My first Jazz experience was in 1955. That's when my journey began. I was eight years old. My mother took my brothers and I to a live Jazz concert at the famous Karamu Theatre in Cleveland where she was an actress and a dancer.
I'm sure we didn't want to go, but my mother didn't give us a choice. No big deal though, heck we spent just as much time at
concerts, plays and dance performances as we did on the playground.
As children of one of the actresses we had access to the dressing rooms, and everything the backstage of a theatre offers. I usually spent a lot of time getting into mischief trying to see what I could see backstage.
But, I remember thinking that this event was a special occaission. First of all, it was being filmed, and broadcast live on black & white TV. Certainly, a big deal in 1955, even at eight years old I could see that.
The concert began with the announcer asking the audience to "...please welcome Duke Ellington & his Orchestra, accompanied by Dizzy Gilespie."
And then,standing in the wings of the theatre, just a few feet away, I heard that first beat. I was transfixed. I was hooked.
Since then Jazz has been a constant thread through my life, with many stories along the way. I have teenage Jazz stories, college student Jazz stories, foreign and domestic Jazz stories, and more. I hope to share my journey with you, and hopefully you will do the same.
I'm sure we didn't want to go, but my mother didn't give us a choice. No big deal though, heck we spent just as much time at
concerts, plays and dance performances as we did on the playground.
As children of one of the actresses we had access to the dressing rooms, and everything the backstage of a theatre offers. I usually spent a lot of time getting into mischief trying to see what I could see backstage.
But, I remember thinking that this event was a special occaission. First of all, it was being filmed, and broadcast live on black & white TV. Certainly, a big deal in 1955, even at eight years old I could see that.
The concert began with the announcer asking the audience to "...please welcome Duke Ellington & his Orchestra, accompanied by Dizzy Gilespie."
And then,standing in the wings of the theatre, just a few feet away, I heard that first beat. I was transfixed. I was hooked.
Since then Jazz has been a constant thread through my life, with many stories along the way. I have teenage Jazz stories, college student Jazz stories, foreign and domestic Jazz stories, and more. I hope to share my journey with you, and hopefully you will do the same.
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