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2008-09-17 - 9:46 p.m.

I love You Tube!

My entertainment for tonight was watching some wonderful videos of favorite things. I did a search for music as I wanted to find some wonderful local Buffalo music I haven't heard in years. No luck, so I watched some Richie Havens for a while. I then thought of the wonderful fundraiser that I organized when I was at UB Law one summer so I could work at VIVE, Inc, the refugee center. I asked my ex to play, and then shocked him as I told him after he said "Yes"

"Great, You are playing with Al Tinney and a few other fellows"

My ex didn't expect me to recruit the other players. He didn't expect me to recruit one of the best Jazz players in town to play with him. But of course HE WAS one of the best Jazz players in town, but just didn't seem to know it yet. He was able to play beautifully along side AL . It was one of the most wonderful moments ever (next to a memorable Hallwalls preformance I think I am not the only one that will never forget being awed at.)

What strikes me about that memory of the fundraiser is that we were separated, soon to be divorced at the time. It was nice that we could maintain an amicable friendship and that he was willing to help out and play for that event.


I also fondly recall how proud I was oof some of the photos I took that night. (One of which was in an exhibit at one time at the Albright Knox.)

So tonight I did a search for AL TINNEY and found this wonderful documentary about The Colored Musicians Club in Buffalo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWzcuvYOkRY

There are three parts to the documentary, and the second features AL Tinney's story. I had no idea that he worked with Gershwin at Age 14! I just knew him as a wonderfully sweet, kind, open hearted amazing jazz pianist who was willing to help me out in my work with regugees. I knew him as a friend to the poet nanny. I knew him as one of my favorite musicians to go hear play. I recall bringing my oldest brother out to hear AL play. Here is part of his life story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhcll5j-gBg&feature=related Here is the Club's site:
http://www.coloredmusiciansclub.org/history.html

And here is a story published in BUFFALO RISING for those of you who won't follow links:

Jul 20th, 11:46am By Eli George

Last year, around 4,000 people packed in the area between Michigan Ave. and Elm St. by 145 Broadway St. in downtown Buffalo for the Queen City Jazz Festival. This year, president of The Colored Musicians Club (CMC) of Buffalo, George Scott, says �The crowds have been getting bigger and bigger as it goes on.�
As the fourth annual festival, this year promises to be a big event. There will be a beer tent and food vendors and this year the gallery to the CMC will be open. The gallery is a precursor to the CMC�s museum efforts and features artifacts, pictures, videos of interviews and old performances, as well as a tour of the bar and the area the bands played.
The CMC was founded in 1918 and chartered in 1935 and had many of the great black performers of the day play at the club. The history is a long and arduous one. The club is one of only a handful of survivors from the days when there were many black clubs and performers unions. Many were lost and so was a lot of rich history of the struggle of black performers when the unions were ordered to desegregate. When the smaller black unions joined the white and larger unions, they often lost their chances at performing.
Since the CMC was a separate entity from their union, Local 533, and owner of the building at 145 Broadway, they were able to retain the club to continue to bring well-known black jazz musicians to Buffalo. Musicians throughout the history of the CMC have often times come to hang out and play a set, including such well-known musicians as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald.
The CMC, according to Scott, has always served to help local jazz musicians have a place to play. Scott says, �It�s a celebration of our existence as the Colored Musicians Club. It�s a way also of featuring the local jazz talent in the area, but most importantly, to have a jazz festival. It�s a shame [there isn�t more jazz festivals] because Buffalo was known for years and years for jazz.�
The festival is on July 26th, from Noon to 8 PM. It features Art Anderson�s Modern Sounds, the JWN Band featuring Joyce Wilson Nixon, Jazzline, The Carol McLaughlin Quartet, Charles Reedy and Friends, Joyce Carolyn and Company, The Will Holton Experience, and Round Midnight featuring Kenny Hawkins.
According to Scott Art Anderson�s Modern Sounds is a Big Band. Scott says the closing acts, The Will Holton Experience and Round Midnight featuring Kenny Hawkins, will be a good way to end the evening. The Will Holton Experience plays contemporary jazz and Round Midnight features Kenny Hawkins, who Scott says is an excellent guitar player who can play anything.
For more information about the event or The Colored Musicians Club, check out their website www.coloredmusiciansclub.com or call the CMC at 855-9383.


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