John Cage is the one person I happen to have known on this list of artists. A memorable afternoon spent with John is documented in Beginning Composition.

I did sit adjacent to Laurie Anderson in the audience during a John Cage Festival held at Symphony Space in Manhattan in the eighties, my girlfriend reprimanding me for staring a few times, not understanding she was a famous musical artist who I had not yet met.

Thursday Afternoon by Brian Eno, first heard in 1985, was an important influence in my musical life, referencing that album in the title, Thursday Evening, featured on the Polynesian Woman album.

Innervisions by Steve Wonder is one of my favorite albums of all time. I was once at a reception for him at a Los Angeles hotel in 1997, but we didn't actually have a chance to speak to one another. However, meeting the widow of Sammy Davis Jr. on that occasion was unforgettable, Altovese Joanne Davis confiding fascinating and moving details of their life together.

Chinese Legend was played by Martin Perlich on KUSC FM, including enthusing about my usage of musical timbres from a wide range of foreign lands, and also the unique album cover art design.

Martin would later interview me twice on KCSN FM.

Earlier in his career, Perlich interviewed Aaron Copland, Darious Milhaud,

my Tanglewood music teacher Leonard Bernstein,

Pierre Boulez,

my composition teacher Steve Reich

and Frank Zappa.

Pandit Jasraj,

Ravi Shankar,

Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy,

Lee Konitz

and Joel Chadabe were among others also taken by Chinese Legend.

A dance performance at UCLA was centered upon the album, too.

My essay about Mantra by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Mesmeric Mantra Enchants Even Ravens, received this response:

Dear Michael,

beautiful to read!!

In Inda cows, snakes and ravens are considered closest to human beings, with human emotions….

So this is sure proof!

Thanks for this. It made the night!

Mit herzlichem Gruß

Kathinka Pasveer

Stockhausen-Stiftung für Musik

- Michael Robinson Longhi, February 2021, Los Angeles

Michael Robinson Longhi is a Los Angeles-based composer, pianist, and musicologist. His over 200 albums include over 150 albums for meruvina and over 50 albums of piano improvisations. He has performed and lectured at various American churches, universities, colleges, NPR, Pacifica, college, and community radio stations, high schools, elementary schools and community centers including all over the world online.

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