Michael Jazz Trio - Helena's Blues

"Helena's Blues" was written shortly after the death our maternal great, grand mother, Helen Elizabeth Cook Wright, who passed away from cancer April of 2008. Just a few short months before Grandma Helen passed away, her daughter, our Grandmother, moved her to Central Islip from Far Rockaway, Queens. It was during that time; Grandma Helen was in and out of the hospital. Five weeks before she passed, Grandma Helen said she had enough of the hospitals and came home. Grandma Helen received hospice at home while our Grandmother, Mom, Cousin Cynthia Cook and Aunty Marcia took shifts around the clock making sure Grandma Helen was ok. There were baby monitors all over the house, even in the basement. She had a bell and sometimes she would ring it. When someone came running to check on her, she would say she didn't want anything, just wanted to see if the thing worked. Because our family formed such a tight support system, everyone went to Grandma's house to help out everyday: straight there after school, before and after every show, 7 days a week. During the last 5 weeks, we watched her and, at times, it seemed that she would be here forever and other times we thought she would slip away in her next breath. When it was quiet, it seemed the sound of her heart beating filled the entire room. Shortly after her death, we started writing the song "Helena's Blues." The drum beat represents the beating of her heart and the blues. Moments after she died, she no longer had the look of pain and aguish. She looked like she was in a deep peaceful sleep: No more Blues...

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[sk8rvca]

This is amazing what school do you go to? I play jazz trombone at pace.