"At home [in California] I used to play, and the birds always used to whistle with me. I would stop what I was working on and play with the birds."

He described how bird calls had been recorded and then slowed down in playback; the bird calls had a timbre similar to that of a flute. Conversely, he said, a symphony flutist recorded these bird calls, and when the recording was played at a fast speed, it sounded like birds.

Having made his point about the connection of bird whistles and flute playing, Dolphy explained his use of quarter tones when playing flute.

"That's the way birds do," he said. "Birds have notes in between our notes-you try to imitate something they do and, like, maybe it's between F and F#, and you'll have to go up or come down on the pitch. It's really something! And so, when you get playing, this comes. You try to do some things on it. Indian music has something of the same quality-different scales and quarter tones. I don't know how you label it, but it's pretty."

The musicians of Miles Davis' electric period reminisce in Electric Miles: A Different Kind Of Blue about their leader's quality as a listner. Keith Jarret dubs him the best listening band leader. When these young guys were making sound, creating a mass of rhythms and vibrations they often felt lost, wondering what it was they were doing, where it all was going. And then Miles would play a phrase or melody which would illuminate the chaos, revealing the pieces and pointing the way. And the music made sense; the musicans were once again en ensemble. B.Franklin's autobiography coems to mind again, and for two reasons. One is the virtue of patience. Miles knew what he was doing, he understood the tension in balance between form and free expression. His musicans may have felt lost, perhaps confused, but they had the patience -- and foresight -- to rely on their master musican band leader. He had a vision and direction to pick the pieces of music and give it meaning. The other virtue, and the one that allowed the patience of the musicans, was Miles' keen ability to listen. To not always be talking and playing over everybody, feeling and following a groove far out beyond others' perception. He was interested in working with others as a team, as a band. Miles was open to the ideas and the playing of his younger bandmates; in truth, he relied on them. His music is great because he listened to where everyone was coming from and where they were going. And then he gave them all a vehicle to travel in, one that would accomodate all of their points of departure and all of their destination. Creative improvisation with a strong common voice.

Though made by white men, the 1974 film Space is The Place featuring cosmic jazz man Sun Ra, is not a blaxploitation movie. Ra is working against the stereotype of the downtrodden African American of the 1970s. His is a message of empowerment, enlightenment and a promise of spaceways salvation for black people. The arkestra sounds the call as funky space music, enticing people to follow their lead away from the racism and anger of Earth to Ra's outer space. Sun Ra's music is folk music, and this is featured best in June Tyson's performances. Powerfully sung, but fun songs, she is bridge between the Arkestra's roots in avant space jazz and soul funk as protest music. The message: Get with Ra's groove and get on his space ship for an escape from the oppressions of late 20th century America.

• WNYC (NPR, classical, espeically evening music with David Garland--weeknights 7-10pm)
• WFMU (ecelectic freeform, like nothing you've ever heard)
• WQXR (straight up classical)
• WKCR (Columbia mostly jazz, Birdflight weekday mornings with Phil Schapp, all Charlie Parker, homerecordings and takes you will hear nowhere elese. Out to Lunch: more adventurous)