i love listening to the late charlie haden. his solos are simple, melodic, and full of depth. he smells the roses while waltzing through these chord changes. as i write this, i'm listening to his duo effort with guitarist pat metheny. it's rare to hear charlie tackle and burn on a fast tune. the way he digs into mid-tempo songs feels like he's playing in half time, swapping out the quarter note with a half note - simply (and cleverly) changing the 4/4 meter to a 4/2 pulse.
i turned over another year yesterday. bushwick bill's line "my mind is playing tricks on me" is a fitting caption for last year. success as a parent, spouse, educator and artist is all subjective. my manic, perfectionist perspective pollutes my self image while fueling my creative machine. quite the cruel twist, but a battle i'm up for on the daily. i'm working on gratitude, pumping the brakes on my self-induced tailspin so i can enjoy more of what i have and focus far less upon what i want (or better yet, what i think i'm supposed to want. THAT is the first taste to my demise.) my jazz professor from undergrad used to preach the adage "the race is not to the swift", and i think it has finally resonated within me. so for my 42nd spin, i'll be with charlie - digging on those half notes.
