I just thought of Eric and decided to Google him. His death notice came up promptly. Although it was a great shock, this is happening quite often to me among my contemporaries and not so unexpectedly sometimes.
Anyone who follows me may know that I am an avid jazz and music fan. I often do music and artist reviews spontaneously. Music has been a formative institution of my life since I used to crawl on the floor as a toddler and fondle my dad’s 78 RPM collection. This love has continued throughout my lifetime.
In my later high school and early college years I started listening at the behest of my older brother Harold (late), to the many complex jazz rhythms and their composers of the day. I became a fan by proxy and course it all seemed so cool until I actually “ fell in love” with the music—a ‘love’ that lingers to this day.
I used to listen to Eric’s show on WBUR radio (Boston University) as a single woman in my early 20’s. It was a time full of loneliness and change and the music of the timed help me to weather both of these realities.
I was always in tune with the music and became a pretty avid collector of vinyl albums. My sensibilities, which had been badly abused by the harsh realities of my development were soothed in the aura of the music of the time.
Years later after a stint in Rhode Island, which had great college jazz radio, and a stint in Chicago, which had great live jazz, I returned to the Boston area. Eric had never stopped playing and promoting music in all those years. I used to see him and his wife at a local mosque that we attended. I was happy to find his show and continue listening to him throughout the mayhem of the late 70’s to mid 80’s.
I moved to the San Fransisco Bay Area in the mid eighties and again began to focus on live jazz since the offerings were so diverse. San Jose State University did, however have a great jazz show that I followed.
Sometime since my move to Houston in the early aughts, I found Eric on Facebook and followed him. I let him know that I was a long-time fan and we began to chat on occasion and exchange notes. In Boston Eric was known as the “Dean of Boston Jazz”, so I never forgot my place in the hierarchy during our exchanges.
At some point I found it too difficult to go back through all of that time and space in my own history to listen to Eric’s show, Eric in the Evening on WGBH radio, Boston. Thus, it has been awhile.
I offer condolences to Eric’s family and listeners. He was truly a master of his craft (DJ) an an undisputed jazz historian who was also generous and kind: from Allah do we come and to Him is our return.
Linda Tauhid, MS
Linda Tauhid’s Journal
Linda Tauhid 