Unexpected Holiday

One of the things I love about Bagatellen is the way in which it elicits unforeseen correspondence. Some curious soul does a Google search. An entry pops up and they’re moved to comment, or, in rarer cases, to send a missive directly to the writer. Yesterday, I received an email from Joseph Befumo Holiday. Who is that, you say? Joe is an octogenarian tenor saxophonist who’s been playing his instrument professionally for over a half century. His performance folio includes gigs with Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday and Max Roach. He’s probably best known these days for a Prestige compilation saddled with the somewhat myopic title Mambo Jazz. I wrote a review of the discs years ago for AAJ & I’m guessing that’s how Joe came across my name & contact info. He also appeared on a pair of cuts on Larry Young’s Testifying date for Prestige and a handful of other sessions. Best of all, he’s alive and well, living in Port St. Lucie, Florida and serving as curator for the city’s annual Art and All That Jazz Festival where he performed most recently with Ira Sullivan. He’s also a fine artist, painting in a style that reminds a bit of Jeff Schlanger, the Music Witness. At any rate, I’m thinking a return visit to Mambo Jazz w/ a six pack of Negro Modelo and a plate of gruyere & gouda nachos just might be the perfect way to usher in this fine summer weekend.