Honorary Senators

"I am the eternal present moment"

Gilles Marie-Paul Laheurte

Born in Lyon (France), 1946 (Gemini / Leo ascendant, Fire Dog)

Raised in Germany and Austria (1947-1964)
Architect/City Planner, artist, writer and poet, amateur musician
Lives in New York since 1966
Resided in Tanzania, Kenya, Haïti and Rwanda (1979-1986)
Extensively worked and traveled in: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde,
Central Africa, Comoros, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali,
Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Somalia, Togo

Music:

Started trumpet at age 10, fooled around with trombone at 18
Self-taught on soprano & sopranino saxophones / bass clarinet /
Tanzanian mbiras (thumb pianos) / cymbals / gongs and percussions
Own CD Release: "Jump and Flee! Improvised Music - A Retrospective 1979-1986"
In preparation: second CD: "Short Cuts – Improvised Music 1998-2002"
Associate Producer: Steve Lacy "10 of Dukes + 6 Originals" (Senators Records - 2002)

Musical highlights:

1st classical LP (in 1954): Grieg’s "Peer Gynt", a dream
1st classical bomb (in 1958): Stravinsky’s "Le Sacre du Printemps"
1st jazz LP heard (in 1960): Miles Davis’ "Kind of Blue", a revelation
1st fascination: John Coltrane's quartet, a deep emotional journey
1st Steve Lacy LP heard (in mid 70's): "Solo in Avignon" 1972, a blast


Favorite Lacy records: "Schooldays", "Stalks", "Sempre amore", "Sands"
Favorite Lacy compositions: "The Wane", "Moon", "Clichés", "Longing", "Resurrection"
Favorite classical music: Debussy, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Ravel, Stravinsky
Some favorite current listening: George Crumb, Evan Parker, Ned Rothenberg, Masahiko Togashi

Writing on music, travel and spirituality:

Book: "Let's Call This The Five Year Bath" - Steve Lacy on Tour (1995-2000)
Liner notes: Steve Lacy's CDs, "The Rent" (Cavity Search) and "Snips" (Jazz Magnet)
"Honorary Senator", Regular Contributor to Steve Lacy’s website <stevelacymusic.org> since 1996
1st essay on Bolivia: "How an impromptu vacation turned into a spiritual journey" (2000)
2nd essay on Bolivia: "The Southern Altiplano: A portal to Heaven" (2001)
Book: "The Servant of the Light" (2002) - Translation & adaptation of "L’Inititiateur" by Serge Marjollet

Poetry:

2002: Award: "Poet of Merit," International Society of poets
2001: Award: "Poet of the Year Award," Famous Poet Society
2001: Award: "Prometheus - The Muse of Fire," Famous Poet Society
2001: Award: "Honorable Mention," Iliad Literary awards program, Iliad Press
2001: Nominated: World Champion Amateur Poet, International Society of Poets
2000-2002: "Déjà Vu," Compilation of 48 poems (4x12)
1997-2000: "Demoniac Angeline," a story in 27 poems

Poems selected for inclusion into the following anthologies
2002 – "Letters from the soul" (International Library of Poetry)
2001 - "The Silence Within" (International Library of Poetry)
2001 - "Awakenings" (Iliad Press)
2001 - "American Poetry Annual" (The Amherst Society)
2001 - "New Millennium Poets" (Famous Poets Society)
and in the CD collection "The Sound of Poetry" (International Library of Poetry)

 © Gilles Laheurte

contact: gilles.laheurte@stevelacymusic.org