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Syd Smart
Syd. Smart, The 1st through 1998 JCMC (excluding the 13th) , began studies in percussion as a child with his father and older brother. Other teachers include:
Milford Graves
drums1940 - 2021

Makanda Ken McIntyre
saxophone1931 - 2001

Cecil Taylor
piano1929 - 2018
Syd founded the Friends of Great Black Music, an organization in support of local artists involved in the musics of the African/American Diaspora. He is also the co-founder of the Annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert Series. Syd has had extensive experience composing for dance, and with Joan-Green Co., founded the Children's Dance Project, which expanded to become the Cambridge Performance Project, a city wide perfoming arts program. Annually, Syd co-conducts "Sound and Movement in Nature," a workshop offered by the Expressive Therapies division of Lesley College.
In 1992, Syd was a resident performing artist at the World Exposition, "Expo '92," in Seville, Spain. While there, on leave from his position with the Cambridge Public Schools, he began curriculum development of an Integrated Thematic Unit of Spain, for third and fourth graders. In 1997, he was a recipient of the prestigious "Dance Belt Award," awarded by the City of Cambridge, MA, for his long-standing support of the arts community. Recently, he joined a team of developers for a soon to be published curriculum that integrates African drums and algebra.
Performance experience includes: Karamu House, Art of Black Dance and Music, Rod Rodgers Dance Co., Boston Art Ensemble,
Sam Rivers
saxophone, tenor Read more
Jimmy Lyons
saxophone, alto1933 - 1986

Bill Dixon
trumpet1925 - 2010

Eric Zinman
piano
Glynis Lomon
cello
Mario Rechtern
multi-instrumentalistb.1942
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by John Sharpe
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