The Longest Lives
A special issue listening to the very old.
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He had to ask a nurse if that was Grimes.
It did not feel like a good-bye, he says.
Many of his friends are not in as fortunate shape as he.
But that was cut short by Parkinsons.
Many of Workmens friends were in decline.
And this was true even before the pandemic.
(He had needed a little help getting onto the stage, however.)
Another friend, bassist Jymie Merritt, 93, died of liver cancer on April 10.
And saxophonist Richie Cole, 72, died of natural causes on May 2.
But COVID has been especially merciless in its pursuit of the musicians of his era.
Through all of this, and while stuck at home, Workman has tried to maintain his cosmic outlook.
Whatever that is, whatever time that is, our contributions are significant, their contributions are significant.
And we have to be thankful for what they give.
Even so, he worries about another friend at a nursing home.
This was set to be a year of celebration for Workman and his family.
Born in 1937,Workman, grew up in Germantown, Philadelphia, the third-youngest of 13 children.
I even feel that today.
It affects my whole system on my right arm.
Im still paying for that, he says.
The injury was on the right hand.
Contemporary education in jazz bears little resemblance to Workmans.
Of course, this has changed in the pandemic too.
His students finished up the semester distance-learning over the computer.
Workman finds that its not a good tool to teach improvised music.
And hes a little impatient with it.
Zoom has consumed my life, he says.
Concerned about his health, his family is managing his life with a dictator-y zeal, according to Ayana.
It had been his first time out in weeks.
Those were memorable times, he says.
But I dont want to live there.
My thoughts are,Okay.
That happened, and it was good.But my mind is now,What happens tomorrow?
There was something about him, Milenovic remembers.
He was able to even analyze what air was about.
Workman had been married before.
Milenovic helped him clean up.
He and his daughter bonded early over music, writing their first song together when she was 3.
But a family brought together by art was driven apart in its pursuit.
And Milenovic was not interested in giving up her work just to support his.
The two separated in 2005, but never divorced.
He wasnt around for a good chunk of my teenage years, Ayana says.
She took it very hard, very hard, her mother says.
But as she reached the teenage milestones prom, graduation Ayana saw that he was called to action.
And he couldnt ignore it.
Even if he didnt get the timing exactly right.
He always messes up dates.
Hes kind of a mess in that way.
So one day he showed up a week early to my prom.
He came to my door with flowers, this hat that he wears, this little cane.
He was really excited.
And I was like, Dad, its next weekend.
Its super-cool because thats why Im here.
And I got to see it.
I was like,Oh, okay.
I understand how powerful that force is.
Im thankful that she understands the life that Ive lived and the path that Ive taken.
I have to just embrace what he gives and what he can give, she says.
Hes still bad with dates.
I was like, Its, uh, Mothers Day, she responded.
He was off by a week.
In 1970, Workman co-foundedCollective Black Artists to help provide for jazz musicians ignored at the institutional level.
Were not going to just lay down and say, Nobody will hire me.
Were going to hire ourselves and present our own concerts.
Making it better for people who come along behind us.
Thats what has permeated itself in my quest for education my desire to pass on whatever we have now.
Workman and Milenovic co-founded the Montclair Academy of Dance and Laboratory of Music in 1998.
When he runs it back unmuted, hes not quite perfect.
Timothy Angulo, had conferenced in on his iPhone to do a jazz drum solo.
Still, his daughter is impressed.
Wow, Reggie, she says, looking over her mothers shoulder.
The New School must be doing some miracles there.
Thats the way we survive, Workman says.
Thats our link to eternity.
