The origins of….

After having moved my blog to WordPress, I found this draft of an entry from June, 2006. One word: ADORABLE.

Having been fortunate enough to visit the great city of New York, NY in early June, and also recently having the great pleasure of seeing the Count Basie Orchestra live within the last 48 hours, I am full of inspiration and new perspective. One impression that has struck me on both occasions was there was a tremendous amount of originality surrounding where I was, or what I was experiencing. The only way I am able to express this feeling is that I felt I was at the center of, or experiencing an original.

While in New York, there was a vibrancy I had not previously experienced. It was as if (although I do not necessarily believe this to be true) I was at the center of everything, USA. I know that is a silly notion, as our country has many cultural “centers”. But the kind of energy found in NYC is like nowhere I have ever been. The same feeling came over me at the Count Basie concert. I felt as if I was hearing the “original sound” of jazz. As if every other jazz ensemble is simply imitating this one. I was completely floored by the way these musicians came together. The unified approach and the absolute accuracy of the performance was staggering.