Jazz Says It All

dlbach — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:13:59 +0000

Last night I watched the Kennedy Center Honors program on CBS. All five honorees were well deserving and well honored. I found myself laughing and crying as they revisited the past achievements and even a couple bombs of the ones being honored. There was so much history in that balcony as well as on the stage as I watched in awe and amazement with every detail and every utterance. One thing struck me as they were honoring Dave Brubeck for his work in jazz, everyone was affected by this presentation. Yes, it seemed that The Boss received more accolades and folks standing and swaying to his music as it was performed at the end. Then there were those whose faces lit up with the wonderful tunes once performed by Grace Bumbry. Rousing laughter nearly took the roof off the building when Robert De Niro and Mel Brooks were honored. However, Dave Brubek’s music moved me more than I thought possible.

I have loved jazz for a long time. Jazz and blues are very closely related so I am a fan of each. Seems everyone knows my favorite is Louis Armstrong. It is often said that jazz is the black man’s music and white men have tried to take it for their own. I have also heard it called African Music. I honestly do not believe any of this. Jazz is the music of peace. It transcends race, gender and age to bring everyone together for a meeting of the heart, mind and soul. President and Mrs. Obama were seated in the balcony with the honorees. Secret Service were there as well. The agents assigned to protect the president are to be alert and always focused on what is around them. I usually think of Royal guards who aren’t allow to move at all while they are standing guard when I think of the Secret Service agents. While the cameras were capturing the faces of those in attendance during the performances I watched. During Dave Brubeck’s presentation I noted the faces and posture of those the cameras caught. When they were focused on the First Couple I noticed the Agent seated behind them. His eyes were focused and watching everything around them, but his head was moving to the beat of the music.

Wide shots throughout caught everyone with heads bopping, feet tapping and fingers drumming to the fine jazz music being played. Black, white, Hispanic, male, female, actor, musician, president. It didn’t matter who they were, they felt the heartbeat of the music that is jazz. If it moves your body, even your toe to tap, then it has reached your soul. And that is JAZZ.

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Jazz Says It All