As with any rewarding relationship, listening is central to creating a genuine friendship with jazz.
My dalliance with the swing spanned post-bop, avant-garde and fusion. The moves that were arriving and departing at the same time. Distinctly original, with a poetic sensibility and intellectual bite which the legends John Coltrane, Nina Simone and Louis Armstrong embodied. Tunes with a combination of virility, lyricism, and adventurous improvisation.
Flipping through some of my old LPs I came across a name that I’d scratched on to one of the jackets, Dupree Bolton. Now this is one of the enduring mysteries of Jazz, the man came from nowhere and then disappeared into thin air, literally! A Legend. (Sounds familiar?)
Like all talented musicians of the time Bolton too had a tryst with the dark side. I’ve always wondered what it is with these musicians. Does pain make one more creative? The bloke seems to have taken off once the whole fame circus started although it seems he wasn’t just a ringside viewer but a bit of a swinger himself! (read the insightful piece on jazz.com)
Really, all legends seem to have a life of their own, as I thumb through a fabulous book on the making of the film ‘Jaws’ – please consider the opening lines ‘After Patrick saw Jaws when he was about five years old, he wouldn’t take a bath. In fact, “I wouldn’t put my face in the water to wash it for several days after that,” he remembers.’
Somehow, in the mysteries and legends department, I’ve always cared less for things I could see versus things that I couldn’t, trust me sharks are no match for the things your mind can conjure up (more on powers of the ‘mind’ later) so li’l Patrick, trust me you don’t want to eat your chocolate without ‘earning it’…Sharks are cozy pups compared to the ‘Legend’..
If you’re scared enough here’s a comforting thought from the grand man of Jazz himself “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, I say better enjoy it while you can!
“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong Song Located at:
Next time – how I nearly ate it without ‘earning it’
