But [he] Can Play That Guitar Like a Motherfuckin Riot

This post is a sombre one, dedicated to the memory of that jazz guitarist, womanizer, and great prophet of our times: Blake Bilyea. The man hasn't been heard from in a week, and we can only presume the worst. I was getting a pita for lunch last Thursday when I caught the headline for the latest issue of The Cord (Laurier's inferiorly named school newspaper): Student in custody while other student's face being held together in hospital by staples. Or something. I'm not joking. I'm just going to assume that Blake is one of the kids being mentioned.

Let's break it down a little:

Blake hasn't posted since Halloween, and hasn't responded to commentary on that post.

Blake is never, never, on Gmail chat anymore.

Blake has so far neglected to respond to 2 personal emails within the past week.

To reinforce the gravity of what I'm talking about, here are some images recovered from a googling of "blake is dead" (quotes not used in Google):







I'm not gonna hold back, just looking at those is bringing tears to my eyes. I wrote about religion the other day, but now, with the death of one of my best friends on my mind, I'm forced to deal with my thoughts about the meaning of life all over again.

But that's private, so instead, it's time for a eulogy.

Blake Bilyea. Whenever I hear Backstage Girl by DJ Shadow, I think of the man. Blake will always be remembered for a variety of distinguished traits. Not just his steadfast commitment to having fellatio replace French as Canada's 2nd national language, or his groundbreaking application of the Herpes virus when modeling jazz guitar theory. I'm talking about Blake's lesser-known achievements. How about Blake's love for Canada's youth? No one could doubt that Blake cared deeply for many many children in his time. Sometimes even many children at once. The man had a lot of love to give, and damn me if he didn't give it like it was going out of style.

Let's not forget the old boy's musical achievements. The Bizz and I were members of many fine musical collaborations: Bush Pilot and the Fur Traders, BLT, and the as-yet-unnamed super surprise group all spring to mind. However, Blake's contributions to musical history in the 20th century are far more varied. While Blake's behind the scenes work on the frets for the Mars Volta's first album Deloused in the Comatorium is common knowledge among even low-level fans of the group, it is less well known that this work was done only as a favour to MV frontman Omar Alfredo Rodriguez-Lopez after Lopez paid for Blake's cab home one night, and as a way to finally stop Lopez from emailing him 15 times a day with questions about how to play his own songs.

However, it was Blake's contribution to the hip-hop community in the 1980s and early '90s that really marked his entrance to the musical scene. Later in their careers, groups such as the Run DMC, NWA, and Public Enemy have all recalled being inspired by Blake and enjoying early underground work with him. Although he never mentioned it publicly (and it could be argued that he never got the chance), Tupac Shakur also worked very closely with Blake shortly before his death, and the upcoming album Pac's Life will showcase a number of their unreleased pieces of work, which feature Shakur's rhymes (co-written with Bilyea) over Blake's polished beats and cuts. In their recent VH1 Hip-Hop Honours spot, the Beastie Boys credited Blake with the invention of the "doody" rhyme style which they use in almost all of their work. However, due to his firm beliefs about musical anonymity and the intrinsic poverty of the true artist, Blake never took royalties or recognition for any of this work.

Although I'd like to say that my grief is unique and unparalleled at the loss of this great man, I'd be lying. The fact is, my personal sorrows are but a drop in the bucket, a voice, loud on its own but quiet among thousands, reacting in outrage and disbelief that a star such as Blake's could shine so brightly, but for so short a time.

I am organizing a candlelight vigil tomorrow evening at the KO in Waterloo. I expect to have things underway no later than 10:30pm, and they probably won't last more than an hour. If anyone wants to come by and shed a few tears at the passing of this giant among men, you are welcome to do so.