There is a specific range of years where artists and jazz came together to work wonders on my heart and mind. I am happy to share the details however there is, from my perspective, a more interesting lesson. The lesson emerged from the discovery of life touching my soul again and again. The touches were repeats from a close-knit range of music.
To set the stage with music in the background, I offer the words and jazz music from 1958 through 1962 with artists such as Bill Evans, Red Garland, John Coltrane, Sonny Clark, and Frank Sinatra.
I did not begin with correlations. I did not start within a year or an artist and branch out. No single artist pointed me to what emerged. Rather, it was in the desire to repeat experiences which restored and recreated my heart and mind. As I delved into the details of what was working, the repeating patterns began to tell a story.
The experiences which launched the desire were each, in themselves, overwhelming. I felt as though I was experiencing the psalmist’s words, “God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness.” (Psalm 145.3). It was in letting the music permeate through my being, life reminded me of the recurring patterns.
Once I was aware of the pattern, I went looking for more examples which met the criteria. Red Garland is a great example. I did not see it coming! Who knew that listening to Bill Evans and Herbie Mann (Nirvana, 1962) would lead me to Garland and Coltrane (studio album, 1958)?
As I think about the discovery, a growing realization of the three steps pattern repeats is so many areas of my life. From the discovery of the beauty which I work to capture in my photographs and the repeating experiences of letting go of the camera to experience beauty with my eyes and heart, to the realization of how often God speaks in the silence of my life, there are repeating patterns of experience, awareness, and a search for more.
