Vintage

Blue Morris

I have to say, everyone who came out that night was just fantastic. I've never played for such an enthusiastic audience before and it really made a difference in how we played. An audience's attitude really affects a musician's performance, especially when playing improvised music like jazz. An improvisation is a direct expression of what's going on in the musician's mind at that very moment. The music then feeds off the energy in the room.

Music has been relegated to the background. It's like furniture or flowers -- music is mere decoration for a room. Few today sit and listen to music without talking, reading, walking (iPods), eating, watching TV, or ironing laundry. How much of the music do we miss when we're not paying attention? I would venture to say nearly all of it.

The effect that music has on us when we are paying attention is entirely different. It is so much stronger. When we pay attention, we develop a relationship to the music. We come to understand it. We feel it more.

What a night! We played better than we've ever played live before. Having listened to the recording of the night, I have to say that I'm thrilled to have these talented musicians playing in my band.

For those of you who missed it, we'll be playing at Trees again next month. And here's a little taste of what you missed. Download the free MP3s below.