While writing another post about someone else's turning point, I was reminded of my own.
I grew up in a house that had a lot of music, and I have loved music since birth (at least that's what my father tells me). I'd heard a lot of jazz during my early childhood, but I couldn't say that I was a jazz fan. Recollections of Trane's My Favorite Things recorded live with Roy Haynes on drums (originally released on the posthumus Selflessness LP), Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has A Master Plan" and visions of Impluse! jazz albums covers (Pharoah's Karma and Jewels Of Thought, The Best Of Gabor Szabo, Trane's Selfelssness and A Love Supreme) were my only connections to jazz. Other than that, it was the R&B/Funk of the day (Sly, JB, J5, etc.)
However, I was always looking for something new to listen to. I'd go over to my grandparents' home and play their old 78's just to hear something different than what I was listening to. One day I was bored and found Trane's Live at the Village Vanguard LP at home. Just the LP, not the cover. I had no idea what this music was going to sound like, which was very exciting. So I put on the side that had only one song, Chasin' the Trane". That stuff was too wild for me! I thought that whoever was playing the saxophone had lost their mind. After 2 or 3 minutes, I took the needle of the record and returned the LP where I found, vowing to never play it again.
Years, later and bored again at home, I took out Live at the Village Vanguard and decided to try the other side. First track, "Spiritual". That was it!!! I became a lifelong Trane fan that day. I was even able to progress to the point that I could listen to tunes like "Ascension" and "Sun Ship" and recordings such as Live in Japan, Expression, and Live at the Village Vanguard Again!
Of course, this development to several years. But it was Trane's Spiritual that put me on my jazz journey.
My Trusted MOGs
it's nice to read a personal story to shed light on where your jazz love grew out of.
My Trusted MOGs
Yep, there's always that element of resistance with challenging music like Coltrane's. I don't think I have to tell how long it took me to finally "get" Sun Ra :-).
Now, I discovered Trane already in the CD era - so, as far as the Village Vanguard gig is concerned, it actually got me hooked through "India" (which came out on the "Impressions" LP, and later in the Collected Village Vanguard box set).
But hey, who cares how you get to the party as long as you're at the party?
Best,
K.