The Power of Jazz

In last Sunday’s New York Times, I found another wonderful take on this new year of uncertainty by Bono (leader of the Irish rock band U-2). Called “Notes from the Chairman,” it’s a lyrical essay about the pull between hope and fear and the wisdom one can glean about coping with life’s complexities and uncertainties from the music of Frank Sinatra. 
Two points I found particularly interesting: 
First, the idea that Sinatra’s voice and expressive talent—like that of numerous other musicians—improved as he got older. “Interpretive skills generally gain in the course of a life well abused,” Bono says. Which is perhaps another way of saying that although we love the times when all is well, we gain far more wisdom, depth, compassion and understanding through times that try our souls. There are jewels to be found in the darkness of a mine, and stars whose brightness we only begin to appreciate in the absence of the sun. 
Second, I liked what he said about the power of jazz coming from its complete immersion in a particular moment of music, never to be repeated again. “Fully inhabiting the moment during that tiny dot of time after you’ve pressed ‘record’ is what makes it eternal,” Bono says.  “If, like Frank, you sing it like you’ll never sing it again. If, like Frank, you sing it like you never have before.” 
Jazz isn’t about knowing what’s coming next, or hitting the notes precisely and predictably, time after time. It’s about losing yourself in a moment of music that—intentionally—will never be repeated exactly the same way again. It’s about improvising. Being flexible and creative. And, by embracing unpredictability instead of fighting it, being able to be joyful and fully alive in whatever moment you’re in. 
Worth noting, as we head into a year more unpredictable than most.