THE ABRAM WILSON FOUNDATION has raised $14,855 and has 17 days to go till the online fundraising campaign ends.
We're aiming for $20,000 so please keep letting people know about it as we're pretty close to reaching this target. IF you still haven't made a donation you can do so by clicking HERE.
I'm sure most have you have been glued to your computer screens watching the Olympics, especially if you live in London. Many people I know who don't usually pay any attention to sports are completed addicted, there's something about watching a lifetime of work come to fruition that is extremely inspiring and uplifting - athletes finally getting their moment of glory after years of dedication, pain and endless days of training.
It reminds me of Abram and his attitude to his craft. Every day he would spend hours practicing, it had been like that for as long as he could remember. One of his brothers once told me that when Abram was much younger he spent an entire summer perfecting one note. One note! That would be enough to drive most people insane. I think it probably sent his family up the wall, but Abram was so determined to improve he didn't care. His trumpet always came first.
Today I wanted to share a behind the scenes video of the Abram Wilson Quartet, with Alex Davis on double bass, Dave Hamblett on drums and Reuben James on piano. This is them getting ready for one of their first gigs together, which was at Twickenham Film Studios last year on 1st July. It shows Abram going over the set list and introduces the tune Steak n Potatoes, which is part of the Philippa project.
I love this video because you can see Abram is really focused on the task in hand but he's also taking the time to bring in the band members and make them feel cool about the gig. It was a big performance for them, the gig was being filmed and would be streamed live to eight cinemas across the UK and one in Norway. It was the first time they would play the Philippa music together in front of an audience so it was important the band felt confident about the set list. Abram was extraordinary not just because he was talented, but because he was both a leader and a mentor to many of the musicians he worked with.
I've included an unedited version of Steak n Potatoes, made during a rehearsal leading up to the Twickenham gig. As Abram explains in the video, this tune is about Philippa's father George Schulyer, a black journalist from Harlem who liked his food!
Tomorrow will be two months since Abram passed away, I hope you will take a moment to remember him.
Till soon!
Love
Jennie x