Year: 2017

Moving into the second week in Lent my musical focus turns to “Prayer” by pianist Keith Jarrett. It’s a beautifully simple duet between Jarrett and bassist Charlie Haden from the album Death and the Flower recorded in 1974. If you don’t know this exquisite little melody and want to hear how Keith and Charlie explored it you can go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8VIipPNmUo

I have played “Prayer” in worship many times, as a call to prayer, a musical background beneath spoken prayer, a jazz meditation, as an offertory and as part of the sermon. I love the melody so much that I’ve put lyrics to it. Sung by my daughter Arianna, the music has deeply touched worshippers. As you listen to the music online I invite you to meditate on these words:

In the midst of all chaos I offer a prayer. As the world turns around me in pain and despair I remember your promise that flows everywhere.

In the twilight and darkness when day turns to night. In each moment of sadness you offer me sight. I remember your promise and enter your light.

In the touch of another I sense you are near, sharing moments of blessing there’s nothing to fear. I remember your promise and my way seems clear.

It’s a prayer of thanksgiving, a prayer of delight. It’s a prayer of contrition, a prayer seeking right. We remember your promise and enter your light.

This prayer is personal for the first three verses, then becomes a corporate prayer with the affirmation that “we remember your promise and enter the light.” May this Lenten season be a simply beautiful time of prayer as you enter the light of the Spirit. If you’re performing this song in worship please feel free to use these lyrics (just list me as lyricist).

Lenten Jazz Blessings.

It’s so easy to get bogged down in the lure of “shoulds” and “oughts” in our lives. Even though most people consider me retired, my life is busier than ever. I just don’t have a steady day gig occupying my time. I do have, however, a more fluid lifestyle allowing me to pursue a host of worthwhile projects. After I wrote my last blog entry (two months ago!) I quickly listed 12 major goals for 2017: all important parts of my creative calling. But now it’s Lent—a “stop sign” reminding me to pause and refocus my life: spiritually, physically, vocationally and creatively.

So, I’m committing myself to six weeks of discipline and discovery. Part of my intent is to focus on one jazz composition/performance each week as a way to reaffirm the anchors in my life while exploring the improvisational freedom of the Spirit. I begin with a John Coltrane masterpiece, “Spiritual,” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkY_zTKzPCY) This version features McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums) at a live performance in Stockholm in 1963.

During the past year I’ve been a contributing writer for the United Church of Christ Musician’s Journal. In my most recent article I wrote the following, “I belief that when we jazz musicians play, we perform a sacred rite; we are at prayer. We are never more deeply in communion with the Holy than when we’re improvising—fashioning spontaneous melodies, harmonies and rhythms as an act of giving—a holy offering to God and the listener.”

Trane’s “Spiritual” is a perfect example of improvising in this spirit. While it was never composed and performed as liturgical music, it is for me a spiritual, and I would contend, a worshipful offering that touches my soul deeply. I love the deep resonance of Trane’s tenor sax as the song begins and his switch to soprano after McCoy’s soul. I can visual the quartet on stage offering their interpretive talents to the audience. It may not have been in church but I daresay that many in the audience were lifted to new heights by their music.

I will listen to “Spiritual” this week and make a commitment to playing it in my daily practice as a spiritual discipline to help guide me through this season of Lent. May this season of Lenten meditation be a time of renewal and refocusing for you.

If you prefer to listen to the original studio recording just link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3AeL4ED8oM.

Lenten Jazz Blessings.

Another Christmas has eased into a new year. Where does the time go? I can’t believe I’ve been so lax in my blogging. Well, yes, I can believe it. It’s been a crazy couple of months. All good—but a whirlwind craziness that’s kept me juggling and dancing non-stop. The big event being was Jazz Noel. This is the sixth year in a row that I’ve led Oîkos in a Christmas jazz program here in St. Louis.

The first four years were an on-going Jazz Nativity series blending jazz with imaginative storytelling. During those programs we’ve had a number of creative characters retell the Christmas story from their point of view—the prophet Isaiah (a homeless woman), the angel Gabriel (a hip trumpeter), the innkeeper’s wife and daughter (cut the innkeeper some slack!), the Fourth Magi (didn’t know she was part of the entourage?), two wacky angels (Holly & Ivy), plus two elders (Anna and Simeon). A wonderful series, but two years ago I decided to cut back the dramatic production and focus on the music. Jazz to the World was a jazzy Christmas celebration with vignettes of holiday traditions from around the globe.

Year after year, after each performance without fail, someone would come up afterwards to thank us and say how much they enjoyed the worship service. Well, it was never planned as a service of worship, but to many it had a worshipful feel and touched a deep spiritual nerve. So this year I decided it was time to compose a liturgical Christmas celebration.

Jazz Noel blended the creative retelling of the Christmas story with three readers highlighting the four chapters of the narrative: Joseph’s dilemma with a pregnant Mary, Mary and Joseph’s arduous trip to Bethlehem, surprised shepherds visiting the manger, and the Magi’s journey to acknowledge the new born king. Each story was accompanied by original poetry and jazz arrangements from the Oîkos septet. And through it all, artist Michael Anderson painted a wonderful portrait focused on the theme of holy light beckoning the world to follow the Prince of Peace. Pastor Dave Denoon offered a Christmas prayer in collaboration with Oîkos playing “A Child is Born” and worshipers had an opportunity to sing creative arrangements of “When God is a Child,” “The First Noel,” and “Joy to the World.” It was not your usual vesper service, but that’s what jazz in worship is all about—taking the usual, giving it a creative spin and inviting worshipers to explore the deep, inner terrain of the soul.

May your jazz journeys in 2017 open up new vistas to challenge and deepen your faith.