In 1994, my old friend from the 50's Ted Joans came back to the USA from overseas and joined with me at my opening four hour concert at the first Beat Conference held at New York University in 1994.

Ted was a favorite of Kerouac as well as of mine as a poet, author, reader, scat singer and spreader of joy and positive energy, years before the publication of "On the Road" changed everything.

Ted was there before and after the stereotype of "Beat" became increasingly contrary to the warm egalitarian celebratory spirit that we all shared through hard times.

As this delightful YouTube documentation shows, spontaneity was always the route to adventure, personified by the jazz masters as well as visual artists, actors and everyday people who attended informal jam sessions like the one we had that night in 1994.

Instead of being done at a jazz club, coffee house, painter's loft, park bench or my apartment, it s held at Loeb Hall at NYU, but the same spirit was there when Ted sang.

Thanks to the magic of the Internet, everyone can see as well as hear him, in this unrehearsed scatting session duo, accompanied by my band and cheered on by a mostly young audience, many of whom had never heard of Ted or myself.

None of that mattered because all the kids denied the privilege of growing up surrounded by jazz and the jazz philosophy could now feel that they were suddenly part of the Then and that this invigorating moment made the treasures of our era their own Now. -David Amram

Stravinsky said "Music expresses itself"

Duke Ellington said "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing"

Ted Joans said "Bird Lives"

This is the first online documentation of Ted's musicianship since he passed away in 2003. Hopefully anyone who has any videos of Ted's performances will share them, as Ted shared his work and blessings with everyone who crossed his path.