John Coltrane "Body And Soul"

You know, I'm still working on this "where did the black musicians go?" thing.  I mean, there's still great black musicians around, but do you really want to argue that the situation is as great as it was in the days of Louis, Duke, 'Bird, Pres, 'Trane and Miles?  No.  I didn't think so.

But I'm just thinking here, just blowing smoke, but what if it has something to do with the fact that for all of those guys, expressing their inner feelings just matter-of-factly was impossible.  They didn't have the option of coming out and saying, "what do you mean, I can't eat in your restaurant?  That shit is fucked up."  Well, that shit would get you hung from a Goddamn tree, back in those halcyon days.

So what about it?  Maybe those O.G. jazzboes were just trying to figure out a way to let their emotions out without anybody getting wise.  Mister Charlie listens to "Body and Soul," or even "Chasing the 'Trane," and he just says, "I don't like nigger music," he doesn't reach for his rope and his gun.

Now the brothers can just tell anybody, "fuck you man!  I'll eat wherever I want to!"  And it's kind of true too.  Times change, and every little thing changes along with the times.  Some for better (the eating anywhere part), and some for worse (the no more Coltranes part).  C'est La Vie, motherfucker.