The Angry Man of Jazz

Charles Mingus was a GOD. To this day he is my idol and in my past life I was his F-hole.

This month at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Mingus is being featured. What I wouldn't do to go to the Jazz Mecca of New York... Midtown Manhattan...Birdland...Harlem...Carnegie Hall. Where the likes of Mingus, Coltrane, Theolonius Monk, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and other greats let loose their musical fury.

Mingus was a hot-headed bassist, composer, and pianist, known for his combativeness, both on and off stage. He strove to create unique music to be played by unique musicians and took his music seriously. At one gig at Birdland in 1955, after Charlie Parker had arrived late, and then left again after seeing the pianist Bud Powell so drunk he could barely stay on the piano bench...and then a second eruption involving an argument between Parker and Powell (who eventually stormed off the stage) over the next tune... Mingus told the crowd: "Please don't associate me with any of this. This is not jazz. These are sick people!" Despite his outbursts, Mingus was a musical genius, and a legend in the history of Jazz.

This man's music puts my soul at ease. All I need is him plucking his bass, as I tap my toes, sip on some Merlot and listen...

Without further ado...

Turn that fucking mic on

And in case you were wondering how to teach your cat some manners, as Mingus did so with his own cat Nightlife, try the Charles Mingus Cat Toilet Training Program

One Foot In Front Of The Other

She listens to the whispers of her soul and follows them where they lead....

Upon arriving home from work today, I found a lovely surprise in the mailbox. I was so ecstatic I did the Charleston.

My sister Little C, sent me an inspirational card. The message was just perfect for where I'm at & need to be going. It was a message on dreams. Funny girl, she sent a yellow balloon along with it. However, I refuse to blow it up because then it would eventually deflate to a sad pile of crinkly lemon rubber and I would have to throw it in the trash, and I cannot do such a thing. So the balloon now sits on the card which sits on my desk, next to my latest vision board where I can sit and stare at it all day and dream up some more dreams.

Curious, how the arrival of things are always well-timed. Sisters have an innate sense of this, I'm sure. There have been so many of these happenings, all over this canvas of life, that they are hard to ignore. I used to credit this to divine Providence, back in my God-days (the good old days). Now, I'm not sure what it is. A force to be reckoned with for sure...

It's amazing how the littlest things, the simplest acts of love & kindness, can bring you so much joy.


What brings you joy?