11/19/2022
Groovin' in Ordinary Time
My first jazz album was Wynton Marsalis, "Hot House Flowers". A gift from my uncle Al who also gave me a classical album by the same trumpeter. As a burgeoning trumpet player myself I was impressed that Marsalis had both sets of chops. He could impeccably triple tongue to the Carnival of Venice and he could use his own brass to moan and wail and soar in an unforgettable version of “Stardust." By the time I started playing in jazz band when I was twelve I was hooked. From age 12 to 18 every school day morning I dutifully woke up, ate my bowl of cereal at 6am, and left for early morning band practice before school. In high school I added vocal jazz singing after school to my daily routine. A lifelong passion for jazz was cemented.
Two years ago my stepfather Corky passed away from Covid-19. Corky was the one who really fanned into flames my love of jazz music. He got me hooked on Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and many of the greats from the Swing era, and I also joined my mom and him for many weekends at the Dixieland Jazz Festival in Friday Harbor. It was there that I got to experience the thrill of jazz music on a Sunday morning. Hearing some of my favorite musicians play improvised versions of the hymns I sang in church was quite a thrill.
I’ve always felt that jazz had a soul. After all, jazz comes out of the Black American experience, and that community created a uniquely American art form that expressed all the pain and agony as well as the glory and greatness of being human. The musical forms of the blues, gospel, and jazz often speak to this struggle of being human, but they often point to something larger, a Presence, behind it all. In my spiritual tradition I refer to that presence as God.
That’s why it’s made total sense for me to see combined both jazz and spiritual liturgy, hence the idea of Jazz Vespers. I’ve been so grateful for the work that Jean and Andrea and so many other have put in to make this vision a reality. Every time I tune in to Jazz Vespers I have experienced not only great musicianship, but deep thoughtfulness and reflection. We need more places where we can combine the creative pursuit of great art with the honest and real questions of the soul and the human experience. Jazz Vespers is one of those places, and it’s a gift. I encourage you to join me in your financial support for this unique and valuable ministry.
Jeff Gephart
