Brian’s Reflection: Friday, December 28, 2007


Presented by jazz lovers from all over the world.
this piano is the only one of its kind in the world and
expresses the great genius of a man who has never
played a melancholy note in his lifetime on a planet
that has often succumbed to despair".

- Silver plaque on the Steinway of Earl “Fatha” Hines,
musician & pianist, who was born on this day, 1903


Earl Hines was born in Duquesne PA. His father was a cornetist and his mother played church organ. Happily for the world, playing the cornet hurt him behind the ears. The piano didn’t. In 1927, Louis Armstrong replaced his wife as the band pianist with Hines. Together, they made what are regarded as some of the most important jazz recordings ever made.

Our planet is in despair – and has been for awhile. Benazir Bhutto’s assassination is but the latest savagery. And it’s going to be like this for a long time, I think. My own feeling is that the bottom line for it all is the determination by some to refuse freedom to others in order to protect their position and power.

Sometimes melancholy is, I feel, appropriate. All human feelings deserve acknowledgment. But I’m grateful for Earl Hines’ non-melancholic “notes”.

I wish that, with perhaps a nod to melancholy, the World’s religions would play faithfully “Fatha” Hines note of non-despair. For, in my view, much of Religion contributes to that despair by contributing to the power mongering which only exacerbates that despair. Jesus, in my opinion, did not want everyone to be made a Christian. He desires every human being genuinely to love and respect each other, and build a World community that meets melancholy and despair with the music of hope and trust.

Something I need to learn too.

Brian+