Jazz Clinic

I will attempt to articulate what can't be put into words. Obviously, this will be inadequate but the best that I can do.

I went to a 2 hour music clinic held by the jazz group headlining tonight. I have never been to one before so I had no idea.

The place was buzzing before the clinic. A large group of up and coming Panamanian musicians, wives and girl friends, moms and dads, and a TV filming crew complete with TV host. Plus, the musicians from yesterday.

All milling around, laughing and talking and joking...high energy, inspired atmosphere.

Plus a few gringos, a few of the volunteers putting the event on and local gringo musicians.

To start with, the band played a 10 minute song. It was so good...beyond description...moving and impressive.

Then the main guy, the sax player who runs the band, talked about the technical aspects of how to perform a song. Jazz style!

He told several anecdotes about the jazz greats he had either played with or study under. Apparently, Thelonious Monk, the great jazz piano player and composer, played one night and one of his band mates said the drummer didn't sound so good. Monk said, "If I had played better, he would have played better...I am responsible for his performance."

That level of responsibility was in the clinic. Astonishing!

He invited all the young Panamanians onto the stage to play. After a few minutes of mayhem, they started to play pretty well. He then coached them on each of their instruments. They tried it again and what a difference.

Then the main band played another song. He asked if we recognized it. No one did.

Then he dropped the bombshell...it was the same song as the first one, only played in an entirely different feel...Latin jazz. The first time it was played as straight jazz. They eventually played the song in a 3rd way, Panamanian jazz, with even more difference.

Wow!

It is impossible to describe how stunning the music sounded. There just aren't words for it. It was great!

And moving...

In the end it was so moving that it would drop you to your knees in awe and amazement at the result.

You see, being in the presence of mastery is moving but being able to see YOURSELF as a master in the future, as a possibility, is beyond words, on the level of being or the soul, somewhere in the intestinal area, or gut, or event lower at the base of the spine.

That was their gift to us...seeing ourselves in mastery...if we want to go for it.

All this leaves me humble, proud, moved and thrilled with the privilege of being alive.

All from one little music clinic in the remote jungle of Panama.