Duncan’s Ditty of the Day

Number 2 in an occasional series.

Staying with the epiphany theme, it’s true that something can be around years, and either you don’t appreciate it at the time, or never got round to listening. An example of the former is Johnny Cash, always looked on as a figure of fun until one day I sat and listened to American Recordings and realised what I’d been missing.

An example of the latter is modern Jazz. I’d heard of Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk and Charles Mingus but never took the time to find out more. This was a bit short-sighted from a self-confessed blues fan. Someone I worked with introduced me to Stanley Clarke and Rahsan Roland Kirk, and although I wasn’t mightily impressed it did encourage me to work backwards in time. I think that a lot of jazz is overly middle-of-the-road, and on the first audible sound of the vibes I’m out the door. But when I first heard John Coltrane I knew what it was about.

I would post A Love Supreme, but it’s a bit too long for the purpose of this exercise. Still, give it a listen when time permits.