Happy New Year (from Sid!)

Happy Naw Ruz, for all of you coming off the fast.

Another Year Passes By

Family and friends still miss Sid, but we celebrate his enduring family on this second anniversary of his death.

From Gia:

I can feel grandpa in the air, no words can describe what an amazing character he was. He had such an impact on every single person he met. We will all be with him so soon, so the only thing we can do here is be the best we can be and spread the teachings of Baha'u'llah the way our grandfater did. I love you grandpa Sid and I dedicate my work here on earth to you. Love Giachary. Allah-u-Abha!!! Hapy Fasting everyone! I'm actually really excited for this fast right now. I can't wait to start the year fresh and get in touch with my Baha'i food within my everyday. Love you!!!

He loved his kids, Kelly, Leslie and Gary. But he was especially fond of his grandchildren, Aria, Sonny, Giachary, Summer, Ruby, Carmel, Kelsey, Chase and Sutherland.



He is smiling from the Kingdom of Abha at his first great grandson, Leroy (Carmel and Michael's child).

Sid died on the eve of the fast.

"The Aqdas states: 'We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity [15 years]; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers ... The traveler, the ailing, those who are with child or giving such, are not bound by the fast ... Abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sundown and beware lest desire deprive you of this grace that is appointed in the Book'"

The period of the fast is March 2 through March 20.

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light, through which the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the Written Tablet revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered, to send down upon me and upon them who are in my company that which will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy transcendent glory, and will wash us from the stain of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering into the tabernacle of Thy unity.

I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors. Do Thou ordain for me and for my loved ones the good of this world and of the world to come. Supply them, then, with the Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain for the choicest among Thy creatures.

These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou has bidden Thy servants to observe the fast. Blessed is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things except Thee. Assist me and assist them, O my Lord, to obey Thee and to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou choosest.

There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

Baha'u'llah

In loving memory of Sid, Allah-u-Abha.

Nice Pictures From Herb Stark

Ruby Summer Doing Lady Gaga's "Let's Dance"

Sid's granddaughters, Ruby and Summer, singing Lady Gaga's "Just Dance." Enjoy.

Happy Birthday

I cannot remember the year this was taken, and somewhere I have another picture of all the people that were at this party at the Burbank house on Parish Ave.

Ah, the good old days at 551 S. Parish.

Happy Birthday, Sid. We all miss you.

Moulin Rouge

Leslie and Kelly wrote this song and recorded it for their mom and dad. Hope you enjoy it.

One Year Later

It's been a year since Sid passed away. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to keep this blog up and running for him.

It's still hard to get songs up on the blog that featured him as a drummer. Here's a fun link to Allen Eager's "Perdido," except it's just a 30 second bit.

Found this interesting piece about Maynard Ferguson and Sid:

By way of background, with close friend tenor saxophonist Willie Maiden as his partner, Maynard used the steady studio gig at Paramount as a means of bankrolling a library of big band arrangements. Both were twenty-six years old in 1955 when they began building a library with arrangements that could be adapted to different set ups for the traditional big band. Funding some arrangements was one thing, but they lacked the necessary financing to put together a band to actually play them.

Until, that is, “Fate” in the form of Maynard’s friend, drummer Sid Bulkin, intervened. As Primack tells it in his Mosaic insert notes:

“… Sid Bulkin met with Birdland owner Morris Levy and Vik Records A&R man Jack Lewis. Levy and Lewis were looking for someone to briefly front a Birdland Dream Band, and Bulkin successfully served as Maynard’s intermediary.”

When Ferguson went to New York in 1956 to meet with Levy and Lewis, his big band book consisted of arrangements by Jazz’s best: Manny Albam, Jimmy Giuffre, Bill Holman, Willie Maiden, Johnny Mandel, Marty Paich and Ernie Wilkins. Once in New York, he would add charts by Al Cohn.

With a book like this, it’s no wonder that Levy and Lewis agreed to put up the money for a Birdland Dream Band that was to initially include:

Trumpets: Maynard [and valve trombone], Al DeRisi, Nick Travis and Joe FerranteTrombones: Jimmy Cleveland, Sonny Russo [or Eddie Bert]Alto Sax: Herb Geller Tenor Sax: Al Cohn and Budd JohnsonBaritone Sax: Ernie WilkinsPiano: Hank
Jones; Bass: Milt Hinton; Drums: Jimmy Campbell [or Don Lamond].

Pretty cool, my uncle Sid!