Harris Wulfson from JCS

[LaurieTvedt]

For those of you posting long enough to have been part of the Jazz Central Station community, I'm sad to report that Harris Wulfson passed away this week. Harris built the original BBS there (and created the hidden "chair"). He was also a talented composer and violinist; some of you may remember hearing him play at the Knitting Factory.

I got the news from another former JCSer, Jill Maxi Schreibman, who wrote:
"i believe you knew harris wulfson from n2k ... wanted you to know that he died a few days ago and was buried today. i don't know a whole lot about it, only that he went missing from a nyc hospital a few days ago. am hoping that there will be some kind of gathering, but don't see anything happening yet. if you are still in touch with any jcs folks from the bbs, maybe you can let them know."

I lost touch with Harris a few years after N2K shut down JCS, but I remember him fondly as a brilliant and creative man. For those of you who knew him (and even those who didn't), there is a short entry on him in Wikipedia that has a link to some of his music.

He will be missed.

[shrugs]

Harris,

we hardly knew ya.....


same goes for you Laurie.

keeep in touch.

[rollhead]

VERY sad to hear of Harris's passing, but great to hear from you Laurie.

Harris Wulfson (1974-2008) was a composer, instrumentalist and software engineer living in Brooklyn, New York. His work employs algorithmic processes and gestural controllers to explore the boundary where humans encounter their machines.

He was involved in the creation of various custom software tools called Automatic Notation Generators (ANGs) developed to aid in the creation of algorithmic instrumental compositions. In August 2007, he spoke on the topic of ANGs at the International Computer Music Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

For the 2006 Look and Listen Festival in New York City, Harris Wulfson presented his SensorBall, a small electronic device, slightly larger than a baseball, with pressure-sensitive controls, all wired to a laptop computer and the results channeled through loudspeakers. When pressed and rotated, the ball produces sounds that erupt apparently without pattern.[1]

Harris graduated from Amherst College and later received an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts.[2]

Harris was also an accomplished violinist, accordionist, and mandolin player.

You can find samples of Wulfson's compositions at http://wulfson.com

[Ron Thorne]

I'm very sorry to learn of Harris' passing, Laurie. He was a very creative person, to say the least, and an internet innovator to be sure. What a shame. And he was such a young cat!

I don't if you remember me from the JCS days, but I remember you and Jill fondly and have wondered about you both over the years. Please don't be a stranger.





R.I.P., Harris Wulfson~

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Yes, I remember Harris Wulfson. Seems like such a long time ago. Thanks, Laurie.

RIP - Harris

[Lenny D.Guitarist]

Thanks to Mr. Wulfson for his concept and production of "The Chair" at JCS. The Chair provided Deep, Mr. Conan Nado, and assorted other interesting characters with a venue to express themselves more fully. Rest in peace, Mr. Wulfson.

[Brian Olewnick]

Sad about Harris.

But great to hear from you , Laurie. Many of us have missed you.

[Monte Smith]

I was thinking about The Chair yesterday, I really was. That was a cool concept that was pulled off so successfully. Harris didn't tell anyone about it, he just let users find it and have fun. Well it was a gift he gave us. Very sorry to hear of his passing. Thanks for the news, Laurie, glad to hear from you.

[Steve Reynolds]

sorry to hear the sad news - I don't now that I met Harris but I remember sweetly those days


and Laurie, wow _ a blast from the past


hope all is well


Steve

[steve(thelil)]

Too bad something as tragic as Harris's untimely death had to bring on a thread which otherwise makes brings back sweet memories of the old chair. Great to hear from Laurie and to hear of Jill again. And with Stevie Rey and I posting back to back, I might break into "The Way We Were"

RIP, buddy.

[Chris D]

So sad, what a talented guy.

"Take it to The Chair!"

[Steve Reynolds]

and the name "Alley" is ok


but there is always only 1 original


there was *nothing* like the excitement of discovering the old Jazz Central Station and discovering my new friends. Who would have thought a few years prior that anything like that (and this place as well) could ever exist.

And discovering that were more than a few people who shared the same love for some of the same music...

and the get togethers were very special to me. The memories now mean more than they did a few years back when I was in a very bad space and place.

and finding out about new music through this place was quite an experience


and spreading my thoughts and feelings about what I discovered helped me keep it together when eventually nothing else mattered.


peace and blessings

[Gary Sisco]

RIP to Harris. We used to call him "our Creator" and he was, in lots of ways. Very sorry to hear this. He was much too young and creative to meet his fate so soon.

Also great to see both Laurie and Stevie Rey show up not just on the board but on the same thread. I miss you both and hope you both are doing well.

I can't remember what year I first came online and found JCS. Must be a decade, now, I'd guess. It changed my life, really, as I'd never had, as a jazz guy, adult, anything like the community that formed there around the music.

Great characters. Good times.

[Steve Reynolds]

Well I really do love a few of the people I met here


and the *great* Gary Sisco is one of them


Josh Heisler was another


and Gordon, Darryl and of course, the late Randy Oliver


I am not quote the nostalgic person I once was, because I also know what was happening to me during and moreso after those good times. I know my life ended up in a very dark place.

but the *true* memories cannot be forgotten or erased.

the music, the laughs, my insanity

[clinthopson]

I was only aware of JCS in it last year or so, but was thrilled to find so many characters who had the same love for the music I had.

Thank you, Mr. W.

It's fine that so many of these characters made their way to JC. Without those whackos, this would be a very dull place.

[Gary Sisco]

Thanks for the thoughts, Steve.

Randy was the best of us, I think.

I haven't heard anything from Josh in quite a while. Anyone know how he's doing?

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Thanks for the thoughts, Steve.

Randy was the best of us, I think.

I haven't heard anything from Josh in quite a while. Anyone know how he's doing?

About six or seven years ago, shortly after having moved to Jersey City, I was in my car, probably going home from Hoboken, attempting to cross the stream of traffic heading into the Holland Tunnel. As usual, there were some idiots who were blocking the intersection when the light turned green for me. I looked up and one of them was Heisler.

"Heisler!", I yelled, "Get that fucking car out of the intersection!"

He was startled (chortle), then we laughed and waved to each other.

Last time I saw him!

[Gary Sisco]

I sent him an email quite a long while back, now, but didn't get a response. I hope he's doing well.

That's a funny story, Brian.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Wow. Too young. RIP Harris.

Good to hear from Laurie too. I think Laurie took us out in the city one night and we met Harris but maybe I'm scrambling names.

I've yet to find a web interface that I liked as much as the one at JCS. It seemed to work well. Of course, it could be that there weren't as many of us back then... or it could be nostalgia.

Take it to the chair!

[Gary Sisco]

Hi, Kevin!

[Enforcer]

I have fond memories of JCS and Harris' creative vision for that board and ability to realize it were big reasons why. I loved that place, and the cast of characters that frequented it. Some are still here, some have moved on.

RIP, Harris.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

About six or seven years ago, shortly after having moved to Jersey City, I was in my car, probably going home from Hoboken, attempting to cross the stream of traffic heading into the Holland Tunnel. As usual, there were some idiots who were blocking the intersection when the light turned green for me. I looked up and one of them was Heisler.

"Heisler!", I yelled, "Get that fucking car out of the intersection!"

He was startled (chortle), then we laughed and waved to each other.

Last time I saw him!

Brian, Josh was at the Vision Festival about three years ago. I could have sworn you were there as well.

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Cantiello

Brian, Josh was at the Vision Festival about three years ago. I could have sworn you were there as well.

Jimmy, you know I try to block Vision Fest memories...Don't think I ran into him that time, though, but maybe.

[tippy]

I was not a JCS'er - I joined JC in 1999 - but sorry to hear of Mr. Harris loss anyway. And it's nice to hear from Laurie although sorry for the circumstances which caused her to visit.

[steve(thelil)]

Originally Posted by tippy

I was not a JCS'er - I joined JC in 1999 - but sorry to hear of Mr. Harris loss anyway. And it's nice to hear from Laurie although sorry for the circumstances which caused her to visit.

I remember (a portion of) a great early hang once at 55 Bar, where Laurie sat in and belted out a great rendition of Blues in the Night (I think was the song) with the soul-jazz quintet that was playing there. For Josh's amusement, I then requested that the band play some Brotzmann.

[tippy]

ooops, Mr. Wulfson, I mean

[steve(thelil)]

Frequent JCS Posters who don't show up much here in the last couple of years (unless I'm wrong, and I often am):


When I first discovered JCS the names I remember as being regulars who don't show up here much any more were; Shap Dogg Da Real Deal (really), Conan, Bruce Woods, a teenaged female Canadian bass player who's name escapes me, Chris ("Hardbop"), Big Al, Hippie Sista Kim , Laurie, Tom ("Let's talk about pies"). There was also wild poltitically radical guy name Mark, who was a blast. There was also Roger ("Songscout"), Chris Albertson, Billy Baltimore, Professor Dave, Mich (who was dating DD Jackson at around that time); a young musician who's name escapes me who came to my first hang from far away Canada and who's slogan was "centralparknorth",

Others who either predated my arrival or appeared shortly after I came aboard, included Deep, Lala,
Tim Kroesen, Carlton (who loved the LP "Live at Pips"), AJ, frankiepop, saxnova (Joel Frahm), Jiveman (Phil Grenadier). Soon thereafter "Rollerhead" appeared. He morphed into our beloved Rollhead.

Jill Maxi was at the helm.

Does anybody know when the JCS boards started and/or the timeframe I'm talking about here?

[jillmaxi]

hello old friends and those i haven't had the pleasure of meeting (yet),

i thought it appropriate to pay a visit to the modern day incarnation of the chair (laurie clued me in). i too was shocked to hear that he was missing a few days ago, and having spent the last year as a clinical social work intern in a large nyc hospital, had some theories about what might have prompted his elopement, but none of them add up to anything now because harris is dead.

the last few times i saw harris, i am ashamed to admit, i put my head down and hoped he wouldn't notice me. this is because i was stressed out, writing term papers, a mess, and didn't want to talk to anybody let alone someone i respected and admired as much as harris. i was in ozzie's in brooklyn and i thought i overheard him talking to friends about (yet another?) graduate program, at CUNY this time. i figured, i'll run into him some time when i've brushed my teeth and seem more human. another time i saw him under similar circumstances, and thought the same thing. i blew it. i didn't get another chance. lesson learned: don't avoid people if you can help it.

i can attest to harris's brilliance. in the very early days of n2k, there were a bunch of really brilliant guys and gals there dreaming up the things that are now old news, or hoping for the day that music could be downloaded, or internet sound quality would be better. harris was softspoken and kind. i had a really sweet dream about him once - it wasn't quite sexual, but it was physical. i woke up with this 3-dimensional sense of harris that i didn't have before.

i was sad yesterday thinking of his family throwing dirt on his casket outside somewhere, recalling the ache of loss and knowing they were feeling that, but that i had the luxury of touching the memory and then filing it away.

so, to those who knew harris, it's good that we all hold a piece of a memory of a fine person. it seems impossible that this is true.

i'm glad to see you all. the time i spent at jcs was amazing in so many ways. facebook and all these (silly) web 2.0 sites have NOTHING on the chair.

may all who grieve for harris wulfson find peace and comfort as they reckon with this untimely and tragic piece of news. may all beings be at peace without exception.

group hug
jill maxi schreibman
former (and first!) editor of jcs bbs

[Steve Reynolds]

Marc Lombardo, I think was the radical

I saw Cecil Taylor with Professor Dave - a trio with Dominic Duval & Jackson Krall. Abdullah Ibrahim opened with his trio.

I remember Dominic Duval telling me that Cecil referred to Ibrahim as half a dollar or something to that effect.

yeah - this was 1997/98. I believe the Andrew Hill premier of the sextet was in 1998 at the Knitting Factory Festival. A bujch of us also saw Dave Holland's quintet that year with Potter, Eubanks, Nelson & the *great* Billy Kilson on drums.

a few of us were amazed and talked long into the night after a few of those shows

at the *height* of Layer Thelil's imaginative powers


sisco - do I have the time frame right?

[Lenny D.Guitarist]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Thanks for the thoughts, Steve.

Randy was the best of us, I think.

I haven't heard anything from Josh in quite a while. Anyone know how he's doing?

Randy Oliver wrote one of the nicest messages to me at JCS. I doubt if there's any record of it, but it showed how much of a class act he was. I also remember someone, either one of his family members or a friend, writing to either JCS or Jazzcorner shortly after he passed away, explaining how much our BBS fraternity/sorority meant to him. Bittersweet stuff. So many good people gone far too early....