From Manhattan to Motown, my whereabouts

Those who are versed in Jazz music, have already probably resolved the little puzzle hidden in this title. It was 1985 summertime when jazz came into my life by the hand of my probably two earliest loves. Yes two, yes both in the same time, yes both in some strange way brought jazz music to my life. Maybe Einstein was true when stated that "God does not play dice" at least in what this is related to the lack of casualty in the universe.

No matters what, my first two jazz influences, and two of my biggest ones, came through two absolutly unrelated girls, or I must say not absolutly unrelated because I loved both of them with that fresh, fast, unconstant but deep love of a 15 years old teen. Probably none of them remember those days and, if they do, surely they don't even suspect the deep impact their kisses caused in my future, now actual, life.

Of course beeing a 15 y.o. boy, I was much more inmature than those two 15 y.o. girls. The first one, was about one head taller than I was, a real beauty, closest to a woman than to a girl and was pretty in love with me, absolutly strange thing ;-) Between a lot of memories about those days, there is one related with her that I can recall just closing my eyes, as if it had happened yesterday. That summer she had become my "girlfriend" in Playa de Madrid, a place where I used two spend most of my summer days in those years. She was leaving Madrid to spend a couple holiday weeks in the coast, and she came to just say goodbye before parting. I was riding my bicicle when I saw her calling me, in a place called la Pergola, where my parents where playing cards with friends. I got to her, and without getting off my bicicle she got close and kissed my lips with the sweetest kiss I had received in my short life. Said 'goodbye, see you when I get back', turned around and runned to, probably, meet her parents to leave the place. I can remember perfectly the comments, laughter and jokes of my parents, uncles and their friends watching the scene, myself absolutly shocked still tasting her lips on mine. That was a saturday, next day, sunday, in "el rastro", the main madrid street marked where my parent and uncle had a shop and where I used to buy bootleg music tapes, I, dunno exactly why, bought a tape of Stevie Wonder, "In square circle".

Later that night laying on my bed, I started listening that tape. Of course I was listening and thinking about her, about her kiss, wondering what she would be doing in her holidays, dreaming with her. That night, the next one, the one after the next, and so for about a month until I saw her again. So so much that in just a few days I learned the lyrics of all songs in the tape, and so much that still and allways this record and that days will keep connected in my mind.

I'm trying to find my whereabouts, what can I do
When nothing seems to follow through
In me, trying to find my whereabouts, I'm turning blue
But wait I may have found a clue
My whereabouts are somewhere lost in yesterday with you

But of course I was 15. It means I had such a big heart that I could love two girls without moral conflicts :-) And I loved another one. Can't remember if that love was longer than a week, or even than a day, but again I can recall the day I loved this other one as if it was yesterday. She was the sister of my brother's friend Antoñito. I don't remember why, but we where walking from Moncloa to her home, in the old center of Madrid. Talking about music, a rock&roll man like me, and, daughter of a jazz trumpet player her, she was talking about her learning to sing in a jazz school in Madrid. We stopped to rest (it was a long walk) in a small street, in the doorway of a house she started singing this Manhattan Transfer's "soul food to go" (and she sung real well, I can remember perfectly).

Want some more
We always save some
Art nouveau
For special patrons
You look nice
Do you believe in jazz

...

Ooo ooo ah
This be-bop’s too much
I know you know
Hip hop
Never stop
I’ll pour you tasty funk
We got
Cool and hot
Just for you
The pleasures of the soul
Come on
Come in
And check it out
Ooo c’est si bon

She was so nice, sounded so well, that I couldn't do other thing but kiss her. And we kissed there, for about the next 15 minutes before we continued walking to her home. Again that kiss, or it was that song, or it was that girl, or it was the stars, or it was everything, changed my life in a lot of different ways.

From there on, jazz passion has been in my life, stronger as I've grown older. And I have grown, yes but a bit of those days, those girls and those songs is still and will allways be in me.

My original intention was to talk about other songs and bands in this post but, as I see it is longer than I expected, I will finish it here and keep those for other posts. I could have chosen a billion songs (of the large discography of Stevie Wonder) as and end but this afternoon I was driving home in heavy traffic when my iphone choosed this song from it's library (that I allways play in random mode) and I think dices made a perfect choice. It's really nice song, and has two incredible jazzy moments at 4:16 -> 5:09 -> 5:42 and 6:32 -> 7:15

Oh so long for this night I prayed
That a star would guide you my way
To share with me this special day
Where a ribbon's in the sky for our love

If allowed may I touch your hand
And if pleased may I once again
So that you too will understand
There's a ribbon in the sky for our love

Again I will beg for pardon if this make no sense for you, reader. I know it's probably very intimate, but in the end that's what music is, that's what love is and that is what this blog was made for. If it has brought nice personal memories to your mind, then I'll feel rewarded enough, if it haven't, then just enjoy the good music...