I just received the news of Paul's passing.  

I considered Paul one of my best friends, and I kept in touch over the years.

He was always in search of the truth whoever found it first, (and it was usually him). This was ongoing as long as I knew him.

What a talent, mind, and sense of humour!

He was a tremendous conversationist, and a formidable gourmet cook, (ever have one of his Belgium waffles?) I remember making my Italian sauce for him one night - I said, "so, what do you think?" He said, "Really good Jewish spaghetti sauce, man."

He loved the fights. We were in a constant conversation about the lighter weight class competitors of the day: Aaron Pryor, Pippino Cuevas, Mike Ayayla, and of course Ali. I'll never forget the fun he had when he and Morris would do a gig, Paul assuming the banter of Ali and Morris that of Frazier.

I had a house in Minneapolis in the early 70's. It was one of those cribs where you never locked the front door. I had a piano, a set of drums and an upright bass in the living room. It was open to all the players in town. Sometimes I'd come home from the gig, and there were all these cats playing in my living room, I didn't even know half of them. Scores of folks showed up at some point including, Gene and Jerry Hubbard, Joe Hill, Eric Gravatt, Tom Lewis, Jay Epstein, Jay Young, Mike Croix, John Ganapes, Dave Berget, Eric Almen, Larry Hillman, Jeff Johnson, Roberta Davis, Art Resneck, Billy Shields, the OD, John Lockwood, John Einwick, Wally Walstead, Jim Marentic, Dick Oatts, Billy Hobbs, Larry Loud, Mike Kittleson, Dan Morgan, Chuck Adams, George Avaloz, Dave Maslowe, Buddy Davis, Kay Nygaard, Sue Drude, and Paul  Lagos.

Paul was my "jazz College"  education. I started studying all this shit he told me about:

Emphasis of form; How to learn a tune; Tempos; How to go "outside"; Alternate changes; Free playing; How to "float"; Schillenger/Resultant Rhythm; Spud Murphy, Hindemith/Schoenberg Harmony Books; Slonimsky; Stravinsky; Composition on every level; Miles, Wayne, Herbie Ron and Tony; Listen, Listen, and then Listen some more!

One of the highlights of that time for me was a band we put together that performed at the Longhorn a few times.

Jim Marentic, tenor/composer, Dick Oatts, alto, Steve Lewis, trumpet, Jim Tinbentzel, bone, Jay Young, bass, Michael Royal, piano and Paul on drums.  We played  tunes Jim wrote among them "One for Gurdjieff", and "Catharsis". Simply, some of the best writing I ever heard.

Paul had a nurturing way of getting you to go beyond your own shit. I figured out how to play on those tunes because of his expert coaching.

The Lump was the best coach I ever saw. 

I moved to L.A. in 1981 and lived with him at his house in Pasadena in the early 80's. There I met an array of incredible  musicians among them, Richard Alplanaugh, Norman Johson and Larry Koontz, not to mention the incredible music listening experiences sprinkled with Paul's parentheticals through the days and nights.

He was on a relentless search for "That Sweet Feeling" the "True Shit", musically and spiritually. We had extended conversations on the Course in Miracles, Handbook to Higher Consciousness, the Bible, Buddhism, Scientology, Hermeticism, the love of animals, the virtues and woes of the poppy plant, the hippness and jiveness of various social trends and hilarious gossip free-for-alls.

The last time we talked (August 2009) He was actively engaged at healing himself through the pantheons of wisdom he had explored.

He loved animals and applauded my efforts in Animal Rescue. (www.royalpetrescue.com)

 I will miss the phone ringing and that voice on the other end, "What's the lastest musical shit, motherfucker?"

- michael royal