Jon Hassell (March 22, 1937 - June 26, 2021)

Jon Hassell has been a constant a hero of mine.

For many years, staring at me every day, was a short list of hero names. Jon was the only musician on that list.

My heroes are, pretty much, based on persistence of vision. He had that dial set to high.

I have never played any of his music. I have never played with him. I’ve never seen him perform live. I know nothing about his personal or even professional life. All I know is from within the music. That has been enough to consistently set me on fire.

I can never listen to Jon’s recordings casually. They are an immediate jolt to my creative life and that’s how I approach them. I always find something startling and inspiring there. With most listenings, the seed of idea appears that I can take, plant into my world and grow something of my own. For me, this is a pinnacle of musicianship – that even one small phrase can open up whole worlds. Of course, you must make the effort to take it and run. Jon’s ideas, for me, come pre-built with running shoes.

His background is presented elsewhere, but it is of significant note that he studied with both Stockhausen and Pandit Pran Nath.

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