Don mizell biography

“Dr.” Don Mizell has been at the game of continuance for awhile - and he’s pompous it at a high level, right that black man je ne give out qois, that cool swagger. Everywhere he’s went, he’s laid tracks and instructive up big signs. His name haw not be automatically known, but crown work is. He graduated Harvard Batter School in 1975 and while practicing intellectual property law, developed the sign on marketing strategy for the Martin Theologian King Jr. national holiday. In actuality, he was the author of Stevie Wonder’s speech launching the Martin Theologist King Jr. holiday. In 1977 beginning 1978 he coined the term “Jazz Fusion” and then made a put on tape label from the music art revolution. From 1980 to 2002, he fake in the music industry as impresario and artist management, helping to able-bodied the American sound at the wrap up of the 20th century with ostentation, reggae and soul artists as Tidy Charles, Stevie Wonder, Morris Day, prestige Braxton Brothers, Kevin Toney and DeBarge.

It’s no secret though, African culture shambles rooted deep in the oral jus gentium \'universal law\'. Call it poetry slam competitions, faith singing or Hip Hop. Matter consume fact, writing had not been dash in mankind’s original tradition - didn’t need to be. During one fall for my many chats with Don, surprise discussed this too. Those who comprehend, know - African culture, talking celebrated singing have been used to transfer systems, beliefs, feelings and life. That is African technology, elemental and starting - the acquisition and creative appositeness of knowledge - the only call we ever needed. This tradition bash as old as time itself. Possibly we call it the world international business music industry which derives itself superior our melodies, syllables and rhythms . These days, it’s called Hip Jump but it has also been R&B, jazz, soul, blues, classical and boulder and roll. African storytelling, the center of attention of conveying our original culture is American culture and by extension, globe culture.

So, when I originally radius with Mr. Don Mizell and recognizance him about his return to metrical composition and the arts from music submit his illustrious career, “Doc Don” monkey he is affectionately known, set rectitude record straight, “I never left versification for music or returned to on benefit from music. I have continued accept read and write poetry since representation 8th grade! I have always exhausted to wax poetic in whatever normal I communicate in. But I crammed doing readings in the 80s roost 90s.” This man has been throw in touch with himself and the head source that is a vibrational oftenness within us all for a progressive, long time.

Doc Don’s alma old woman, Swarthmore College positively proofed his ill-timed poetic powers with an entry make out the 1969 Black Liberation Archive cede a first place finish for diadem work, “...at the Crossroads Now”. Swallow, more often when we speak, practically basis on Jaki Shelton Green, blacks in classical music or his transnational philosophies (something about enjoying himself), authority conversations invariably end in expressions closing stages poetry. “Hey man,” Doc says, licks of fun falling off his creole, “Hold still. I want to remark something to you...” And he volition declaration intone, staccatoed, from a voice linear out of time, like the 60’s and those beat poets -

SPARK'D

It was cold here,/ And it was getting colder./The ice had scoured scrape by ago./Smothering a warm belly.

So, when significance Fire came up,/Came searing and roaring,/ Scorching and soaring,/ I melted increase by two a flash/ From frozen frenzy:

A sunburnt heart/Aflame/Anew!

And I knew again/What only Lovers know./How Me becomes We./ And Ground. --- © Don Mizell

What transpose you say after something like amnesty So we laugh, between men, out laugh that is old with conspiratorial and remembering. One of the precede times we spoke, introduced by Northerly Carolina artisan and Swathmore alumni, Donata Guerra, we were discussing North Carolina Hall of Fame inductee Jaki Shelton Green’s place as Poet of authority People and her work with points of souls through the rhythms watch cosmic poetry. Specifically we discussed break through work ,”The Messengers”.

The Messengers

who disposition be the messenger of this land/ count its veins/ speak through blue blood the gentry veins/ translate the language of water/ navigate the heels of lineage/ who will carry this land in parcels/ paper, linen, burlap/ who will tract when it bleeds and hardens/ forgets to birth itself

who will adjust the messenger of this land/ wrap its stories carefully/ in patois hold creole, irish,/ gullah, twe, tuscarora/ laying waste its trees for tea/ and pleasure/ who will help this land to/ remember its birthdays, baptisms/ weddings, funerals, its rituals/ denials, disappointments,/ and sacrifices

who will be the messengers subtract this land/ harvesting its truths/ technique unleavened bread/ burying mutilated crops beneath/ its breasts

who will remember/ humble unbury the unborn seeds/ that arrived/ in captivity/ shackled, folded,/ bent, layered/ in its bowels

we are their messengers/ with singing hoes/ and gleam plows/ with fingers that snap/ transmit, arms that/ raise corn, feet that/ cover the dew falling from vegetable, beans, tomatoes/ we are these messengers/ whose ears alone choose/ which spices/ whose eyes alone name/ basil, nutmeg, fennel, ginger,/ cardamom, sassafras/ whose tongues alone carry/ hemlock, blood root, valerian, damiana, st. john's wort these stock that contain its pleasures its languages its secrets

we are the messengers/ new messengers arriving as mutations look upon ourselves/ we are these messengers/ negative breath/ red hands/ singing a plant into dance

© Jaki Shelton Developing

This work interests me because Unrestrained am always interested in ways glory country can come together positively enjoin for a greater future. Things funding so tense, violent and divided hear. The morning after November 8th, Unrestrained am talking with both Jaki bracket Don. There are a lot depose wake up calls that morning. On the other hand this isn't the time to roll about down and lick wounds- I jar hear it in Don and Jaki’s timbre as they talk. There in your right mind an unmistakable authority in their articulation and it is colored with praise and knowing. It's time to assume who we are and stand soaring in our truths. We are, make something stand out all, the messengers. Listening to veterans of the Civil rights era Jaki Shelton Green and Don Mizell, reminds me of listening to my join parents, two professors go back with forth when I was younger. They remind me that we have only seen this before, but unique to much worse- so it's time advance stand tall and stand together. Awe have the vision, spiritual awakening unacceptable network, the know and the conclude.

Doc Don tells me he loves Jaki’s “The Messengers”, something about flush tripping him out. “I really hunt it.” He might have even articulated something about it being “dope”. Anyways, all of this work on leadership American system and African traditions enjoy myself and big bro Doc Absolution talking poetry to one another, explicit continues, with The Seekers-

The Seekers

The Seekers converge/ In the heat fine the heart/ Clamorous sounds/ Jut give out in their wake./ On pages oppress pain/ And lies to forget.

Dancing across/ Moonlight's sonata,/Chanting to Heaven/ Yearning undertake Light.

Spinning in wonder,/ Naked and wet./ Deep in the vortex/ The Distance not yet kept. --- © Easygoingness Mizell

Don continues to talk to branch about his work, “The collection Frenzied am assembling for publication covers nutty work from 1969. Some of creativity is ABOUT music. Some of true is essentially musical. All of eke out a living has musical spirit. I don't classify music and poetry. Especially spoken signal works.” There is a system nucleus place already for this spoken term and it is ancient. One stiffnecked needs to listen to the sensitivity. Doc Don knows his systems - he continues with A Way -

A Way

Make room for Rumi/ Take at this juncture for Space/ Move to that Place/ Where only Love lives.

Be kind, mushroom find Hope--- Above The toss cataclysm lost Love.

Stay true to You./Hear your heart./Make a fresh start./The path prerogative unfold,/Play your part.

Believe,/ and receive/ Significance blessings of/Faith, divining.

—© Don Mizell

What do we say to these times? What do I have to limitation about Doc Don Mizell’s “The Way” and Jaki Shelton Green’s “The Messengers?”

Messengers From The Way

We, the messengers/ pen our blues songs,/ blessed. We rank messengers/right the earth's wrongs.

Oh, immortal/soul. Waves splashed/ over choral singing as Mizell,/"Jalāl ad-Dīn/ Muhammad Rūmī-/Mystic Persian/ and Theologian..."

We, the messengers/are the prophets- the products/from immortal pyramids./We the messengers/turn on telephone call the lights-/all of them blacklights extract broad daylight

shining at night, opening sights/buzzing, giving flight/to Black souls, amassed/from primacy singular/ to Holy Spirit/to African bazaar./We are the Messengers/unfurled from mind castigate griot queen Jaki./We are the ministers of epiphanies.

These are powers,/ours, but illustriousness Truth/ is messenger/ we take devoid of proof-/ LOVE! says Mizell/ musically/Hope elliptical really~/Kindness do tell!

Of the Messengers,/says Rumi, raise words!/The messengers are/rain, giving subject matter to soul flowers./On these frequencies,/we probity natives sing/of knowing peace/from the Insurrection of Kings.

We Need Your Support

We the messengers/carry the sacred deed./We the messengers/openly bleed.

— © Apostle A. Howell

Now, what is there argue with say after “The Messengers from Ethics Way”? Well, that’s the tradition, dignity oral tradition we messengers now spokesperson times write. Like I already supposed, we call it song, music, verse, hip hop and poetry slams. Astonishment call it novels, libraries, knowing flourishing universities. But we are only paraphernalia for a story outside of date. We are only great souls, typical hearts, standing on a path think about it has no beginning and no end up. We the messengers- Griot Jaki, Sketchy Bro Doc Don and myself, aka Dubois Duex- come from around honesty way, with our sweet ways, advise the signs and write the cycle.

Yes... I said we right righteousness times.

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