The most militant ...
Posted by Carolan Gladden at 5/15/2010 10:44 AM 
Categories: Musicians,Music,Ideas,Black and White,thoughts,Male - Female
Categories: Musicians,Music,Ideas,Black and White,thoughts,Male - Female
I recently came across the obituary of the most militant Black man I ever met. And -- surprise, surprise! -- came to know and care about.
Yes, George Page (born and raised in Oakland, but in Portland for years) was an enigma. Originally met him when he played hand drums in a music aggregatiion for which I did promotion. And for years I listened to him every Saturday on his KBOO Radio "Jazz Rap," in which he played only music of Black artists, and from which I learned to appreciate music I hadn't known existed -- including such eclectic singers as Blossom Dearie, Minnie Riperton, Marlena Shaw.
The militancy manifested itself in an unshakeable stern facial expression plus never sitting with his back to the door in any public place. Now this seems like a quirk but then he was dead serious about what could happen if he didn't watch the door.
Along the way, George asked me to meet him, where he presented the idea of turning my print publication Out-n-About with Carolan Gladden into a cable tv show. This was early in cable's history, and Portland was in the forefront with free training and studio space for all comers.
Of course George had already shot a lot of video, most of it music groups in live performance. But this would be a more-or-less scripted program. When I said I didn't know how to do this kind of thing, he got me laughing with the comment, "Whadya mean, you interview everyone you meet -- now you'll just have a camera on you!"
Soooo on that remark, George and I launched the program with a quick interview with the owner and a video panorama of Key Largo -- then an exotic roomy live music venue with terrific foiod and Bogie & Hepburn posters from the film dotting the walls. I was indeed nervous as hell but it turned out ok, thanks to George behind the camera smiling and nodding all the way.
The catch, unfortunately, was that we needed a sponsor. And we couldn't get one. So just one more show aired before my venture into cable ended. Oh I still listened to George and ran into him but then I moved away.
It wasn't until I read his obituary that I knew he had a Master's degree in broadcasting, was a Vietnam veteran and that when he died, "Everyone from judges to junkies called."
George Page was just 47 when he passed in 1990.
I'm sure many more than I still miss him.
And here's Blossom ...
Positively,
Carolan
Yes, George Page (born and raised in Oakland, but in Portland for years) was an enigma. Originally met him when he played hand drums in a music aggregatiion for which I did promotion. And for years I listened to him every Saturday on his KBOO Radio "Jazz Rap," in which he played only music of Black artists, and from which I learned to appreciate music I hadn't known existed -- including such eclectic singers as Blossom Dearie, Minnie Riperton, Marlena Shaw.
The militancy manifested itself in an unshakeable stern facial expression plus never sitting with his back to the door in any public place. Now this seems like a quirk but then he was dead serious about what could happen if he didn't watch the door.
Along the way, George asked me to meet him, where he presented the idea of turning my print publication Out-n-About with Carolan Gladden into a cable tv show. This was early in cable's history, and Portland was in the forefront with free training and studio space for all comers.
Of course George had already shot a lot of video, most of it music groups in live performance. But this would be a more-or-less scripted program. When I said I didn't know how to do this kind of thing, he got me laughing with the comment, "Whadya mean, you interview everyone you meet -- now you'll just have a camera on you!"
Soooo on that remark, George and I launched the program with a quick interview with the owner and a video panorama of Key Largo -- then an exotic roomy live music venue with terrific foiod and Bogie & Hepburn posters from the film dotting the walls. I was indeed nervous as hell but it turned out ok, thanks to George behind the camera smiling and nodding all the way.
The catch, unfortunately, was that we needed a sponsor. And we couldn't get one. So just one more show aired before my venture into cable ended. Oh I still listened to George and ran into him but then I moved away.
It wasn't until I read his obituary that I knew he had a Master's degree in broadcasting, was a Vietnam veteran and that when he died, "Everyone from judges to junkies called."
George Page was just 47 when he passed in 1990.
I'm sure many more than I still miss him.
And here's Blossom ...
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Positively,
Carolan
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