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October 21,
2004
Jazz vibraphonist Dick Sisto and I have
been invited to play a jazz concert at the new chapel at
Bellarmine University. It is billed as "A Tribute
to Tom - A Merton Jazz Celebration". Dick was a personal
friend of Merton's (Fr. Louis) and I have been a fan of
his for many years.
Dick and I drive up to the chapel to rehearse. It is late afternoon. The
chapel is a small modern building beautifully tucked in the woods. Inside
the first thing you notice is the altar framed by huge glass windows looking
out at a tall and thick wooded area. We will play in the choir loft overlooking
the people sitting in the pews below us. It strikes me as strange having
spent most of my performing life in front of people, but later after the concert
I see it makes sense. We finish rehearsing and go to dinner.
People begin to show up for the concert. Dick and I greet some of them
outside. Some old friends from many years back when I lived in the Louisville
area arrive. We are introduced by the Director of the Merton Center who
prefaces with some anecdotes about Merton and his love of jazz. Both Dick
and I explain that we will be playing music in an improvised, contemplative manner
and that applause isn't necessary until the conclusion of the concert.
I knew that Tom was into haikus and this came to mind:
Feet
on the floor
Staring
at middle C
Here
we go.
We play a variety of tunes, mostly original compositions
of ours but the songs really don't matter. We immediately become lost
in the music. There
are no awkward moments. Everything flows naturally. I find myself
in the same space I first encountered as a young jazz musician, that
space where you cease to exist, where you only hear the music
and willingly follow it to its conclusion. Some call it an out of
body experience. It
is prayer for me. An hour or so passes effortlessly.
Later we heard that some folks read the Bible while we played. Others
sat quietly and meditated. It was an extraordinary experience
for which Dick and I are grateful and look forward to our upcoming trip
on Sunday to Gethsemani Trappist Monastery to play for the monks. |
