Incredible sax
I applaud Dennis Bowles for his book, Dr. Beans Bowles 'Fingertips': The Untold Story, and W. Kim Heron for reviewing it ("Out of the Motown shadows," March 9). Beans Bowles was an incredible sax man. Like many other notable Detroit musicians, however, he never received the acclaim he deserved. To hear Beans wail through that baritone sax was an aesthetic experience of the first order, whether he was blowing the blues, jazz, or a Motown ballad. But more than a great musician, Beans was a great human being: sensitive, compassionate, ethical and caring. He was a role model for being a great artist, who was also as fine a man as you could want as a friend or neighbor. The arts in Detroit have always been an intellectual "bedrock" of the city, not the racist, manipulative, sensationalized, fearmongering or insipid tripe the mainstream media portray. Let us, as a community, continue to honor the artists of our past and present, who like Beans, honored us through their commitment to this city we love. —Jim Brown, Detroit
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