unconsciously ignored? That’s easy: Being unable to perform even the most rudimentary acts of daily living is a major downer; the wheelchair, quite frankly, is a symbol of lost hope. Let’s face it; it’s a marketing problem, and this is where you come in to save the day.

Physical handicaps are wrapped in lugubrious imagery, but not every moment of life in a wheelchair is steeped in mournful decay. Believe it or not, I laugh every day… some days more than others, but if life were perfect, I, for one, would take a bite of forbidden fruit to find some excitement from the decay of entropy (the hypothetical tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity). What I’m trying so desperately to connote here is the fact that having a physical challenge can, at times, be fun and inspirational. What we need is positive imagery, and here’s where I ask for a favor from you, dear reader, and it has to do with social media, more specifically, using the ubiquitous #hashtag: will you help by coming up with a #hashtag meme that has positive connotations for the handicapped and send it to me. This could be fun. Maybe I can come up with prizes for creative contributions. Regardless, this could be the beginning of a social movement that witnesses an outcry of creative energy by talented people who have difficulty overcoming the obstacles that are hidden from people who can hop out of bed running full tilt. By the way, I’ve come up with a possible #hashtag meme that might work: #FantastAbility. What do you think?

The gauntlet has been dropped. Do you accept the challenge? Please reply to this email with as many suggestions as you want, and challenge your friends as well. Let’s see if we can extend this conversation internationally. (Actually, when you send in your suggestions, include the name of your hometown city. We’ll see how far this request goes.) Let’s make the wheelchair a symbol of fun… or grace… or intelligence… or, dare I say it? Let’s make the wheelchair Sexy!

Make Concert Stages Wheelchair Accessible

In last week’s newsletter (or was it the week before), I wrote a little essay about a few similarities between Jazz and Democracy. (You may revisit the essay by clicking here.) World musician (for the band Mynta), traveler, poet, philosopher, and my friend Dallas Smith responded:

Congrats on another great jazz blog! I especially like the Jazz and Democracy section. I love the comparisons you draw. I might add a few words: When we improvise, we make it up as we go along, supported by the traditions and repertoire that we have learned our whole lives. Working in government is similar. Politicians make it up on the fly, hopefully supported by a proper understanding of the Constitution. Coltrane broke the rules and traditions of jazz and opened the art form to innovation from other artists that continues today. Stravinsky did the same for classical music. Politicians did the same when they championed civil rights, gay rights, and legal marijuana. We honor those politicians willing to open our world to greater rights and all the forces for peace.

Peace Through Music

The Eighth and Rail in historical downtown Opelika, Alabama is the venue for a wildly groovy weekly jazz jam as hosted by the Jane Drake Jazz Band. It's a cozy celebration of life that has become a buzzing collection of jazz-loving fanatics gathered together in a coterie of peaceful, fun-loving positive energy. I am downright proud as a peacock with enhanced LED-flashing feathers to participate in the jam on a regular basis, and I really love it! Proprietor Mike Patterson makes the wonderful sushi and Miss Tiffany keeps the affable atmosphere at a lovely level of emotive satisfaction. Plus... they serve an awesome cheesecake that'll make you wanna slap yourself so hard as to tell horrific knock-knock jokes to mimes. No lie. We have really talented musicians come in from the bi-state area: Auburn, Montgomery, Tuskegee, Columbus, LaGrange, Fort Valley, et al. The jam begins at 7 pm and ends at 10 pm CT. Hopefully, I'll see you there.

Eighth and Rail Website

Venkman's is a nightclub in Atlanta, a venue that Joe Gransden uses for his weekly jazz jam. This is where the Who's Who of the Atlanta Jazz Scene come together to dazzle us mortals. It's free and starts at 8 pm ET. Fo' mo' info, click link below. I've participated in this jam a couple of times, and I love it as well. Joe Gransden always welcomes me with a smile that will melt antarctic glaciers in the middle of winter, which, oddly enough, is during June through August... when it's so hot and humid in middle Georgia that my toenails sweat. Nevertheless, Joe's band often includes keyboardist Kenny Banks (sometimes Kevin Bales), drummer Chris Burroughs and bassist Craig Shaw, and these cats kick it. When I find the transportation, I'm going.

Venkman's Website