Muruga,
been a few yrs since I've seen your wonderful face, but sry about your friend's departure. I think you'll enjoy my thoughts below I posted for merl's website, and I had a lot to say about YOU.
Hugs,
Cosmic Carl
Columbia, Maryland
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Merl Saunders passed away this morning.Tonight in heaven, the Legion of Mary reunites for its first show since 1975!if you are saddened, well I Second That Emotionif you are joyous he is free from his stroke complications, then How Sweet It Isif you just wanna celebrate this legendary man, well put on your High-Heeled Sneakers and just Boogie on Reggae Woman!http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/10/24/former-grateful-dead-keyboardist-merl-saunders-dies/ you can write a message to Merl and his family at: http://merlsaunders.com/here is what I chimed in. he gave us so much of his goodness, and I miss those good ole days gettin down to Merl's funked up keys.carl : o ( *************************************************************************************************Oh Brother Merl, my how we're gonna miss your warm soul. We shared some real good times, and you grooved us immensely, better than anyone could. When you and Jer formed Legion of Mary, you created a new genre, acid jazz, that blew us away still to this day as we enjoy those boards from 1974-1975. In high school, we'd compete to find the most Legion boards we could get of that ear candy. Now you are reunited with the whole Legion, with Jerry, John Kahn, and my fav sax player ever Martin Fierro. I remember all the good times seeing you. Well most as my memory slowly fades away. In '88 the very last vinyl records I ever bought were the new Keystone Encores Vol 1 & 2, a gem in any collection. I give you much credit for inspiring my first career as a hard core grassroots environmentalist. I went to the Dead's benefit for Rainforest Action Network at Madison Square Garden in '88, then saw you play with Papa John Creech & the Dinosaurs first at Baltimore's now defunct/de-funked Grog & Tankard, then we hung backstage in York, PA, I am looking at the pictures of us on my wall now! When you released Blues from the Rainforest w/ Jerry & Muruga, you got us all working to Save the Planet So We'll Have Some Place to Boogie (as the title of your live album goes). What a masterpiece that disc was, and I listened to it many nights in the dark to sleep to. I thank you for the deep inspiration and I took your vibe to Capitol Hill for 5 yrs and kicked some congressional ass to SAVE THIS PLANET SO WE HAVE SOME PLACE TO BOOGIE! I remember your Gratefully Yours tour, your Rainforest Band played in Baltimore at Steeltown along with Kingfish and Tom Constanten who in his odd way wore unmatched socks, and of course as always you wore your Rainforest Action Network sweatshirt with the jaguar on it, or was it the tie-dyed version? I last saw you at the Starwood Festival in NY in 2002, just weeks before your stroke. Before the show, I hung out with you while you waited in your van patiently before going on with your Rainforest Band that had that amazing new kid on sax! That year and the next at Starwood Fest, I made a new brother in Muruga Booker, who wrote the Grammy-winning Blues From the Rainforest with you. There, I attended Muruga's drumming workshops, we meditated to start each lesson, and at the end, Maruga handed out friendship bracelets. I returned to his workshop the following year, and the withering bracelet made it to class, and broke off during it, exactly one year from when he put it on me. That cosmic happening says a lot about the magic you and Muruga have shared with me and us all. That evening in 2003, Babatunde Olatunji was scheduled to perform as Starwood's music headliner, but he was too ill to attend, and Muruga and his band stepped in as headliner and grooved us. After the show, Muruga, my friend Dorian, and myself and other drummers led a drumming procession in honor of Babatunde Olatunji up to the giant Starwood bonfire, largest on the east coast. I remember hearing that you sat in briefly alongside Melvin Seals for Jerry's "Comes a Time" memorial concert in 2005, and was happy that you gave a few last hurrahs like that, even though you could no longer speak. But you rocked my soul man, like no other funky friend on this planet. I am going to dig up the rare dvd for Blues for the Rainforest you put out, which has the film of you in the Amazon, gaining inspiration, and the vid of the Rainforest band at the Great American Music Hall in 1990. I also want to find my cd of Fiesta Amazonica, one of the hottest discs you ever put out! And I'll watch the Dinosaurs at the Grog & Tankard after that! I will always fight to SAVE THIS PLANET SO WE HAVE SOME PLACE TO BOOGIE. Now go rock out the first fully staffed Legion of Mary show in heaven my brother Merl! And slap Jerry a high 4 and a half for us down here.

Love from Earth,
Cosmic Carl : O )~