The Sweet Chord of Opportunity

Miles Davis has long been regarded as one of the leading performers and songwriters in the history of Jazz. And this month, Kind of Blue—what is regarded as his best album, and the best album in all of jazz for that fact—celebrated its 50th anniversary. The album, which went quadruple platinum a few months ago, is a strong reminder as to the power rhythmic chords have in creating harmony and equality amongst peoples.

Music is, as I hear it, one of the greatest bridges between cultures. I'd argue that Pete Seeger mobilized change in American culture and public opinion  greater than that of the editorial pages from the New York Times. And for Davis, his transformation of the BeeBop sound, which incidentally was born out of the conflict African American soldiers experienced after returning from the open artistic and culturally inclusive boulevards of Paris and Europe, faded the color lines into a sweet dissidence that has grown into the bedrock for popular American culture. His sophisticated hooks and melodies helped elevate the African American experience to the summit of the American art form. And in doing so, show the world that Kind of Blue was neither a black or white album, but a completely new thing in of itself.

Growing up an Irish mutt on the Southside of Atlanta, in the chaotic years following Dr. King's death, I learned how to play music before I could even spell my last name.  My grandfather, who pretty much was my father, was a roadie for a jazz band in Atlanta, and my mother made extra money after my father left singing in clubs on the weekends. Their love for the music was a powerful factor in fostering racial unity at home. Music has, throughout history, been a bridge between languages and culture, perhaps the reason why the symphony for change resonated so well in people's hearts this past year, with President Obama's speeches harkening the words of song writers like Sam Cook, and sounding more like a litany than legal persuasion.

Music speaks to the heart, not to the eyes.  And its power to pull on those heart-felt values like hope, equality, opportunity and change sing a much greater harmony when sung together.  A chorus of one is dull and flat. But fill it out with the seven and eight note chords, like those Miles Davis brought to the masses in his music, and the heart is raised to a new dimension.

This January 20th, drummer Jimmy Cobb, who is the last remaining member of Miles Davis' group who recorded Kind of Blue, celebrated his 80th birthday. Quite a birthday present, indeed, when looking back at the power he helped bring the world, creating a true beat for change.