Elisha Gullixson Memorial

Part 1

Remembering Elisha Gullixson

by Jim O’Halloran

I am so grateful to have known Elisha, for so many reasons.

Foremost, Elisha was one of the helpers at my opening on April Fool’s Day, 1994. We have kept in touch ever since. After latihan, we would frequently talk about what we were listening to, and share links to music. Various anecdotes frequently followed, especially regarding Elisha’s time in NYC and San Francisco; and who he encountered and heard in those cities.

It was clear that Elisha knew music, because he always played bop so it sounded right.

When I think of Elisha, the words that come to mind are humble, unassuming, inclusive, a gift for making people feel at ease.

Our group has been blessed with amazing members, and Elisha was one of its anchors. Plus, Elisha was just fun to hang out with!

I have been reflecting on something with current relevance that Elisha related to me a number of years ago-and which Hanafi also shared. He wasn’t sure what his role as vice chair should entail and received that he should do the things the chair didn’t want to do!

Your words, music, and spirit live on, Elisha! Thank you.

Elisha Gullixson

by Hanafi Libman

It’s not like I called Elisha every day, or even every week. I did think of him frequently, though. We have a great jazz radio station here, and anytime something particularly good played, I’d wonder if Elisha was listening too. I did think of him more often as I saw him changing in recent months. We’d have conversations about aging, our inner changes, and our friends, who were too frequently departing. I didn’t want to be saying: “Gee, I just saw him last week!” I think of that now, as I just hung out with him the other day, knowing he was leaving, and just chatting, as we sat together on the couch, reminiscing, and talking about nothing in particular. Elisha “knew me”, in a way that can only be explained by years of doing latihan together. His insight into me was better than mine of him.

We laughed at Elisha’s alternate personality, Ethelred Phutzel, who would write letters to diverse Subud entities, pointing out various and sundry issues, in wonderful, silly ways. I hope those letters exist somewhere in the Subud archives.

We go way back. Subud East Coast in the 70s. Maybe before. A few of us at Skymont, Virginia, who were performing together, made a decision to form a new band: The Sparkers, or more accurately, The Sparker Band. It would include Aswan Karapetian, Machmud and Lucas Rowe, Miles Simons, myself, and Elisha. We would move to Seattle, and then to Vancouver, BC. As it turned out, the Canadians didn’t welcome our idea, so our families decided to stay in Seattle. I got there first, from Skymont in 1974, and the Gullixsons arrived a few months later, in 1975, from New York. After a few moves, my family, and the Gullixsons, ended up living in the same 4-unit apartment building. The other band members came to Seattle soon, too. Miles Simons lived in Vancouver. Susilawati Bryant, also of Vancouver, sang with us on occasion. We rehearsed in the Subud Seattle house daily, played at various Subud events, and a few gigs. The band never achieved much success, so we all got day jobs, and were pretty happy living in Seattle. Lucas became an elementary school music teacher. Elisha became a highly respected piano tech and tuner.

I have to relate a crazy, wonderful experience in that vein. One day, for no good reason, I stopped into a big piano store in Bellevue, where I plied my trade as a real estate agent. There was a pretty, modernistic, wooden keyboard instrument, that attracted my attention. I was looking at it, when a salesperson came over to explain it to me. He demonstrated that it played back music that had been recorded on it by a user, and turned it on. After a couple of minutes of listening to the device play, I blurted out: “That sounds like Elisha Gullixson!”, to which the guy responded: “It is!” It so happened, that Elisha worked out of that store on occasion, and had recorded some improvisation on this new contraption. I chalked it up to my familiarity with Elisha, but it was, nevertheless, a pretty remarkable experience.

Elisha was also THE Accompanist, to every Subud vocalist, at any and all Subud events. I know it was a bit of a chore for him, and he learned a lot of music and arrangements to accommodate a lot of us. I remember one instance when he brought me a tape, and some lyrics to “In Summer” (Estate), a difficult challenge, to encourage me to expand my repertoire. And of course, any impromptu combos that formed would always include him. The beauty of it all, was the fact that Elisha’s talent was, in fact, really, really great. There was definitely a unique and special quality to his playing.

One day, as I was working in the vegetable garden behind our apartment, he came out to ask me if I’d join his committee as treasurer, if he tested in as the new National Chairman of Subud USA, at the upcoming National Congress. I declined, but offered to be the Vice Chair. As it happened, the testing for Chairman turned into a marathon, with no conclusive choice being made after lengthy testing sessions. I offered to test for the position, and it turned out that I became chairman, and Elisha became the Vice Chairman! We had a really enjoyable and meaningful term of office. He told me something wonderful, years later, about how he approached the job of Vice Chairman. He experienced an understanding that he should simply do the things that I couldn’t.

We both got to participate in the wonderful production of Creativity in Captivity, produced by the Foah’s, at the Puebla World Congress, and Elisha performed in several great jazz combos there as well.

Elisha really did it all. Active committee work, helper, cultural, and social. Right up to the end of his life here. In truth, a pretty exemplary Subud member. He will be missed. I do already.

Elisha

by Luther Schutz

I feel so grateful to have had Elisha in my life for almost 50 years as a wonderful friend, Subud brother, and musical partner. He was an extraordinary jazz pianist and I still recall how entranced and excited I was when I first heard him play.

Over the years we must have worked up 75 or so numbers that we performed for various audiences. He was extremely generous with his music and would readily agree to accompany many entertainers at Subud events.

His Menucha opening circle musings were always memorable and his incredible sense of humor was infectious.

Over the last few years, my monthly visits with him would fall into pleasant routines. I would arrive in mid- morning. We would rehearse for a few hours and then go out for lunch. Then another period of music was followed by watching a basketball game on TV.

To have found a kindred spirit who loved music, food, and sports; who had a great sense of humor, and with whom I shared a spiritual brotherhood. This was beyond my fondest dreams. I miss him greatly.