Some bright morning when this life is over

Corey Kilgannon has an amazing piece in the NYT about the jailed bassist Tarik Shah and his brother Antoine Dowdell, who's been picking up pointers in jazz theory from his sibling during visiting hours:

While a public drama has played out in headlines and courtroom hearings over the terrorism charges, a private one between the two brothers has been occurring every other week in a special isolated visiting area of the jail. There they enter a booth and sit separated by a wire security screen, their conversation monitored by correction officers, and Mr. Dowdell takes a tutorial from his brother during which the two discuss jazz theory and sing passages to each other.

“We know the guards can hear us scatting and singing away, and they probably think we’re both crazy, or talking in code or something,” said Mr. Dowdell, 49, who uses his brother’s left-behind collection of sheet music and handwritten practice exercises to help teach himself.

He says his brother’s inspiration and instruction from prison has helped him make huge strides as a jazz pianist who now gets paying gigs around the city, including a regular weekend engagement at the Caravan of Dreams restaurant in the East Village.

“All my life I studied the piano, but I was never able to play what was in my heart,” Mr. Dowdell said. “I could never make the piano cry, maybe because I couldn’t get in touch with the blues. But seeing what’s happening to my brother — his music and his life unfairly taken away — I feel an urgency now to play his music for people. It’s like they took the jazz musician from my family and I have to fill that void.”

In jail Mr. Shah has no access to an instrument or radio, but he has begun to write exercises, chord progressions and even compositions for his brother.

Tarik Shah was arrested as a suspect in the global war on terror in May 2005. He has been held in solitary confinement since then. His long-delayed trial is finally set to begin April 23. David Adler has written extensively -- and controversially -- about Shah's case for his blog (links to Shah-related posts here) and for Jazz Times. (See also the subsequent letters exchange.)

Comments

[Margaret Davis]

1.

Thanks for writing about Tarik Shah! If people need some background on this case, please advise them to visit http://tariksfriends.faithweb.com. Very briefly, Tarik is accused by the government of "terrorist" conversations, associations, and intentions, though he has never harmed anyone, participated in any violence, or indeed been arrested for anything before in his whole life.

In new developments, after Tarik has spent almost two years of his life in solitary confinement, his trial is finally scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 23th (time not set yet), and Tarik's mother wrote that it will probably last about four or five weeks, and she expects it will take place in the same courtroom as earlier proceedings: 5OO Pearl St. at Centre St. in Manhattan (3 blocks north of Chambers St. above the northeast corner of City Hall Park) on the 12th floor, 212-8O5-O5OO or -O3OO, Judge Loretta Preska presiding. Everyone please come to court and fill every available seat and bear witness. It's possible there may also be some other court proceedings between now and the trial that are open to the public.

The closest subway stop to the courtroom is the IRT Lexington Ave. line # 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / City Hall (or by way of music directions, it's not far from J&R Music World), or call the transit information line to find out how to get there from where you are, 718-33O-1234, or visit http://160.79.231.160/trip_planner/default.asp.

On January 23rd, Tarik's Mom wrote to me:

"Tarik is doing pretty well, being in solitary for over 2O mos. His sister and her friends who are also attorneys are going to help Josh with research and preparation. There's a lot of material that he needs help in. Tomorrow is Tarik's birthday. He will be 44 years. I worry about him. I always try to be strong around him, never letting him see my fears. I pray each day for God to give us victory and let him come home."

On March 5th:

"Tony [Tarik's brother] just saw Tarik. He's not well. He's been sick with the flu. Today was his first day out of bed. He has had no medical treatment. A doctor came, asked him some questions, and left, never examining him or prescribing any medication. Tony said today they had the air on full blast and it was freezing in there. He and Tarik could not get warm. I'm sending Josh [Tarik's attorney] an e-mail about this so he can inquire about his health. I am very worried about this."

On March 16th, she wrote that Tarik still had no heat but was doing better and trying his best to keep warm.

On March 12th, Tarik's Mom sent me this Email:

"This is my birthday poem from Tarik. My birthday was 3/11/07. I was crying after reading it. I'm going to see if Tony and Ron can put it to music. I love it and I just wanted to share it:

A JAZZ-TITLE POEM FOR MOM

Well, "Strike up the Band"
You've been blessed with another year.
"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" or a "Serenade in Blue."
I am your poor broke son; it's "Just One of Those Things,"
But "It's All Right With Me," and "I Love You" thru and thru,
Because today "The Song is You."

"I Thought About You" today
And I know that "Our Love is Here to Stay."
You are the "Satin Doll,"
The "Song For My Father" and "The Look of Love,"
The one who raised me so "Tenderly,"
Placed there by One High Above.

"Stormy weather" for now,
And I'm waiting for "A Clear Day"
I "Dream" of a "Lazy Afternoon" to "Tune-Up"
And write something of value to say.
So "No More Blues," because you're "Too Marvelous for Words,"
And "In Your Own Sweet Way," you've shown me "My Foolish Heart."

"This I Dig of You," now and every day,
And for your earthday, "Sophisticated Lady,"
I know "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To,"
So I end in "Meditation."

# # #

[DJA]

2.

Thanks for the comment and the update, Margaret.

[Pat]

3.

I never heard any more about this, so I looked. Tarik Shah "pleaded guilty to providing material support to a terrorist organization" and faces up to 15 years in jail. A few details, in the context of another trial (presumably of a "bigger fish" in the eyes of the government) is here:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-psabir04may04,0,2359625.story?coll=sfla-news-palm