When Great Trees Fall

By Maya Angelou

When great trees fall,

rocks on distant hills shudder,

lions hunker down

in tall grasses,

and even elephants

lumber after safety.

When great trees fall

in forests,

small things recoil into silence,

their senses

eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,

the air around us becomes

light, rare, sterile.

We breathe, briefly.

Our eyes, briefly,

see with

a hurtful clarity.

Our memory, suddenly sharpened,

examines,

gnaws on kind words

unsaid,

promised walks

never taken.

Great souls die and

our reality, bound to

them, takes leave of us.

Our souls,

dependent upon their

nurture,

now shrink, wizened.

Our minds, formed

and informed by their

radiance,

fall away.

We are not so much maddened

as reduced to the unutterable ignorance

of dark, cold

caves.

And when great souls die,

after a period peace blooms,

slowly and always

irregularly. Spaces fill

with a kind of

soothing electric vibration.

Our senses, restored, never

to be the same, whisper to us.

They existed. They existed.

We can be. Be and be

better. For they existed.

JAY was my Mentor in Directing Her Original "VOICE GROUP" of Improvising

Singers for 3 Years. JAY taught me PATIENCE in the Art of Vocal Improvisation, and to TRUST my Artistic instincts as a Vocalist.  At some point after listening to

me sing as a Soloist, JAY merely said to me: ''YOU'RE READY!!" which prepared me to pursue a Career as a Jazz Vocalist ....

My condolences to Dejha and to Jay's family. I first met Jay around 1982, at Cobi Narita's Women's Jazz Festival in NYC and again through Kirk Nurock, who often presented his vocal group, Natural Sound, with Jay as a guest and performed duo with her at his loft in Chelsea..Jay blew me away with her creativity, sound and musicality. 

After I moved to Europe in ’92, we reconnected whenever I came back to NYC or she came to Europe. I was able to present her in a concert of her music with my students at the Jazz Institut Berlin a few years ago, and I’m so glad that happened. Other important moments were creating our “Voices in Flight” project, and performing it. Teaching together at the Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp was so much fun. I learned things from Jay about relating with students, colleagues, and my own state of mind. She was an inspiring presence in the lives of so many of us on the vocal jazz scene.

She was a true, loving friend, always ready to hear my troubles, supportive, funny and sympathetic. We'd go out and meet or hear other singers, and Jay always had a positive, spiritual mindset. And her calendars were both inspiring and funny, just like Jay. Her little paintings are precious to me too...Missing her so much.

Dejha, your loving, selfless care of her was a wonder to see; she was one lucky Mom and I know you felt lucky to be able to do that for her. You surely have been a superwoman--incredibly strong, and I know Dov was very involved too. You kids were her pride and joy...