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something I am grateful for today
Jul. 23rd, 2011 08:25 pmUnexpected magic.
My brother-in-law was in town today and wanted to visit our local ReStore so I went with him. He had a lot of browsing to do, but I wasn't looking for anything in particular, so I just wandered.
I happened by a few pianos and pecked out a major arpeggio on one... noticing that for a cheap used piano it had a very pleasant tone and nice sustain. I took a few steps away from it and noticed that a lean young man came up to it and sat down, shook out his fingers, and started playing.
It soon became apparent that he intended to stay there for a while, and there was a section of living room furniture next to the pianos so I sat down in a couch and listened. The closest way I can think of describing what I heard is if you've ever heard any Keith Jarrett solo concert albums. It seemed like, not a collection of pre-existing songs, but simply this young guy weaving a tapestry of whatever music flowed out of his head at that moment. Maybe what he did wasn't jaw-dropping and unprecedentedly genius -- that would be too much like a movie -- but this was definitely professional caliber playing I was listening to here.
Other people looked at him as they passed by, but I was the only one who stopped and took in what amounted to an impromptu jazz recital in a humble little store in the middle of nowhere. I stayed there for like fifteen minutes before my bro-in-law retrieved me and we headed out. The unexpected jazzman and I exchanged nods as I took my leave.
The whole thing was so out of nowhere and cinematic, it made me feel as if the world were filled with magic, just the fact that such a thing could happen at all. Maybe you had to be there...
My brother-in-law was in town today and wanted to visit our local ReStore so I went with him. He had a lot of browsing to do, but I wasn't looking for anything in particular, so I just wandered.
I happened by a few pianos and pecked out a major arpeggio on one... noticing that for a cheap used piano it had a very pleasant tone and nice sustain. I took a few steps away from it and noticed that a lean young man came up to it and sat down, shook out his fingers, and started playing.
It soon became apparent that he intended to stay there for a while, and there was a section of living room furniture next to the pianos so I sat down in a couch and listened. The closest way I can think of describing what I heard is if you've ever heard any Keith Jarrett solo concert albums. It seemed like, not a collection of pre-existing songs, but simply this young guy weaving a tapestry of whatever music flowed out of his head at that moment. Maybe what he did wasn't jaw-dropping and unprecedentedly genius -- that would be too much like a movie -- but this was definitely professional caliber playing I was listening to here.
Other people looked at him as they passed by, but I was the only one who stopped and took in what amounted to an impromptu jazz recital in a humble little store in the middle of nowhere. I stayed there for like fifteen minutes before my bro-in-law retrieved me and we headed out. The unexpected jazzman and I exchanged nods as I took my leave.
The whole thing was so out of nowhere and cinematic, it made me feel as if the world were filled with magic, just the fact that such a thing could happen at all. Maybe you had to be there...
