Casper Banjo, shot to death by Oakland police last week, is shown at AAMLO last year at the reception for the book “Black Artists in Oakland.” Duane Deterville, in the checkered hat, is seated beside Casper. Ted Pontiflet is behind Duane and Casper, and another artist is in the rear. Photo: Wanda Sabir

I immediately thought about the film "Reign Over Me" (2006) with actors Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler, where Sandler's character is traumatized with grief over the loss of his entire family in a 9/11 plane crash, so he designs new kitchens for his dead family who will never return until one day he snaps - takes his gun into the center of New York traffic, waving it as he dares the police to shoot him and put him out of his misery. But the police are surprisingly sympathetic.

Known for his brick print designs, I recall how supportive Casper was of other artists, especially younger artists. He studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts and at the Art Institute and taught at Laney College in the 1950s. The article I read said he was a transplant from Memphis, he and four siblings.

One time when my daughter was in art school, he took the bus to San Francisco and then walked over to the California College of Arts and Crafts for her show. I remember I asked TaSin's father to give him a ride home after they dropped me at BART. I'd see him all the time on the 62 bus when I rode public transportation for a year.

Friday evening, as I rode BART to San Francisco after leaving James Gayles' "Jazz Masters" preview reception at Swarm Gallery, Casper was being gunned down.

I don't live far from 73rd Avenue. Last month there was a drive by across the street from my house that is, as of yet, unsolved. My neighbor, whose houseguests were injured, said the police haven't said anything about suspects. Oakland police are working longer shifts now too, wired on caffeine. Trigger fingers might be a bit more jumpy than usual.

I'll certainly miss Casper. He survived heart surgery, but couldn't survive Oakland PD. Orlonda said he'll be cremated. I'm sure his niece Akili Banjo will host a memorial for her uncle. I'm not aware at this time if there is a fund set up for the family to defray any unforeseen costs. If anyone has any information to share, send me an email.

We need to take care of out elders - accompany them at night on errands, give them a ride and make sure they are not worried about shelter and food, the basic necessities everyone should have, especially those who are responsible for paving the road for us today like Casper Banjo. I missed him at the Jazz Masters preview. He certainly would have been at the Thursday, March 20 reception. We will miss him dearly; he was one of Oakland's treasures.

Alice Walker and Saidiya Hartman at MoAD Photo: Wanda Sabir

Eyes were trained on Tyner most of the evening except when, back turned, he traded licks with Gavett and occasionally Cannon, Glover was an instrument, his shirt dripping when intermission arrived and then again after African Village, when the atmosphere shifted imperceptibly to a higher ground. Glover kept his hands outstretched as if he were praying as he picked up the melody and then riffed in the lines ... his solos showstoppers literally. The band, first Tyner, then the other men stopped and watched. Tyner was masterful on the piano. He walked onto the stage a little unsteadily, but once he sat on the throne, well we knew who was king.

His ponytail gone, I wondered what Tyner was feeling as the kid added a dimension mere instruments could never achieve. Towards the end Tyner must have been tired because he reached for the mic, which was off and then just got up while the other musicians were playing and left.

It was weird, and then we were up giving him another standing ovation - the man is in his 70s, all right. And he played an encore. Kind of mellow, nothing spectacular and then he was gone. I wanted to go back and say hi, but he looked tired and I didn't want to bother him, but I couldn't get Ruth Brown's phrase, "God's waiting room" - that she was sitting in God's waiting room - out of my mind. I hope Tyner has many, many more great years ahead.

JazzMasters: Bay Area Treasures opens

I saw many friends and artists last Thursday at the preview of James Gayles' latest masterpieces - walking around were a couple of live studies for the work on the walls, Angela Wellman and Prince Lasha. I also saw V. Denise Bradley, the former director of the Museum of the African Diaspora. Just the evening before I'd been at MoAD to see Alice Walker in conversation with Saidiya Hartman and the interim director was introduced. She's a white woman.

Okay, so MoAD's mission is "we're all African by origin," but these white kinfolk are not taking responsibility for the structural racism that keeps their darker siblings on the bottom of the heap. Just think if the policeman who shot Casper had seen him as his elder brother, father or grandfather. I got over the shock as Alice Walker came down the stairs and smiled at me. Unfortunately, I'd already renewed my membership for the year at a whopping $45.

The author event was lovely though. Walker and Hartman covered topics ranging from ancestors to humanity's shared fate. Though sold out on the website and way too expensive - $15 for nonmembers - to see Alice Walker, one of my heroines, was such a joy. I hadn't seen her since she introduced Barack Obama last year in San Francisco. I loved hearing her speak to Hartman about her work and how she was doing it for the ancestors - Hartman a soul cut from the same cloth. Walker complemented her on her book, "Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route."

James Gayles’ painting of Angela Wellman, trombonist and founding director of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music Photo: Wanda Sabir

JazzMasters Bay Area Treasures opens with a performance by the Marcus Shelby Orchestra with Faye Carol Thursday, March 20, 6-8 p.m., at Swarm Gallery, 560 Second St., Oakland, (510) 839-2787, www.swarmstudios.net. Next Thursday, March 27, 6-8 p.m. also, there will be a panel discussion with visual artists James Gayles and Kimara Dixon, writer and visual artist Wanda Sabir and musicians Angela Wellman and Marcus Shelby. Visual artist and writer Duane Deterville will moderate. All the receptions are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 12-6 p.m. and by appointment.

James Gayles said that he didn't know many of the jazz musicians he includes in this series prior to completing the work. The selection and subsequent painting was a learning process, which the painter shares with patrons in a smaller studio where he has hung pages from his notebook. Also in this smaller gallery is the lovely painting of Angela Wellman and the audio of an interview I conducted with her last year for patrons to listen to on headsets.

I interviewed most of the artists pictured in the exhibition, from the late Dewey Redman and my friends John Handy and Pharoah Sanders to India Cooke and Faye Carol. I'll be speaking to Marcus Shelby this afternoon and Prince Lasha tomorrow. I interviewed Joshua Redman and Eddie Marshall almost 10 years ago. I didn't get to interview Ed Kelly before his stroke, but Gayles recalls his humor and spirit in the portrait he painted. Kelly is paired with Sanders.

Gayles is a master at layering - his Dewey Redman piece looks as if one can peal away the canvas, when in fact it's a digital image incorporated into the painted surface. The creative manipulation of surfaces and lines adds depth and gives multiple dimensions to the piece. Some of the portraits are majestic - which is how I'd classify Angela Wellman's, while Eddie Marshall's recalls the ‘60s - kind of psychedelic, free spirited as Marshall is.

The space breathes - the art spread out in a leisurely arrangement along the white walls, each piece labeled in hand written chalk. I had to get used to the unfinished look to the exhibit. I'm still not sure if I like it, especially the almost ethereal look to the unframed drawing of the first Black band to use the term jazz. I love the fullness of Faye Carol's portrait. It's busy, just like she is, and Angela's painting is almost as lovely as the original.

5th Anniversary of the War

I began listening to the Winter Soldier hearings Friday morning on KPFA. You can listen to the testimony of former soldiers and their families speaking about the horrors of the Iraqi occupation at http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/howtowatch. To protest, we should not buy gas today.

Taxpayers in California have paid $66.2 billion for the Iraq War thus far. The same amount of money could have hired 935,039 music and arts teachers, per the National Priorities Project.

Sacred Feminine Paintings and Mixed Media of James Gayles

This exhibit continues Wednesday-Saturday, 1-6 p.m., through March 29, at NoneSuch Space, 2865 Broadway at 29th Street, southwest corner, second floor, Oakland. Visit www.paragon-media.org/nonesuchspace.

Clitoris Celebration: Think Outside the Box

Sia Amma's off-Broadway hit, "In Search of My Clitoris," directed by Gloria Weinstock, is at La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, this Friday, March 22, 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $15-$20 at the door. Proceeds go to purchase school supplies for young girls in poverty stricken Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Adult in nature, this show is an important exploration into some of society's taboos and Sia Amma with music and dance tells it with laughter and joy and triumph. Visit www.lapena.org or call (510) 849-2568.

Anne Bluementhal and Dancers present ‘Cariño, Economy of the Heart'

The show is March 21-23 and March 27-29. I haven't seen it, but I haven't seen anything by this company that I didn't enjoy. Orlonda Uffre is curating the visual arts part of the program and some of my favorite artists are featured: TaSin Sabir, Fan Lee Warren, Stephanie Anne Johnson and Orlonda. Other collaborators are Ayiyi Lumumba, Melanie Demore and Mama CoAtl, poet Judy Grahn and muralist Nadine Grey. There is a pre-performance with OASIS, a youth dance ensemble. The event is at Project Artaud Theater, 450 Florida St. between 17th and Mariposa in San Francisco. Tickets are $25 general, $20 students and seniors, and $10 for children 12 and under. For tickets, call (800) 838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com. You can also visit www.abdproductions.org or call (415) 706-9535.

Human Rights Watch Film Festival

After we attended the Alice Walker and Saidiya Hartman talk last Thursday, my students and I went over to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts screening room to see "Rape in the Congo," which was sad. The director was there and afterwards she and the moderator spoke of what was going on in Congo presently and fielded questions. I'm happy to say the film will have a HBO debut screening with an educational website and other supplementary materials, so the word can get out about the use of rape as a weapon of war.

There are two other screening dates before the festival concludes: "The Unforeseen," 7:30 p.m., March 27, and "Enemies of Happiness," 2 p.m., March 30. I really enjoyed "Enemies of Happiness," which profiles a courageous young woman in Afghanistan who stands up to the corrupt politicians who are in the pockets of the warlords and through the ballot becomes the youngest member of parliament in 2005 and the most famous woman. Though clearly terrified at times and fearful for her life, this young woman, Malalai Joya, advocates for women's rights and encourages women to vote. And she was, as I said, elected in her country's first democratic election, where most people, especially women, are illiterate and woman have little or no recognized civil rights. Visit www.ybca.org or call (415) 978-ARTS. YBCA is located at 701 Mission St., San Francisco.

Women's Pen

I was torn Saturday evening as I looked for a parking space and couldn't find one near the Malonga Casquelourde Center for the Arts, where Diamano Coura had its annual concert. So I drove on up to Franklin and went to the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, where there was a celebration for women composers and musicians. It was so nice. India Cooke was in the house, as was John Handy. Angela welcomed the audience into her living room, which has sofas, chairs and stools.

People got up periodically to get snacks as the concert wove its way though original music by pianist Tammy Hall, trombonist Angela Wellman and violist, Sandi Poindexter. Some of the songs played were "Back to the Source" and "For Ms. Jones" for Etta, "Imumu," "Leon Azul," "Noname," "Hip Hip," which featured a wonderful singer, Branice McKenzie, "I Can't Remember," "Sermon in Blue," "Another One Speaks" and "Willow Weep for Me," which featured the bassist Carla Kaufman and "I Don't Know What to Say." The band was fantastic and Angela said they plan to do this again, so keep your ears open.

Other members of the band were drummer Roger Myers and Nzingah Smith on flute and saxophone. They were wonderful! The OPC is wheelchair accessible and parking wasn't a problem. Visit www.opcmusic.org or call (510) 836-4649 to hear of upcoming events.

Wanda Sabir with Alona Clifton at Alona’s party at Geoffrey’s Saturday

After the concert, we went up to Geoffrey's for the Pisces Birthday Party. It was my friend Alona's birthday celebration and it was collaboration between lots of ladies born under this sign. The food was all gone and after thinking about it, I decided I didn't want to stay, but it was great seeing so many Black people over 40 celebrating each other. I was headed home to finish Walter Mosley's latest book, "Blonde Faith." I highly recommend this Easy Rawlins mystery. There's lots of killing - and considering the fact that this is the anniversary of the war and also the Resurrection weekend, it is thematically apropos.

Another book I am reading that is also topical is James Baldwin's "The Fire Next Time." The man is so brilliant. Every parent should sit their adolescent boys down and review this essay with them - it might provide the tools needed to combat the structural violence that assaults them daily.

Joyce Gordon Gallery's 5th Anniversary Exhibit

I missed opening night at Joyce Gordon Gallery, 406 14th St., Oakland, but I looked though the window at Ed Dwight sculptures and paintings, which are up through April 27 of the month. Visit www.joycegordongallery.com. Gallery hours are 12-7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. For information, call (510) 465-8928 or write This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama

I hope you got over to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to see this exhibition before it closed Sunday. It was so what I needed to be doing this weekend. I felt healed afterwards. My soul felt healthier, more optimistic as I traveled the route to loving kindness. Eighty-eight artists envisioned the Tibetan leader in video, clay, paper, paint, fiber ... It was arranged thematically, moving from spirit into transcendence, compassion into peace. I love one video which showed how "bling" or jewelry associated with hip hop culture was melted down and made into a bowl used in temple rituals.

Another installation had over 20 voices reflecting on transcendence. I also liked the coconuts representing raped woman and the stacked telephone books carved with silhouettes of the Dalai Lama. Photographs of Tibetans who live near Mt. Everest - native to the region, they are the minority. There were lots of installations we could touch. Sayings of the Dalai Lama were on the walls between sections.

In the final section I visited, there was a hologram where a woman was sitting on a little sofa telling a story to her dog. It looked so real, but it was just a projection. There was a prayer and an inflated Dalai Lama with the face of the artist. One quote I liked was, "In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher." And in "Belief Systems: This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."

And then Monday we read or hear about the murders of protestors in Tibet.

Bay View Arts Editor Wanda Sabir can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Visit her website, www.wandaspicks.com, for an expanded version of Wanda's Picks and for exciting "web exclusives."

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