Ever Been to a Jazz Concert?

Have you ever been to a jazz concert?

  I hadn't either, until a few weeks ago. I live in a relatively small town, where the biggest entertainment is the county fair and the local  movie theater. Also, being an introvert, I typically spend my weekend nights indoors, catching up on a show or watching a movie, with my siblings for company. 

  However, once a month, I get out and take a swing dancing class. It's one of my favorite things in the world to do. This is my fourth year taking classes, and I'm still very in love with it. It's so much fun, and comes from the throwback era of the forties. I get to hang out with friends and simply have a good time. 

  Anyway, I take my classes in the next town over, where there is a junior college. There is a man named Rod Harris who teaches music there, and leads the jazz band. As you've probably guessed, swing and jazz go hand in hand. So, knowing a few of my classmates from dance, he invited our group to go and dance at his concert at the college. 

  And what a blast is was. I got to dress up in 1940's attire and get up in front of an audience and dance while the band played. Was it nerve- wracking? Very. I forgot half the dance steps but nobody seemed to notice. It was nothing short of thrilling. 

  But it wasn't just the dancing. For the most part, our group had front row seats to sit and listen to the band play. They had a very talented pianist and singers, including an African American man who had the best singing voice I've ever heard in my life. They also played a version of Paul McCartney's Drive My Car, which, frankly, outdid the original. Not one part of it was boring. It was amazing to get just a taste of a bygone culture and know it is not dead. 

  

To get an idea, picture this: A wooden stage in a small theater, closed off from the world. A warm spotlight that catches the dust particles in the air as the saxophone is played. A pianist who sings a somber solo. And the clacking of high heels as our group dances their hearts out. 

  Ever been to a jazz concert?