Musical Musings

Music can make me happy and uplift me.  The deeper you listen, the more you find out about yourself.  My first real listening started in 1964 when The Beatles played on Ed Sullivan on an April Sunday night.  Our country was still in a state of. complete mourning over the assassination of our president.  These dopey guys from Liverpool lifted us out of the doldrums. With haircuts we did not understand, smiley faces and happy little lyrics coupled with straightforward music, we were smitten.  All of a sudden we felt better and the world could go on.  My sister Pam loved "She Loves You" and would sing it around the house.

Next revelation came when I was a Junior/Senior in high school.  I was at a basement party with a bunch of kids my age.  Somebody put on "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", a 45rpm record with the big hole in the middle.  It was played on a pre stereo record player.  In my life, I had never heard anything like it.  It was a touchstone moment for me and that song stays with me always.  I tell my grandchildren that this song changed me.  It sill does still after listening to if thousands of times.

Now I am a man of certain years.  Been thru a number of genres of music in my interests.  Some have continued to sustain me. The first iteration of Return to Forever (Chick Corea , Stanley Clarke, Joe Farrell) had a recording on Manfred Etcher's ECM label.  That recording contains a piece "LaFiesta".  Chick and Joe are gone and the record is probably out of print.  This song, uplifts me and makes me happy each time I listen to it.  It was playing on my walk this morning in the brisk sunshine.  So impressed with the beauty, tears welled up. 

I need to tell my jazz friend Al at the barbershop about this one and an amazing recording "The Rite of Strings".  He is a fan of Jean-Luc Monty who plays on it.

not much else

physical therapy this morning, maybe they can make me brand new (probably not)

all for now 

stay safe, enjoy this lovely day