I can remember as a young-boy growing-up in East Harlem detesting jazz music. I thought it was the most boring and depressing music that I ever heard. I can remember both my father and stepfather’s love for the music. WRVR.FM was the local jazz stations out of New York, and it would eventually change to country-western music. I also remember the build-up and my stepfather’s anticipation of Miles’ new release "Bitches Brew," and his disappointment after he brought it home and listened to it.
It was hard to understand why anyone listened to this kind of music especially when Motown, James Brown, and the Beatles dominated the airwaves. I was curious to understand my family member’s passion for this music. My dad used to tell me stories about the local jazz spots that he frequented in the fifties, stories about sitting at a bar, while Miles was just a few feet away on a small intimate stage playing. The passion in which he told these stories was fascinating.
So armed with both my personal dislike and my curiosity to understand others passion for this music, I set out to explore and understand it, to at least learn to tolerate it. So I forced myself to listen to their collections. At first it was a struggle, I started with Bill Holiday’s "Lady in Satin" and Wes Montgomery’s "Goin’ Out of My Head," not bad. Billie a little sad, but alright. Wes played contemporary music not bad, eventually. I would grow to appreciate the tune "Omorro." Miles "Round About Midnight" made me doze a little bit, but there was something about this guy named John Coltrane’s and his solos, and this other guy on Base, Paul Chambers, sounded kind of nice. One day while listening to Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder" LP , I heard a side called "Totem Pole," I was blown away. They were really jammin' on this piece, I listened to it over and over again, and finally I said to myself, I get it! And, after discovering Charlie Parker, I was hooked, the solo on "Night in Tunisia," still blows me away.
Of course this process took a number of years, but it was well worth it. I’m still discovering the great artists of the past and present. I’ve even had the pleasure to share the music with my children, my son Joshua, at the age of five, enjoyed the repetitive beat in Miles’ tune, "Milestone." I discovered this great music and an original American art form. The only thing I enjoy as much as the music is the history and sharing with equal passion the music and stories with my older family members who are still enthusiastic about this music.
