Wendell Logan

Wendell Logan has died. I spent four years at Oberlin in the jazz ensemble. My first year Donald Byrd was there as Wendell was on leave. I spent three years with Wendell, the last two as his assistant and composition student.

It is possible that nobody has ever been more "real" than Wendell. He told it like it is.

He won a football scholarship to FAMU and wrote their marching shows each week. That still amazes me.

He would absolutely ravage me in our sessions. "What else you got?" was a phrase I heard often. Yet, he championed me at the same time. I was the only student who had their music played by the group while I was there. That made a huge impression on me.

He will be missed.