Dashan (via Matt)

I've been thinking very much about Dashan and the recent tragic news about him. I wasn't as close to Dashan as many others on the scene, yet whenever I saw him he was welcoming and inclusive. Dashan was unique in many ways, one of which, it seemed to me, was that he had very low or even nonexistent barriers between himself and others. He seemed to really love engaging with people and drawing them into his realm. I always appreciated his receptivity. Aside from seeing Dashan at numerous parties and performances, we did have a couple prolonged, intense experiences together--a madcap subway ride home from Brooklyn, and a visit to buy his bass that turned into a 5 or 6 hour social event. I hope at some future point to be able to more fully process my thoughts and write more about Dashan here. I know I'll miss him, though.

In the meantime, Matt Roth has written a really good personal reminiscence about Dashan. I particularly like this line: "There are few people in this world who were as unapologetically good at being themselves as Dashan Coram."

I suspect if you've found your way here to Sidewalk's Sidewalk that OJ and Matt's blog are already on your radar screen. But if not, I hope you'll click here to read Matt's post.