rekkidblogga

Alone together

Last night I took the liberty of cruising to the downtown ATL record shop, which is actually one of those big chain bookstore/record/coffee places, where I buy all my classic late '50s-mid '60s era Blue Note jazz reissue CDs and treated myself to six new/old albums. Since I haven't bought myself anything fun that was just for me in a while, I reckoned I could part with the cash this go-round because it's been a terrible week for me. Call these comfort CDs.

The haul? Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Andrew Hill, Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd and Herbie Hancock - all stuff from the days when jazz artists took the craft seriously and elevator music composers like Kenny G. hadn't shamed the genre with their pap.

So Saturday night it was just me and my records, which suited me fine. Lots of my friends and relatives aren't happy staying home on a weekend night, hanging out with themselves. If they aren't out in the mix, they think they're missing out on something huge. Maybe it's weird, and I like going out with my friends, but being alone with me is cool too. And when I have the kind of music that I and I alone really love - like classic Blue Note jazz - for company, that's all I need.

Today my family visited and we had fun, talking and joking and catching up. But the quiet times when it's just me and my records and all I have to listen to is the stereo speakers softly slipping their sounds my way - it's the best kind of alone without feeling lonely.

posted by rekkidbraka @ 3:57 PM