Did anybody else happen to catch the event Sunday 4/22 night that was dubbed "Billy Higgins NY Love-In"? It was a fundraiser to help Billy Higgins with his medical bills and there were a lot of great musicians on hand. The bassists included Ron Carter, Essiet Essiet, Walter Booker Jr., Jamil Nasser, and Lisle Atkinson. Most of the players were plagued by the dreaded "bad amplified tone"- bassist Barak Mori got the best sound-gut strings/no amp. Ron Carter, as usual, killed from the first note. It was a night of good music for a good cause.

Damn, Ed, you are the bearer of bad news. Thanks for the notification though. I had the honor and pleasure of jamming with Billy at his club in L.A. It remains my favorite musical experience to date. Billy didn't have to say a word to make you feel inspired, respected, and humbled all at the same time. His joy and love of the music was felt every time he sat down at the set.