That First Memory 

As long as I can remember I’ve had a deep fascination and love of Jazz Music. I don’t recall how and or when was the first time I realized how much I loved the genre; however if my memory servers me right it was when I was a little boy maybe 11-12 years old. It was quite evening in Mississauga my mother in the living room watching television and brother asleep in his room, we just moved from Downtown Toronto, Mississauga only a population of 200K + at the time. I was in my room cleaning and organizing my cloths and random toys I was beginning to outgrow. During a break I was beside the window in my room fiddling around with the AM/FM radio trying to get a signal… and then this sound came through the haze and fuzz of radio the signals crossing, I adjusted the dial with surgical precision until, wow that…. flute I knew the instrument because in my grade 4 music class we learned about them and heard the sounds. At that time I was becoming a master of “Hot, Cross, Buns on the Recorder”, the pride I had playing that simple melody you would think that I was Miles Davis prodigy with the grin of achievement and satisfaction on my face once done. However this sound on the radio was a lot different, It defiantly wasn’t  Mrs. Burnett’s music class of a bunch of out-of-tune elementary students blowing recklessly on recorders, this sound was, it was….  it was world class! So smooth anyone who was blessed with the ability to hear could realize it instantly.

Introduced To A Classic

Then  the radio announcer said as the music slowly faded the radio honed in super clear, “you were just listening to John Coltrane’s Classic “Favorite Things”, from his 7th studio album in 1961″. That very moment time stood still, it was only 1994-1995, and in between playing my NHL 94′ on Super Nintendo (arguably the best video game ever) from that moment on through the years I would make time in the evenings every weekend to stay up late and listening to Jazz music played on CBC Radio. 

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A Jazz Legend 

My favorite artist these days who I’ve found a deep appreciation for is Chet Baker, in between his alcoholism, drug abuse and less then stellar track record with the ladies he happened to still be one of the greatest Jazz musicians of an era. His hey day was in the 1950’s however he still recorded amazing music up until the late 1980’s before he finally passed in 1988. As 2014 begins to fade and pass on forever I’d like to pay homage and respect to Mr. Baker and his music that reminded me why I fell in love with jazz in the first place. The best of Chet Baker! 

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Before YouTube 

I’m only 29 however I can with a vivid and crystal clear memory remember the times before YouTube or the internet the only time you could hear something you truly loved and relive it was making the time to hear your favorite artist and or radio host through the AM/FM dial.  Now we have SiriusXM Satellite Radio which is cool and an amazing resource, plus the internet makes available to us amazing options from around the world, however I will remember fondly those early years in my youth taking the time staying up late listening to CBC Radio One, alone in my room laying on the bed looking up at the wall seeing my glow in the dark sticker stars shining bright in the dark. Listening to the most amazing sounds of pure instrumentation, feeling and emotion, that soothing soulful jazz music… Yeah, it will never get old and will forever stay timeless….

In closing I’d like to share one of my all time favorite Jazz tunes, it’s called People Time by Stan Getz. Normally played in the evening after gatherings, great conversation,  and food before retiring for the evening, listen fully and you’ll understand why, cheers. 

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