Got the blues

There are 3 types of music I have particularly never liked. One is country music (shudder) with all the cheatin' and cryin' and moanin'...give me a break...forgive me if you like it, but I could never understand why I'd want to wallow in sorrow. A close second to that was blues music which I figured was all depressing too. And then jazz....I could never hum along to the melody because I couldn't find it. Well, maybe there's a fourth. I can handle most of my son's punk music until the screaming starts...it's just not soothing, 'by the pond' kinda stuff. So when I heard there was going to be an 'awesome' blues band at our church, I didn't consider going. But I changed my mind and couldn't quite believe my reaction to the concert. I could have stayed for several more hours! These were old guys....I mean, even older than me(!) with the name....Danny Brooks and the Rockin' Revelators! (oh dear). But what incredible talent! And they just jammed like teenagers, strutting the stage and switching up guitars. I bought a CD and took a very long ride home listening to it...one foot on the gas and the other thumping to the music. Me and blues music. Who would have thought it?

To be honest, I still don't think I like any other blues music....just Danny Brooks' music. It was the intense heart and soul of the man that drew me to his music. From the age of fifteen he lived and breathed blues music, so it's in his blood. But he should be dead. His liver was shot from overuse of heroin and booze. Now he is a living miracle with an amazing story. He doesn't preach. He belts out from his soul the pain he has felt, and the hope he now lives in. He's just himself and he's real. As I watched in rapt attention, the words of Donald Miller came to my mind that I had read in his book, Blue Like Jazz, and I understood just what he meant.

"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But I was outside the Baghdad Theatre one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes and he never opened his eyes. After that I liked jazz music. Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way."