And All That Jazz

well, there it is. as cliche'd and overused a title as you could ask for.
though it is, as my ancestors from the United Kingdom might say, 'spot on'.
this piece is about jazz.

in my last piece on the terrible stereotypes of evangelicalism, I signed off with a confession. I am Matthew Smith, and I listen to AC/DC. well, that much is true. I love AC/DC for how they took some Gibsons and some Gretchs, 3 chords and many, many decibels and made simplicity into high art. and though there are many other rock-n-roll bands that I have listened to more of (Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy and all his legendary axemen, Metallica--maybe they're metal more than r-n-r--and many, many others), I have long loved the power that their AC/DC's bi-curious or schizophrenic current yields. Its loud, its proud (arrogant, rather), its rough and tumble, its scented with Fosters, its simple. you know, rock-n-roll.

Jazz, on the other hand...

and now for my latest confession: I am a jazz addict.

there are most certainly better and worse things to be addicted to. and btw, everyone's addicted to something. (that's for another piece). though jazz is certainly my favorite addiction in a long while.

I am a musician. And soon after becoming a musician, I became a guitarist, hence my great love for King Edward and company.

though technically, before I played guitar, at least as far as formal training goes, I played the ole' sax-a-mo-phone! I was entranced by its timbre, its breathy nuance, its, well, sex appeal. maybe the word sexiness says it better. maybe I should stop with the sex/sax idea completely, and move on. here we go...

jazz got me then, but barely, and what I thought was jazz was is actual fact, not. Clarence Clemmons could flat out throw down on the tenor. (listen to I'm Goin' Down, off of Born in the USA). but CC is not jazz. at least when he is with da boss--The Boss--its not jazz. maybe jazzy, and mos def good, not jazz in the jazz sense.

we take exceptional journeys through life, and one dot connects to another. I moved to Homewood with my father, Smithy, in 1987. the zennith of 80's rock had come and gone. and though we still have the hangover from the 80's, and always will, I was about two years too late. I was enrolled in Homewood hig School for approximatley 1 day! I transferred to Gardendale high School, alma mater and home of my dear Gardendale Rockets! though why the shift? Homewood was, by all accounts, my accounts, at the time, 'cooler'. It had everything to do and see in, around, and near Birmingham. again, why?

Gardendale High School had jazz band!!! yes, I am sure Homewood did, and definitely does now. The Patriot band has been cross country playing their marching music.
but I found out that I could play my guitar in the jazz band at Garndendale. at least in the 'B' jazz band. that deal was done.

though in a choice (dot) that's explination (connection) will be explained next time, I ended up in the 'A' jazz band. And I played sax.

peace out ya'll,
MMS