Jazz and poetry... Ira Sadoff

I believe that music was created to help us experience emotions. Nothing moves me quite like music. 




At the Half-Note cafe
                               for Gene Ammons

Once I heard him play
"Willow Weep For Me"
in a tone so full
and sentimental, I felt
a gap between my ribs
and lungs, a dearth of air,
sorrow soon enough would fill.
I found the blues unfair
to boys like me who came to bars
unprepared for grief
that wasn't strictly personal ...

By Ira Sadoff


Maybe one of the hardest things we face is to feel joy in the midst of pain, but I do believe God desires us to feel emotions as pancakes.  They come in stacks, not just one at a time.  We tell ourselves it is wrong to be happy or the pain of an event masks the joyful moment that fills the present moment.  In 1956 Gene Ammons gathered with some of the best to record some music.

 here is the title track, The Happy Blues...




Individual musicians touch our lives and when they pass away tributes emerge.  Here is one made for Etta James, in which she sings the song, which touched Ira Sadoff, when it emerged from Gene Ammons horn...

Mystical Mondays ~ Breathe With Wisdom

Translations by Daniel Ladinsky

from Capax Universi

...

The Earth Inhales God, why

should we not do

the same

...

Meister Eckhart

Collaboration mosaic by
Margaret Almon and Wayne Stratz 

baptism's power and humility

The spiritual exercises have gone another week of week 2. They are stirring my soul, so I guess I am getting my work out.

first I am in awe of the powerful nature of Jesus's baptism. Following him out of that scene over the last few weeks has shown me how it energized him into a life with a desire to do God's will. Made me think of being confirmed and how little that meant at the time. Being anointed on Christmas Day 10 years ago, a month after returning to church, comes to mind as a day of accepting the spirit, or at least becoming accepting of the spirit.

I have been selected as the person to gather photos to celebrate my parents, both of whom are turning 75 in 2008 and celebrating their 50th anniversary. A package came from California this week. Downloading the photos I see one I had never seen before.... my elder sister at her adult baptism which took place out west.

I sat with the three phases of humility this past week and it brings up my struggle with self-promotion. I feel awkward advertising my craft.

The other night I came across someone selling stained glass for hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Is my goal to limit my work to 5% of the population, to have fame, to have great wealth? What is my desire? Is it to do what I have loved all my life, create designs? If my craft brings me fame and wealth, then I will have to accept or reject those things based on how it touches me.

What do I desire from my life? What great desires does God want to stir up in my soul? I have doodled all my life.

Last night we went to Philadelphia to see Maria Schneider's Jazz orchestra. I closed my eyes and was taken away into the music's beauty and complexity. She has made a life from her passion. How many women who desire to compose and direct big bands end up 20 years winning a Grammy award? Did she do this for the fame or did the fame come because of a combination of talent and passion?

at the concert we ended up sharing a table with a jazz promoter. He was quite excited about one singer (a future post) and gave me her card. I gave him mine (first time I did such a thing) and told him what we make and told him we would save him a seat if he ever came back to the art museum.

with all this mind.... here is my latest piece...mostly made from scraps remaining after making the piece which I dropped...

ETSY SHOP

How to respond????

When Jesus turns around and says, "What do you want?" How do you respond?

Those words from Jesus stayed with me this past week and Wednesday night I when I reflected on this week of the exercises.

I desire to keep following Jesus.
I desire to find what desires God has for me.
I desire to live fully.
I desire to relate to others, intimately.
I desire a heart that does not harden as I age as a teacher.
I desire to be filled with hope, peace, joy, and love.
I desire to be aware of my physical, emotional, and spiritual self.
I desire to .... one day open up that Marula Jelly that Mosaic woman bought me for Christmas.

speaking of Mosaic woman. it is about time to show off some of her work....

click to go to ETSY