There Is No Greater Love...

Hi Lovelies,

I don't really have much of a topic today I'm afraid.
My mood matches the cold damp weather, I wasn't even going to write.
But then I thought - am I REALLY going to sit at home and continue crying?

Like American professor of psychology Abraham Maslow once said:
"A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to ultimately be at peace with himself." 
So dammit here I am.

Want to know the strangest thing?
I've been crying since my parents left, I could not be more disenfranchised with the opposite sex (again) and yet - I cannot get the song "There is no greater love" out of my head.
(To think, I was declaring "I hate everybody!" shortly before crying myself to sleep last night.)

The 1936 jazz standard has been covered by everyone from Dinah Washington to Amy Winehouse, it's an optimistic look at falling in love...truly, madly deeply. 
I fell asleep with the song in my head - and woke up with it as well.
"You're the sweetest thing, that I've ever known - and to think that you are mine, alone..."

It's just so...romantic.
How could I be so CONSCIOUSLY miserable, with my subconscious dancing to this lovely little number?  

As God would have it, "mixed emotions" was the sermon at church yesterday...
Walking in faith that you're on the right path - when there is no tangible proof, is bloody hard.
We have to dig DEEP into the well and recall a time when things DID go smoothly and our footing was strong.

Well.
My idealistic side (and evil sense of humor) have always gotten me through the rain, this time and this funk will be no different.
I mean, it got me to write today.
Tears and all.

Until next week...

There is no great love than what I feel for you

No greater love, no heart so true

There is no greater thrill, than what you bring to me

No sweeter song, than what you sing to me

~ Don Darcy, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington etc., 

Miles & Mistakes

Dolls,

I can honestly say there is not an artist on the planet I love more than Miles Davis.
Composer, painter, musician, visionary and coolest-cat-on-the-planet.
I know you may be surprised to hear this from me, as I'm so forth-coming with my love of all things reggae, hip-hop and R&B.

Not to mention my idol worship of the Queen of the World, Madonna (Oh shush!)

But it's true.
Miles' speaks to me through that trumpet more than anyone.
The funny thing is, I know very little about his life.  I don't have to.
Or do I?

I recently read a review of HBO's upcoming new show "Girls."
Creator Lena Dunham, a 25-year-old writer and director has all the TV critics abuzz.
She's writing, directing and starring in a new show that promises to revolutionize TV.

While I WILL watch, (I want to support a young woman in her creative efforts) - it's the shows tag line that really caught my attention:
"Living the Dream, one Mistake at a time" 
Classic.  (And funny!)

There is a famous quote attributed to my beloved Miles that immediately came to mind when I read that:  "Do not fear mistakes, there are none"
I have searched EVERYWHERE to find out more details and context Mr. Davis was speaking in, but  have found none.

While I can forgive ANY mistakes Miles may have made musically - I'm not one of his three ex-wives, children, or people that he pissed off.
(In researching the origin of his quote, I noticed that there have already been several blogs written about this very topic.  Which I'll read once I'm finished putting this one together)

My friend April and I have been using Miles' phrase as a way of encouraging each other in our artist pursuits for years now.
But is there REALLY no such thing as a mistake?
And how will we know?

My BFF and I were just texting about the past and not being able to get those years back...sigh.
Oh to hell with it!
Who wants to live in regret anyway?

Miles has another gem that makes me happy to be alive:
"I'm always thinking about creating.  My future starts when I wake up every morning...Everyday I find something creative to do with my life."
Delicious isn't it?

Whether or not "Girls" goes on to become a television hit doesn't really matter does it?
The point is, it's creator seems to have been living her life this way for quite some time now.
And it's nice to see hard work (and play) pay off.

Onward and upward darlings...
Till next week,
-xo-

For me, music and life are all about style.

~ Miles Davis