We used to hear Michael Burritt all the time, playing his signature marimba as we walked by his house. We’d often cross paths with him when he was out jogging, but the last time we saw him he was pictured on the billboard on the side of the Sibley Music Library. And that was at least a year ago. I looked him up online and found he is not only the head of the Eastman percussion department but a leading percussion soloist who performs extensively around the globe, so maybe that explains it.
Mona Seghatoleslami reviewed Michael’s latest release in CITY, and we played it before leaving the house today.
I always pick up a copy of The New York City Jazz Record when I’m in the Bop Shop. I always find something interesting in the free monthly. In the August issue I read about a recording that David Murray just re-released, with him and drummer Steve McCall backing the poet Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones). We listened to the first track, “Last Revolutionary (for Abbie Hoffman).” Now, more than ever!