Giuseppi Logan reunion Part 2 post by Suzannah B. Troy

Bobby Paulino keeps sending me edited pieces of the documentary I suggested Jaee Logan make when we were first connected by his friend David who was following my YouTube documentary of his Dad. I also suggested a Hollywood film like The Soloist and that Jaee could set up a charity to help musicians and artists like his Dad as was down with Nathianl Ayers, the subject of the book and film.  I suggested to Jaee that he starting writing in a journal in preparation for a book as well.  Here is my YouTube series starting with the first video of Giuseppi Logan playing on a freezing cold day to an empty park and a 20 part series still on going that brought a reunion of Father and Son.  Pete Gershon, publisher of Signal to Noise wrote a powerful piece which also honors and acknowledges my work on Giuseppi Logan called "Out from the Shadow".  I believe because of Peter's powerful writing and my YouTube discovering Giuseppi Logan which rocked the jazz world this led to Josh Rosenthal of Tompkins Square Park records to get him in the studio and make a new album mostly with original work.Giuseppi Logan Quintet (Dig)  The new CD, Giuseppi Logan's first since the 1960's is a successful and was received with very strong powerful reviews.  There were some in the music world that thought Josh Rosenthal was wasting his time and that GL was shot but Rosenthal proved them wrong. You should know that Giuseppi was married before he met Jaee's Mom and had many children.  There were problems and maybe it was undiagnosed mental illness.  I do not know.  He said she had him arrested and put in mental institutions.  Jaee has a different take on this saying she did not support his music and wanted him to have a 9-5 job which was a killer for him.  Music was and is his life line. He was divorced and re-married a woman who understood his love for music and came to New York City were he could pursue fame and fortune.  As you here him say.  He found fame but not fortune.  It is very sad and upsetting but I don't think he got much for those two successful records.  As we filmed a man stopped which was caught on camera and said Giuseppi Logan, you records got me through college.  He shook Giuseppi's hand. Giuseppi Logan studied at The New England Conservatory and when GL self destructed Jaee's Mom took Jaee to California.  Jaee was an honor student and he went to college studying music as well. You will hear Father and Son discuss Giuseppi Logan playing with all the famous musicians including Coltrane and Jaee as a little boy played with their kids.  Giuseppi played with Coltrane, Mingus, Sun Ra and more Jazz greats as he contributed his own unique compositions to what is called the free jazz movement. 

Dan Orth, Jaee's partner wrote me this...and I have made corrections...

It is John Coltrane not Charlie.Charlie Mingus,the late,very famous Miles

Davis,Thelonious Monk,and Milford Graves are more jazz greats who worked with

Guiseppi.Milford Graves,the legendary drummer,is alive and well at age 68.I have

his interview in Jazz Inside,Volume 8,Number 4,Winter 2010.He mentions

Guiseppi Logan twice in his very lenghty interview.Guiseppi told me in New York

city the fact that Guiseppi is not his born,legal name.Somebody in the jazz

world told Guiseppi in the 1960"s that he should change his first name.

                                                                                        Dan Orth

Thanks Dan -- I work very hard and I am often very tired so thank again for your help.

Matt Lavelle join forces with Giuseppi Logan when Logan came in to buy a reed.  Matt kept getting Giuseppi Logan gigs and formed a ban.  This was a life saver for Giuseppi because music is is life force and it also lead to him making money.  Josh Rosenthal even gave Lavelle producer credit on the new CD, The Giuseppi Logan Quintet which includes Francios Grillot, Warren Smith and David Burrell In my series Giuseppi thanks the people of New York.  He tells me he found out from his friend using the computer that people thought he was dead.  He got a little money and took a bus to NYC where people gave him help.  He found shelter although I had heard reports at times he was homeless and people gave him clothing and instruments.  An amazing Salvation Army Angel got him a small room close to Tompkins which is his life line.  He told me people here in NY gave him instruments.  The Jazz Foundation has also been helping him and gave him an instruments, a bass clarinet and flute but the flute is not playing right. I call Giuseppi Logan this morning.  I started very early and he picks up at 7am.  Giuseppi I have great news.  I just got confirmation you son is coming back this month.  I believe for your birthday on May 22.  Giuseppi hadn't heard from Jaee and he was worried he may not return.  He is returning Giuseppi. I asked GL who else he played with and here are a few more names. Giuseppi  played with so many people and here are so morewith Roland Kirk ,  Eddie Gomez, Eric Dolphy  and even  Dizzy Gillespie! I had to leave to go to a meeting but before I did I suggested Jaee and Giuseppi walk over to where Charlie Parker lives.  I couldn't go with them. I wish I could have.  Enjoy the 2nd part in a series Jaee Logan is putting together and a sad reminder Jaee lost his only son to gun violence and he has an organization set up with the goal to stop the violence. Giuseppi has some gigs coming up.  Here is the first in at least 3 that are booked ...IPR in Brooklyn 10pm 5/14 www.issueprojectroom.org Brecht forum 9pm 5/16 9pm www.brechtforum.org He is also going to be on a jazz radio show in Newark the day before his birthday...I have a lot going on so you have to contact Matt Lavelle for more info.  You can join his facebook page, myspace or email him lavelle.matt@gmail.com. Again I have to say I am so honored and proud to be part of this YouTube miracle and helped Giuseppi out from the shadow as Pete Gerhshon describes it and even writing this was work. I am tired.  Thanks to Tim Madison for pushing me to keep filming.

Giuseppi Logan YouTube miracle by Suzannah B. Troy

Miracles do happen and when I  filmed Giuseppi Logan on December 14, 2008 playing Begin the Beguine  I became part of that miracle.





I knew I had filmed something powerful. Giuseppi told me to look up his name on the internet. I found out people thought he was dead and that he was a very loved jazz composer and musician that made me two important records in the 1960's.


I also immediately found another YouTube of Giuseppi with a little boy in the very same park from 1966.


Two years later I would meet that little boy who is now my age and help reunite him with his father after all these years.


A jazz writer Tim Madison had contacted me and told me how deeply moving my YouTube was. He told me he watched it over and over. I said I do to. He urged me to continue filming but I said I was very tired and traumatized. I had just had to
sell my home of 2o years which is traumatic but it was even more so because I am an outspoken activist. I did not know if I could find the strength but I did.


Peter Gershon, publisher of Signal to Noise, wrote a powerful piece on Giuseppi Logan entitled "Out From the Shadow"
and Peter Gershon is one of the only people to fully acknowledge my work and contribution because usually people
just help themselves and erase me.


Pete's powerful piece and my YouTubes I believe helped Giuseppi and one way was generating enough interest that he
was able to get back in to the studio and make his first new record from the 1960's that has been received to very
positive reviews.

Matt Lavelle, a musician recognized Giuseppi Logan when he came in to a store where Matt was working and ever since he plays music with Giuseppi and gets him and the group he formed gigs.  This is huge for Giuseppi because it helps him earn money which he needs and of course it allows him to connect with people who still remember him and love his work.

I had suggested to Giuseppi's son Jaee, also a musical genius he should make a documentary and he took my advice.  He filmed the reunion and when we in the park with the camera rolling a guy came up and shook Giuseppi's hand.  He said your records got me through college.

Very moving in so many ways and Giuseppi Logan wants to get back in to the studio.  He has new compositions including a piece he named after me, "Suzannah".