As a musician entrenched in an ever changing medium, I feel it's my duty to keep my ear to the streets and see what other folks are listening to, practicing on, who they're playing with. It's tricky to keep up with everything and stay relevant. You have to observe what other folks are getting into so it can help you get out of routines, help you break through self imposed limits and other glass ceiling type inventions. However, sometimes you'll find yourself on stage or at a rehearsal, looking and listening to everyone saying "Did I miss something?"
Such was the feeling when I looked around and noticed every jazz musician was a Buddhist. I had heard about Herbie and done my own research into Eastern mythology and had always had a resonate feeling with that bunch. But now it was reaching some kinda Pod People level. EVERY serious cat playing jazz was a Buddhist and I thought, "am I missing something?" I started feeling remiss in my jazz duties. Like when people started quoting other songs in their solos, or people started playing A Love Supreme chromatically rising when the heat got turned on. These are gimmicks but they hint at a very real concept; when you hear that next level shit you just know it.So what was I hearing in these peoples playing that wasn’t there before? Had their spiritual beliefs manifested themselves aurally? Then what about Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Mormon musicians, or that Satanic band from Oslo Dark Funeral?
"We need some goats and some virgins and some Zima. It's on our Rider!"
Did their take on spiritual nature not make the cut? Was jazz just reserved for some First Class Buddhist’s Only Lounge where they chanted and ate grapes and bean pies and wore saffron robes and fucking dominated Donna Lee for 20 choruses?
"18 more choruses boys! How high the moon indeed!"
My thoughts -
The musicians who turn to Buddhism or any religion are showing a dedication to something wholly larger than themselves. It is ridiculously easy to get wrapped up in music and think that YOU are the one calling all the shots and pulling the strings and it all relies on YOU. What’s different for those folks who bring religion into the picture, is that they are relinquishing elements of control to something other than themselves. Buddhism is very much about cause and effect and this is a huge part of jazz. When something occurs on stage it’s absorbed, transcribed and redirected at lightning fast speed. People who are not focusing on how they are doing personally are going to be better suited to translate this language and give the audience a clearer picture of the true nature of the musical exchange.
