Mediocre Photos from a Flawless Day [*UPDATED]

The Beast never pretended to be a photo nut, but we were taking notes Sunday at the benefit for ailing L.A. pianist Nate Morgan when drummer Cornell Fauler, who was dueting with flautist Joel Ector, hit his snare so hard that the mallet flew out of his hand he split his tympani stick in half, the broken part of which soared about 20 feet in the air over a back fence into an adjoining yard. We thought, Holy shit! If only we had our camera out. We proceeded to put our notebook away and just let the images flow. (NOTE: We left out the accidental shots of our own feet and random people's crotches.)

[*UPDATE: Our friend Starlady1 and her Community101 YouTube channel have now posted several sets from the day-long benefit featuring Wadada Leo Smith, Dwight Trible, John Beasley, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Raspoet Ojenke, Azar Lawrence, Kamau Daa'ood, Phil Ranelin and more!]

The guards at the KRST Unity Center

Azar Lawrence & friends

Chet Hanley watches Azar

Azar flew in from NYC for this!

Ras Poet Ojenke reads a tribute to Nate

Wayne Peet runs sound

Rudolph Porter!

Kammau Daa'ood & Philomine Morgan

The Michael Session Sextet

Dwight Trible & KPFK's Mark Maxwell

watch the Phil Ranelin Ensemble

Michael Session listens to Trevor Ware

LeRoy "The Jazzcat" Downs writes a note to Nate

Shades of Mrafu

Jesse Sharps gives Carl Randall directions

Don Littleton schlepping the gear

(popular musician pastime)

Rickey Woodard & Fritz Wise

The musicians gather

The Next Generation

Maestro Jesse Sharps (in blue Obama shirt) leads

the Guten Morgan Big Band

Jesse ponders, conducts Nate's "UGMAAGERS"

 

YEAH!

Finale!

[For a more writerly account of the 5 1/2-hour concert,

check out out our pal Greg Burk's review here.]

Lastly if not leastly, here's something we found on YouTube, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan live in Central Park 1974, playing "Tell Me Something Good." If you look closely, you will notice the prodigously Afroed Nathaniel Morgan as one of the pianists: