Thought for The Day - What is This Thing Called Love?

Of a Feather 18 x 24 pastels

I have the above titled song as it was recorded by Charles Mingus and it is 8 minutes of pure joy. But before I launched off into expressions about the song, I did a quick search for the song's origin. Written by Cole Porter and performed in a Broadway musical "Wake up and Dream" (another popular thought for a "modern world). But here's my true focal perspective: music and for me, in particular Jazz music.

I woke this morning, prepared to face the day. There's always a lot to do, even on the weekends, yet I prefer to start my day with writing. It is the basis of communication and as I was taught so many years ago, I like to spend time communicating with my Father. Often times, I'm accompanied by music in this process, my computer loaded with 'enough' music to last several days. But this morning, I went to YouTube and on my list of recommendations was a full recording of a concert, Gregory Porter being the star of the show.

The concert takes place in Amsterdam and he sings with the support of the Metropole Orchestra. Now this is Jazz, with a full sized orchestra and Gregory's velvety voice! Sheer beauty! Wait a minute now, Jazz music sang in a classic setting; music that is traditionally improvisational, with near unpredictable shifts and rises and falls, sang with an orchestra and sheet music! And you know what? They rocked and rolled with Gregory as if the sheet music contained every possible rise and fall, turn and shift!

But that is this thing Called Love. We are traveler's on this journey and while we may believe we travel alone, there are so many unseen and seen fellow sojourners. What is this thing called love? It is the assistance we receive and the beauty we create along the way. It is the sheer joy of this journey and it's strange, out of nowhere pain. It is discovering something new and remembering some forgotten moment of joy. And once again, it is sharing this thing, the thing we call L-O-V-E.