In Memoriam:: Khalil Shaheed~1949-2012

The Remarkable Current Musician Collective mourns the loss of Brother Khalil Shaheed, who passed away on Friday, March 23, 2012, in his home in Oakland, California, surrounded by family and friends.

Khalil Shaheed was a integral member of RC's Musician Collective for many years and contributed his talents to almost every album release and countless songs.  He collaborated with all of the other artists on the label and his creative and experimental trumpet performances added depth and dimension to so many Remarkable Current Ventures.

As an individual, award-winning performer of international repute, Shaheed’s accomplishments are as memorable as they are many:  In addition to touring with Buddy Miles for 7 years, he has also performed with Jimi Hendrix, Woody Shaw and Taj Mahal, John Handy, and Billy Higgins and has been featured as a jazz soloist with the Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestra. As a recording artist he has appeared on over 30 albums, many with Miles and Hendrix, as well as Ledisi, Babatunde Lea, Sidi Yassir, Tyson, Baraka Blue, DJ Anas Canon, and many many more.  And as a performer, he maintained an active schedule playing over the years with four different bands: Big Belly Blues, Mo’ Rockin Project, the jazz improvisation group Open Mind Ensemble, and the Redwood Brass, a classical quartet.

In addition to leaving a legacy of jazz performance, Khalil also founded Oaktown Jazz Workshops, based in Oakland and formed in 1994.  Oaktown Jazz Workshops (OJW) celebrates jazz music as an American indigenous art form of profound artistic and cultural significance.  OJW's purpose is to promote, preserve, and present this music so that all youth develop a sense of ownership and pride in jazz music as a uniquely American cultural tradition.   The goal of OJW is to provide young musicians with focused opportunities to develop a new or deeper relationship with this rich medium of expression; both as skilled performers and as informed and involved listeners. OJW creates a safe, structured environment in which young people with different levels of musical experience are able to come and be a part of a creative jazz ensemble under the guidance of professional master musicians. Through new initiatives, OJW continues to make jazz music accessible to Bay Area youth as our programs bring together young musicians from diverse backgrounds, joined by their common interest in jazz.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO OAKTOWN JAZZ, TO HELP PRESERVE KHALIL'S LEGACY:   http://oaktownjazz.org/

Rest in peace, dear Brother.  You will be missed but never forgotten, and the legacy of your music will remain alive in our hearts, minds and ears.

Please enjoy one of Remarkable Current's favorite tracks that Khalil's trumpet graced, "Salam Alaykum" by Sidi Yassir:


UPDATE - A NOTE FROM KHALIL'S FAMILY:

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow we will gather to bury our brother, Khalil Shaheed.  At 1 p.m., we will have the janazah prayer at the Jess Spencer Mortuary (21228 Redwood Road, Castro Valley – directly off of the 580 freeway.)  Immediately following the prayer (around 2 p.m.), we will go to the Lone Tree Cemetery (24591 Fairview Avenue, Hayward) for the burial. 

Note to non-Muslims:  The janazah is a traditional Muslim funeral service.  There are two parts – the prayer and the burial - and it is perfectly acceptable to come for one part and not the other, depending on your schedule. 

Plans to gather in the next few weeks, to celebrate Khalil’s life and work, are underway.   If you would like to help with the upcoming memorial celebration, please contact our friend, Tracy Curry at tracycurry@me.com.  We will keep you in the loop and would love to see you at this wonderful party! 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Khalil’s nonprofit – Oaktown Jazz Workshops.  Gifts can be made online at www.oaktownjazz.org at or sent to P.O. Box 3568, Oakland, CA  94609. 

Peace & Love,

Kate Shaheed & Family