Jazz

I love jazz. I'm no expert and I don't collect the seminal recordings of the greats but I love the music and I appreciate the talent it takes to play it. I recently discovered NPR's Jazz Profiles podcast and I am loving it. I am learning so much. And it's great to be able to find the music at the library afterword. In the near future I hope to check out Ken Burn's Jazz documentary from the library and watch it. I know it's hard for most people to pinpoint a moment when they began to like something but I know exactly when my appreciation for jazz began.
I was a senior in high school. One of my best friends who was in the marching and jazz bands asked if I would enter a poster contest so that he and some other band guys could attend the Count Basie concert. All I had to do was design a Count Basie themed poster. No biggie, even thought I didn't really know who Count Basie was. Oh sure, I had seen his cameo in Blazing Saddles but that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. At that point, if it wasn't rock and roll, I didn't listen to it. So, I designed the poster...and won!
I fully intended to give all the tickets to my friend but I soon found out that I had to attend. Well, that didn't appeal to me but they wanted to present me with the award and show me off to all the highbrows. So, myself, my friend and a couple of other guys from the band go downtown to see Count Basie. I don't remember in what order anything happened but here's a synopsis. I went on stage to receive recognition for the poster. They had the poster framed and on an easel just offstage. Several of the guys in the band were checking it out and having a good old time. You see, I drew the band's stage setup the best that my friends could describe it to me. I had no picture to go by. As it turns out, I didn't get everyone's color right. Guys who were black were laughingly exclaiming, "Look! I'm white!" and vice versa. It was pretty darn funny. I finally went onstage and afterward I went backstage and actually met Count Basie. He was pretty old at the time so he didn't have much to say. I didn't either. What could I say? "Loved you in Blazing Saddles. What's Mel Brooks like?" Naw. We said our hellos, he signed the back of my blue ribbon (which I still have) and I left.
The concert was amazing. I absolutely loved it. I remember being in awe of the drummer. And it was funny...as the concert was going on you could hear all the people in the audience tapping their feet. I was so used to the rock concert scene but all the blue hairs were getting down in their own fashion. It was cool.
After the concert, me and the guys headed to a local bar where they were having an after party. The guys were in hog heaven because they knew who all these musicians were. I remember they were having a cow because this trumpet player they all revered was sitting at the bar. They chatted up the musicians and, as a result, several of the guys from the band showed up at our high school the next day for an impromptu jazz clinic. Sweet! I wasn't there but I'm glad I got to be a part of that happening.
So, that's the story of my intro to jazz. I've been a fan ever since. And I discover new jazz artists every day so my enjoyment and education is ongoing. So, thanks Count Basie, for showing an ignorant rock and roller how to swing.