Hello everyone, I sure hope you enjoyed this past weekend. I sure did. I attended the Charlie Tilghman and Sphinx Club celebration down on Division Street. It was a very nice event and they were able to complete the program and the live entertainment before the rain started. I want to thank all who bought my books and allowed me to autograph them for you. It was so great seeing some of the old timers that used to hang out on Pennsylvania Avenue back in the day. I saw Wayne Poulson; Brice Peterson; Danny Henson; Seleh Rahman the Master Furrier; brothers, Milton and Charlie Dugger; Justin Hugh, member of Arch Social Club; Robert Burkett; Rev. Willie Ray; Van Anderson; and Kaleb Tshamba representing the Arch Social Club, just to name a few.
Now for this weekend, there will be a jazz concert hosted by the Baltimore Jazz Education Project featuring renowned saxophonist, Clara Daly, a four-time winner of the Downbeat Critic’s Poll and winner of the Jazz Journalist Association. Leading her own jazz groups and passing on to her next generation the gift of music, has been the mission of her life. Performing with her is Gregory Thompkins, who is also a renowned saxophonist and one of our own. He is an early jazz and commercial music graduate of Towson University, receiving his Bachelor of Science in 1989.
Thompkins has studied music with Hank Levy; Glenn Cashman; Ron Diehl; George Garzone; Sara Nichols; and Denis Karp. In the 30 years of his music career, he has performed with all Mighty Senators, Lafayette Gilchrist, David Murray, George Garzone and Dave Ballou just to name a few. As a saxophone teacher, his students have performed in first chair positions in their local school bands. Thompkins is the music director of The Baltimore Jazz Education Project, a nonprofit that seeks to raise funds to musically educate underserved youth in the greater Baltimore area that started in 2007. I so admire this musician because he reminds me of what I did for over 25 years with the Rosa Pryor Music Scholarship Fund, Inc. God bless you, Greg. If there is anything I can do to help, please contact me.
I will end by reminding you that every Thursday, DJ Mike Jones got the Not Just Crab Restaurant and bar jumping up and down doing the “James Brown” from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., located 8731 Liberty Road in Randallstown, Md. It is also “Lady’s Night.”
Well, my friends, I have to go now, I am out of space and out of time. But remember if you need me, call me at 410-833-9474 or email me at rosapryor@aol.com. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, I’M MUSICALLY YOURS!
