Some kids went to the movies for escape. We found it with jazz. This is where we got religion. It was a kind of raw spiritual anarchy.
Interpretation
The quote highlights how jazz provided a profound sense of escape and spiritual fulfillment for some individuals, akin to a religious experience.
In this quote, John Densmore reflects on the power of jazz music as a means of emotional and spiritual liberation. Unlike those who sought escape in the movies, Densmore and his peers discovered a deep connection and sense of freedom through jazz, which they perceived as an almost religious experience. This 'raw spiritual anarchy' suggests a rejection of traditional norms in favor of a more visceral and instinctive expression of creativity and emotion.
In practice
In a discussion about the ways music can influence emotions, this quote can illustrate jazz as a form of escape.
I'm really glad we came up when we did. When we got started, the record companies were concerned with building careers. They made sure you could put on a live show before you put a record out. And if your first album sold 100,000 to 200,000 copies, they were happy, because they figured you had your foot in the door on a way to a long career.
My greatest teacher was not a vocal coach, not the work of other singers, but the way Tommy Dorsey breathed and phrased on the trombone.
As for my stuff, I'm just doing guest verses for other people's records. I try to stay recording, because if I don't, I get rusty.
To this day, if I ever meet grownups who play ukulele, I love 'em.
That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.
Too many jazz pianists limit themselves to a personal style, a trademark, so to speak. They confine themselves to one type of playing.
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