Sit Down and Listen
These last few weeks I found myself drawn to soft Jazz music that was made in the 1930s and beyond. As I write this, La vie en rose by Louis Armstrong is playing in the background. I found myself captivated by a few different artists such as Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker, and Billy Joel. In my discovery, I also found variations of the different genres and mixes with some contemporary versions. There's something different about the original versions of these songs. I think it's the soft crackling, pops, and scratches you hear from original vinyl being recorded. I find the music sounds raw, unfiltered, and real. When I close my eyes, I envision myself sitting at a table before the stage, watching the performers sing, holding on to a condenser microphone. The light is dimmed to highlight the stage, on which one musician is playing the piano with precise taps on the keys, while another plays the saxophone. The scent of cigars is wafting towards you from a few tables back. It hangs in t...
