John Coltrane, Art Blakey & Miles Davis
Nominated by Jason Penn

John Coltrane on soprano saxophone,  Miles Davis on trumpet and Art Blakey on drums – what a band! That would have been something to see.

Mr Coltrane, on My Favourite Things, is fierce. Art Blakey is infectious rhythm and Miles Davis Relaxing is just cool.

I like jazz – I allowed myself to like it by not taking it too seriously. It creates an Etch-a-Sketch image in my mind’s eye, with the slender line jumping up and down, making lovely ellipses, and some jagged lines, and some softly wiggling ones too. And it can get a bit
3-dimensional too. I can’t sit still, it makes me smile and feel, well, groovy.

I think of Martinis, and looking and feeling smart, and bars with everyone just enjoying the music, all blissfully lost together in the mood. With the relaxation only interrupted by bouts of clapping, as one player finishes their part and hands over.

It’s a form of meditation, demanding enough attention to take you away, while rewarding you with surprising melodies and riffs. I’m so impressed by it.

As I have been impressed by everything I’ve listened to in the past 30 days.

True, I’ve found it harder to honestly ‘enjoy’ some artists than others but I respect their talent. ‘Liking’ is a reaction that’s impossible to control – it happens in a synaptic flash that you can’t decide or control it. Music is love at first sight.

So, while I sit here and bob along to Miles, can I say it’s been a challenge and a great, great pleasure to listen to and think about the music that means something to you.

My ability to critic the music itself has found it’s limits and I’ve shown my love of lyrics that make ‘sense’. Tell me a story, and let me sing along. Maybe jazz lets me write my own words to a musical adventure.

Thank you very much, I hope you’ve enjoyed it too.

Lifting the needle from the record for now…

#Ichallengems