Love and Appreciation For the XYZ of Jazz

It is always a pleasure for me when I can indulge in the sweetness of jazz. It captivates me like no other genre and I joyfully indulge in it when presented with the opportunity to embrace the pomp and pageantry of it.

I remember the day when my good friend presented the thought to me of being the featured vocalist at his weekly jazz event. Imagine how filled with curiosity the Roman Catholic church raised choir girl that I was who was more accustomed to singing R&B than any other genre was. How could I not look at him with a quizzical gaze? The idea made me take a hard look at myself, but I decided to try my best to handle the weight of the idea and I did it.

If for nothing, my good friend affected my life like none other because from that point on, I

have been on this non-stop journey of discovery, research and mind-blowing experiences to remember. If it were not for him, I would have never decided to approach jazz with more intentionality or accumulate knowledge of its history to base my 30-paged college thesis on jazz and racism. Or, I may not have ever decided to become more indulged in studying music theory and practicing my craft. And if it were not for him, I would have never started my radio show on jazz. And so, whenever I am afforded with the opportunity to sing in this beautiful genre of music, I simply rejoice because I love how jazz has truly made a personal connection with me.  

Jazz Appreciation Month

Every April is Jazz Appreciation Month. The Smithsonian Institute started this cultural celebration in 2001 and since, it has been a way to honor those influential innovators who have come before us in history and jazzed up the world with their beautiful music.  

And so, it was with great zeal to have joined in the plethora of performers in Eric Frazier’s 2018 Fort Greene Park Spring Jazz Festival which happened in the midst of Jazz Appreciation Month in Brooklyn, NY. Jazz is not a fossilized genre of music; it is very much alive. So, with that in mind, I must say that the afternoon was filled with a full swath of emotions.

What makes jazz so appealing to me is that no matter who is playing their instrument or vocalizing, each comes with their own individual expression and create very genuine reactions. Each comes with their own spunk of character with their difference in method based on culture and environment, and the joy of the company and the spirit of the music is what is felt in the air.

And so, it was a pretty nice event from the music, to the musicians, to the beautiful spring day that it was, to the people and everything that made the afternoon a splendid occasion.

To my delight, I felt enchanted to sing one of my favorite jazz standards. It is by Harry Warren and Al Dublin and what makes me like it so much is for one simple reason. I am a big English nerd and there is a play-on-words in the song. Its title, September in the Rain, would suggest it is a song for the fall season but in the song, the lyrics say, "though spring is here." I think it is the way the writers wrote these tunes that give me butterflies the most. They truly had a way with words and I just love that. In that particular Brooklyn environment and in the warmth of that spring day, it felt right to sing this song.

I invite you to check out the performance from the festival here: https://youtu.be/BK8faET7Nn4 

Today’s blog post was prompted by love and I threw myself into writing mode with that in mind and come to this point with a roar of satisfaction. I hope that I sparked in you, even a small bit of interest n my story. 

The warm feeling in my heart can’t even truly define my gratitude. You richly bless me by taking the time out the routine of your day to read my thoughts and I thank you for your continued support.