J is for Jazz

I love all sorts of music.  I just mentioned my fondness for old hymns a couple days ago, and I'll focus on my passion for Christian Rock in a future A-Z post.  In the middle of all that eclectic musical taste is a little thing we call Jazz. 

I mentioned starting out as a music major in college.  Thank my high school jazz band for that.  While I loved the other bands in school, jazz band was my absolute favorite. 

Yep, that's me in front with the funky hair and tinted glasses blowin' on my sax.  My senior year I even won the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award.  Here's another pic of me doin' a little soloin' (sorry for all the apostrophe ending words.  When talkin' about jazz, you gotta be loose, man.)

Anyway, my career as a musician never got off the ground.  Primarily because after one semester in college my voice teacher and my piano teacher strongly suggested I consider a different major.  But despite the personal setbacks, my love for jazz has never waned, along with cousins like blues, big band, etc.

Here's a couple of my favorites, from various sources and genres.  Have fun.

First, my favorite tenor player: 

Next, a classic from one of my favorite musicians, period:

Then there is perhaps the greatest guitar player who ever lived:

And finally, a Christian big band with an awesome sax duel: 

That's just a smattering.  As you can see, I just love music in general.  And there's more to come...